Sir, - I would like to congratulate Kathryn Holmquist for her well written and powerful article "Lock up your daughters or switch off the TV" (Weekend, April 24th). An overpowering and destructive trend of sexual exploitation is everywhere. And the saddest thing of all is that teenagers and young children are the main victims.
As Ms Holmquist points out, "young women have rejected feminism in favour of being "baby ladies" and "the unpalatable truth is that, in 1999, the feminist movement might as well have never happened". What a paradox that just as women are gaining ground in all aspects of society, they are losing it in self-dignity. It is obvious that those promoting this battle have money-making, and lots of it, as their main aim. The most disgusting part of it is that this money-making sexual exploitation is targeting children and teenagers. Teen magazines, some TV programmes and many of the teens discos have a lot to answer for.
With the above in mind, it is time to wake some parents up to the reality of what their children are exposed to and what they have to battle against. Are some parents blind, naive or merely stupid to let their 12-, 13- or 14-year-old daughters go out dressed to "kill" their own self-dignity and virginity? If you don't know what I mean, take a walk near any teens disco in your area. I speak for mine.
I would finally like to drawl attention to the bombardment of "cosmetic surgery" ads on the radio. They seem to be primarily concerned with the endowment of women for male pleasure. If this is not an insult to women and a ripoff, what is? Furthermore, any woman who based her self-esteem on being "generously endowed", should ask herself some serious questions! - Yours, etc., Martha Prados,
Seaview Terrace, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.