The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) (1) has joined the campaign to get high-street retailers to ‘lose the lads’ mags’, criticising the damaging effect that magazines like Nuts and Zoo have on young people. The teaching union, representing 170,000 teaching professionals, is concerned by the “increased pornification” of society and is the latest body to support UK Feminista and Object’s call for high-street retailers to stop selling lads’ mags like Nuts and Zoo (2).
Research has shown lads’ mags have a harmful effect on young peoples’ attitudes. The Government-Commissioned Sexualisation of Young People Review found lads’ mags “promote an idea of male sexuality as based on power and aggression, depicting women as sex objects and including articles that feature strategies for manipulating women.” (3) Shops that sell these magazines are also open to legal action. Exposing staff and customers to lads’ mags can constitute sexual harassment or sex discrimination under the Equality Act. (4)
ATL’s support for Lose the Lads’ Mags adds to the growing pressure on retailers to drop titles like Nuts and Zoo from their stores. On 24 August Tesco was subject to a national day of protests outside its stores (5), while the Co-operative’s recent decision to stop selling three lads’ mags has left other supermarkets trailing behind in their efforts to address customer concerns (6).
Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said:
“Not only do so-called ‘Lads’ Mags’ portray women as dehumanised objects, but they also continue to be sold in many supermarkets and newsagents, where children can easily be exposed to them. Are the attitudes towards women and pornographic images in these magazines really what we want our children to be seeing? At ATL’s conference this year our members told us resoundingly that they are worried about the increased ‘pornification’ of society and its pernicious effects on young people, which is why ATL wholeheartedly supports this campaign.
“We congratulate the Co-Operative for taking action and look forward to seeing supermarkets empty their shelves of pornographic images. It’s not only children who are exposed to this, but also the thousands of employees working in supermarkets stocking these magazines.”
Sophie Bennett, Acting Director of UK Feminista, said:
“Tesco is the UK’s biggest retailer so it has a powerful influence on societal attitudes. By choosing to stock lads’ mags like Nuts and Zoo, Tesco is sending out the message to young people in Britain that it is normal and acceptable to treat women like dehumanised sex objects. This flies in the face of Tesco’s claim to be a ‘responsible corporate citizen’. As Britain’s biggest supermarket it is crucial that Tesco shows leadership and removes the sexist lads’ mags from its shelves.”
ENDS
Contact: 07775 855037, losetheladsmags@gmail.com
Website: www.losetheladsmags.org.uk
Notes to editors
1) The Association of Teachers and Lecturers is the union for education professionals across the UK, representing 170,000 members. ATL’s members are teachers, supply teachers, heads, lecturers, managers and support staff in maintained and independent sector schools and colleges. http://www.atl.org.uk/
2) UK Feminista supports women and men to take action for gender equality. Formed in 2010, the organisation has rapidly become one of the UK’s leading feminist organisations and a powerful mobilising force. www.ukfeminista.org.uk.
Object is an award-winning human rights organisation that campaigns against the sexual objectification of women and girls in the media and popular culture. www.object.org.uk
The Lose the Lads’ Mags campaign is calling on Tesco and other retailers to stop selling sexist, harmful lads’ mags like Nuts and Zoo: www.losetheladsmags.org.uk. Its supporters include Women’s Aid, the End Violence Against Women coalition and Unison.
3) The Government-commissioned Sexualisation of Young People Review found: “<lads’ mags> promote an idea of male sexuality as based on power and aggression, depicting women as sex objects and including articles that feature strategies for manipulating women.”…“The evidence gathered in the review suggests a clear link between consumption of sexualised images, a tendency to view women as objects and the acceptance of aggressive attitudes and behaviour as the norm.” http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100418065544/http:/homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/Sexualisation-of-young-people.html
The American Psychological Association (APA) report that viewing media which portrays women as sex objects leads people to become significantly more accepting of gender stereotyping, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence and rape myths. The APA also reveal that men are more likely to treat women as sex objects and their behaviour towards women is more sexualised after exposure to sexualised media. http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
4) 18 lawyers specialising in equality and discrimination law have signed an open letter to retailers calling on them to stop selling lads’ mags like Nuts and Zoo because they can breach equality legislation. The letter to retailers and full list of signatories is available to view at http://www.losetheladsmags.org.uk/about. Signatories include Aileen McColgan, Matrix Chambers; Nathalie Lieven QC, Landmark Chambers; and Hugh Southey QC, Tooks Chambers.
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