‘REGRESSIVE POTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISMENTS’: ASCI

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulatory body, has partnered with Futurebrands Consulting and packaged consumer goods businesses to produce the report 'GenderNext', which examines how women are portrayed in advertisements. After speaking with advertisers, agencies, policymakers, gender experts, and consumers, this report was created, covering portrayal patterns in a variety of categories.?It was prepared with the aim of assisting brands and advertising agencies to shape gender narratives in a positive way. It also covers how advertisements portray women versus how they see themselves and want to be perceived.

'GenderNext' reveals that women are still stereotyped in a regressive way. "While there have been some positive changes, mainstream advertising continues to rely heavily on a stockpile of overused, and sometimes harmful stereotypical tropes. A thorough examination of over 600 advertisements revealed several problematic tropes, including sensualizing the act of eating by women, depicting women as spenders in financial advertising, women running around the house while others lounge around, male gaze acceptance in beauty ads, depicting women as lower down in the tech-hierarchy in gadget ads, and male celebrities challenging and instructing women, among others."

'GenderNext' also found out that women of all ages and walks of life agree that women do not lag behind, but that it is the people around them who do, and they are the ones who require empowerment. Women are also tired of stereotyped advertisements that portray women as only being victorious after a struggle, which isn't exactly empowering.

'GenderNext' serve as a guide for stakeholders in the development of more progressive female representations in advertising. And based on the report's findings, ASCI intend to form a task force to evaluate new guidelines and frameworks that will guide stakeholders in portraying women in advertisements in a more inclusive manner by encouraging empathy and facilitating evaluation by putting red flags on advertisements that portray stereotype regressive images of women. It is hopeful that the findings will inspire brands and advertisers to portray women in more progressive ways.

Advertisements have a high influence value and have long been a source of regressive stereotypical portrayals of women. Gender continues to be skewed and discriminatory in its representation. The report is a positive step forward. And, as a result of that report, new guidelines are urgently needed.