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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-18 Daily Xml
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YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women about the YWCA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Active since 1880, the YWCA of Adelaide is considered one of the leading voices for young women in South Australia. The YWCA provides advocacy, support and leadership opportunities for young women through services, programs and campaigns. Will the minister tell the chamber about the latest valuable YWCA project, the Positive Self Image Projection Project?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:21): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. The YWCA of Adelaide acknowledged international No Diet Day on Friday 6 May with the launch of the Positive Self Image Projection Project.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The honourable member was not in attendance; however, I understand that the Hon. Tammy Franks was.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I beg your pardon. I understand the member for Adelaide attended. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, although I would very much have liked to have gone, but I did receive some wonderful feedback about the project and I want to share some of the details of that with honourable members. Members may have seen for themselves the projection of more than 100 Polaroid images of young women onto the wall of the Target building on Rundle Street.

I am advised that the YWCA worked with young women across Adelaide, Victor Harbor and Tea Tree Plaza to ensure that the project included a very broad range (a cross-section) of images of young women. The images represent positive statements by young women celebrating their diversity and send a powerful message to the community, challenging people to question the narrow view of women often portrayed in the media and encouraging them to stop and think about what they like about themselves.

I am advised that young women participating in national surveys are continually looking at issues around body image. Research shows that body image is one of the top concerns of young women, and young men as well. That can lead to eroded self-esteem, as we know, due to the exposure of mass media images and the supposed ideal. We see that that can lead to all sorts of problems in young women: body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, depressive effects and low self-esteem.

Feelings of dissatisfaction and low self-esteem also impact on a wide area of peoples' lives. I was pleased to be informed recently of the work undertaken by my colleague the Minister for Youth, the Hon. Grace Portolesi, in the area of body image. The state government commissioned research last year to better understand the issues affecting young South Australians.

The 'SA Young People: Emerging issues and priorities' report, which can be viewed on the Office for Youth website, was produced. This report found that issues of poor body image, weight and obesity emerged as significant concerns for young South Australians. This is why the state government has committed to hosting a body image summit.

The YWCA's Positive Self Image Project can be viewed every night from 6pm to 11pm, and I encourage members to go down and have a look.

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