Ariel Winter shares message tackling school dress codes and shaming girls

June 3, 2016, 9:53 PM UTC / Source: TODAY

By Jenna Fratello

The school year may be coming to a close, but Ariel Winter isn't letting one subject slip: body-shaming.

The "Modern Family" star, 18, took to Instagram June 2 to share an important message about school dress codes that are particularly harsh on female students, often forcing girls to either change their clothes or leave the building for the remainder of the day.

The photo — which has collected 40,000 likes and has begun to go viral on other social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter — shows what appears to be a taped sign calling for classrooms around the country to stop shaming young women for their bodies. "When you interrupt a girl's school day to force her to change clothes, or send her home because her shorts are too short or her bra straps are visible, you are telling her that making sure boys have a 'distraction free' learning environment is more important than her education," the note reads.

It then asks that educators take responsibility for teaching young boys that girls are "not sexual objects."

While it isn't clear where the sign originated, the post emphasizes another part of the body-positivity movement — to put a stop to young women apologizing for their bodies.

Instagram users quickly began to show support for the message, commenting on the post with personal experiences of their own.

"I dress for myself, not for others. When I dress like I want I feel confident," wrote one user. "Shaming never solves anything."

Another commenter wrote that women dress "to feel confident, to express themselves, and to feel comfortable. Women first and foremost want to feel comfortable about themselves."

This isn't the first time Winter has championed body positivity. In February, the actress posted another message on Instagram after showing off her surgery scars on the SAG Awards red carpet, this time citing a Marc Jacobs quote about loving your imperfections.