The group of girls, aged five to 17, were drafted in to join the Stylist team to produce the magazine, Stylist’s daily email Emerald Street for five days and will also be taking over Stylist.co.uk on October 10. This is the first time a mainstream consumer media brand has allowed all of its content to be created by children, say the publishers.
Lisa Smosarski, Editor-in-Chief, Stylist Magazine said: “We so often hear about how girls and teenagers feel about the world, but so rarely give them a platform to hear their voices directly. With that in mind, as part of 2018’s Visible Women campaign, we asked a group of girls, aged five to 17 to take over every page of our magazine – and a day’s worth of content on our website – to find out how they feel about everything from education to their own mental health. The results were quite amazing – we met a group of girls from across the UK who were intelligent, articulate and incredibly strong... and who gave our editorial team a run for their money.”
The issue coincides with The UN International Day of the Girl Child, a day created to increase the awareness of the gender inequality faced by girls around the world. Within this edition of Stylist, say the publishers, the features showcase the strength, humour, intelligence and hope of the next generation, with features such as;
o About a Girl: five foreign correspondents – all aged 15 – recount the realities of their worlds
o The Beauty of Being a Teenager: A discussion on the complex landscape of beauty and self-image facing young girls today
o Exclusive interview with Tess Daly by a group of six-and seven-year-olds who ask Strictly Come Dancing presenter the questions that matter most to them
o Work Life: An interview into the typical working day of Britain’s youngest motivational speaker, 12 year’s old Vanessa Sam
o Style Through the Ages: Children aged 5 to 15 style a model in the clothes that they aspire to.
The girls’ views are, says Stylist, empowering, inspired and moving, and show maturity in their approaches to real life issues. Below are some of the girls voicing their views on the importance of self-confidence, individuality, kindness and self-care.
On self-confidence: “Being completely comfortable and unapologetic for who you are” Izzy, 17, Hampshire
On individuality: “Having the courage to express yourself in a way nobody else can” Madeline, 13, Teesside
On kindness: “Not necessarily being pretty; you can have crooked teeth and a wonky smile but if you have a kind heart that makes someone beautiful” Ellen, 14, Merseyside
On self-care: “Looking after your mental health; it’s putting the emotional before the physical” Renalta, 16, Lincolnshire
This special edition shines a light on the current generation of girls who already recognise the importance of gender equality, and who are determined to break gender stereotypes. Smosarski added: “If our future really is in their hands, I feel genuinely confident about not only our safety and security, but also the continual rise to full gender equality.” The issue’s 14-year-old editor Grace also commented: “Being a girl today is also three other words: scary, exciting and empowering.”
