PARIS — Facing growing fears of “hypersexual” young girls, the French upper house of Parliament voted Wednesday to end beauty pageants for those younger than 16.

The Senate passed the new ban 197-to-146 as an amendment to a larger bill aimed at increasing gender equality. The measure now goes to the lower house, the National Assembly, for discussion and a vote.

Pageants are popular in smaller towns across France, though far less frequent and less intense than in the United States. And France has no equivalent of American reality shows like “Toddlers & Tiaras” and its spinoff, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” that feature very young contestants.

Still, the intense focus on beauty here, combined with a surge of images of sexualized, prepubescent girls, has raised fears that the pageants could take on the over-the-top quality of American contests.