The No More Page 3 campaign has attracted 187,000 signatures to an online petition at change.org over the last 12 months, over 50,000 in the last 2 weeks, seeking to request David Dinsmore, editor of the Sun Newspaper and by default Gordon Smart editor of the Scottish Sun, to take a mature editorial decision to remove the page 3 feature of a semi-naked women from his publication.
In a Scottish context a number of campaigners have contacted local councillors, MSPs, MPs and other civic institutions asking them to commit their support publicly through the signing of a standard letter, public expression of support or the signing of the online petition.
The issue of the No More Page 3 has been debated as part of a members motion led by Jackie Baillie MSP on 6 November 2013. The text of the S4M-07500 motion was:
That the Parliament notes with concern reports regarding a connection between the portrayal of sexualised images of women in the media and attitudes that reinforce sexist attitudes, sexual harassment, abuse and violence towards women; believes that this has been demonstrated by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the UK Government-commissioned Sexualisation of young people review; welcomes the No More Page 3 campaign, which calls on The Sun to refrain from printing pictures of topless women; applauds the campaign for what it considers a successful first year in operation; recognises that a motion in support of the campaign was agreed by the National Assembly of Wales and that numerous organisations, including UNISON, the British Youth Council, UK Girlguiding, the National Union of Teachers, the National Association of Head Teachers, and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers have also shown their support for the campaign, and notes calls in Dumbarton and across the country for The Sun in Scotland to stop printing pictures of topless women.
Individual members of the No More Page 3 campaign have written and corresponded via social media with various members of the editorial team at the Scottish Sun on a number of related matters, including articulating concerns over the recent sexualisation of cancer awareness public health messages, but have yet to receive a response answering the wide range of concerns articulated and fundamental request for them to remove page 3.
We have corresponded with a number of organisations on this issue. For example:
Response to the recent Scottish Government consultation, which closed on 28 February 2014, on the forthcoming End Violence Against Women and Children Strategy: http://nmp3.tumblr.com/post/76320413772/prioritising-prevention-evaw
Letter to the Editor of the Scottish Sun on the specific recent editorial decision to sexualise cancer prevention on Tuesday’s via the page 3 feature: http://nmp3.tumblr.com/post/78678765846/sexualising-cancer-prevention-a-step-too-far
And also general correspondence with the First Minister to raise awareness of the campaign: http://nmp3.tumblr.com/post/74701321365/dear-first-minister-i-write-to-ask-you-to-support
We have as a campaign received replies from Police Scotland: http://nomorepage3.org/news/letter-from-a-deputy-chief-constable/
And Scottish Government: http://nomorepage3.org/news/letter-of-support-from-scottish-government/
We would also request that until The Sun removes page 3 from its publication, that the Scottish Parliament ceases to purchase or stock with its premises the publication. This request we believe is in line with your current equalities framework: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/abouttheparliament/16483.aspx