The modelling industry has been slowly changing, but new rules have been put in place to ensure the protection of child models, thanks to Canada's own Coco Rocha.
In the US, new legislation has been passed that ensure child model receive the same protection as child performers, which was announced by Rocha, State Senate Labour Committee chairwoman Diane Savino, and Senate co-leader Jeff Klein.
"Having once been a teenage model, living and working in New York," began Rocha. "I know all too well the difficulties that face underage models. Little to no workplace standards at times made my profession a very dangerous one for a minor. When it comes to protecting children, the moral argument overrides any perceived inconvenience of rules, record keeping, or expense."
"That fact has long been acknowledged for other child performers like actors, dancers, and singers, all who enjoy protection under the law," she continued. "Perhaps due to an unfortunate oversight, this has never applied to child models. I'm thankful that the Model Alliance and Senators Savino and Klein are raising awareness around this issue."
Absolutely. As stated by Vogue, the laws ensure that employers are "required to provide a nurse with paediatric experience and to offer safety-based instruction and information to child models and their parents/guardians." A "responsible" adult is also to be on set to monitor any model under the age of 16, and a trust must also be set up by the parents/guardians to transfer 15% of the model's earnings into.
Here's to a changing industry! But do you guys think this is enough?
