Sexist media coverage is putting girls off politics, according to a new study.
The study by Girlguiding found that 41% of girls aged between nine and 16 in the UK believe there has been a rise in media sexism in the last six months.
Meanwhile, 39% of girls said this had knocked their confidence and could them off politics, the Press Association reports. Some 62% of the 1,147 girls polled said sexist coverage negatively impacts their peers' views of girls and young women.
The study's findings come just five weeks after the Daily Mail's risible but still-damaging "Legs-it" headline, which encouraged readers to compare Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon's physical attributes rather than their political policies.
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Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, responded to the study's findings by saying: "It is unacceptable that women and girls continue to face sexist attitudes that are putting them off playing a full role in our society and it is incumbent on all of us to work to change that. That doesn’t just mean an end to sexist attitudes but an end to the focus on appearances and family life and to the macho-aggressive language that is used far too often in politics."
Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party, who is campaigning to oust sexist MP Philip Davies in the general election, also issued a call-to-arms in response to the findings.
"As a mother of two daughters, it really upsets me that media sexism is having a direct impact on the self-confidence of girls and young women," she told The Independent. "The Women's Equality Party has made fair treatment of women in the media a core objective because we understand that the press has enormous power to shape the culture we live in."
“We need it to change, to allow girls and young women to thrive," she added.
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