Banning children’s beauty pageants

Stuff reports:

France’s Senate has voted to ban beauty pageants for children under 16, in an effort to protect children – especially girls – from being sexualised too early.

Anyone who enters a child into such a contest would face up to two years in prison and 30,000 euros (NZ$48,000) in fines, according to the measure. The legislation must go to the lower house of parliament for further debate and another vote.

I think there is something seriously wrong with a parent who enters an eight or ten year old etc in a beauty pageant. However I’m not sure it is the role of the state to prevent parents from making sub-optimal choices – unless that choice is clearly abusive and damaging.