Earlier this week a supporter sent us a screenshot of a sponsored post on Facebook where giant e-commerce platform SHEIN was pushing thigh-high fishnet stockings for infants. "This is a massive red flag for me" she said.
We discussed it as a team and our Movement Director, Melinda Tankard Reist said "This major online e-commerce platform thinks it’s ok to sexualise even babies by flogging thigh-high black fishnet stockings. Shein has linked babies with an item of clothing commonly associated with the sex trade. We have documented other examples of Shien’s exploitation and adultification of children including padded bras and see-through costumes. The company must be called out for pedo whistling."
So we decided to share the image on Facebook, Instagram, X(Twitter) and LinkedIn calling on all our supporters to contact SHEIN and demand they remove the item from their site.
Clearly this campaign struck a chord with many as we had hundreds of comments on our social media platforms.
"I have grave concerns about the mind of the person who thought these a good idea - I think they need help of some sort."
"What the actual! That’s disgusting"
"Appalling"
"Yuck!! 🤮 This is all kinds of wrong. Actually makes me feel physically sick."
"Words fail at this sickness"
"SHEIN this is not a good look….."
"Shame on you SHEIN"
"SHEIN this is disgusting. I will be spreading this info to everyone I know so that your company is boycotted."
"I wrote a book about pornification of reality and this is the worst thing I've ever seen."
"This is not the first time. SHEIN have a history of sexualising girls. We must call this out!"
This also came at the same time that SHEIN was also under fire publicly for other items that adultified children.
Why are @SHEIN_Official selling fishnet stockings for babies. And sponsoring this post to push it out into people's feed. #CorporatePedophilia #NotBuyingIt #Sexualisation #Adultification pic.twitter.com/U1niIOaxLv
— Coralie Alison (@CoralieAlison) February 5, 2024
Not only are the fishnet stockings inappropriate for its ties to the sex trade but they would also be incredibly impractical for a baby. The sponsored ad says “Kids will love these” - yeah two huge bows on your knees when you’re learning to crawl. Slippery feet when you’re trying to stand and take first steps. Let kids be kids!
We then inboxed Peter Pernot-Day on LinkedIn who is head of Corporate Strategy and bought the issue to his attention. The beauty of social media is that we can contact people in senior management.
When we checked the website link later that day the item could not be found.
This is the power of using your voice. Together we rallied our community to collectively speak out and say "This is not okay!" Kids need the adults in their lives to protect them, to advocate for them and to take action when something in our society is going to harm them. If you're not already a part of our campaign movement please sign up today to be notified about future campaigns. (It's free and we promise we will never spam you.)
It is great that the item has now been removed but why do we need to have these campaigns in the first place? Kids deserve better than SHEIN’s sexualisation and adultification.
But our campaign against SHEIN doesn’t end here. Unfortunately the corporate sells a range of highly sexualised and adultified items. We’ll say more on this soon.
See also:
SHEIN fetishises ‘school girls’ for profit
SHEIN flogs see-through g-strings for toddler girls
SHEIN’s ‘highly sexualised’ image found in breach of ad code of ethics
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