Blog Details
28
Aug
We can buy our own juttis and Guccis
Advertisements are incredibly effective because they create a lasting impression on our minds. As a result, advertisements must say the right things. However, this is not always the case.
According to a UNICEF study, commercials in India propagate gender bias and stereotypes.
Advertisements are incredibly effective because they create a lasting impression on our minds. As a result, advertisements must say the right things. However, this is not always the case.
According to a UNICEF study, commercials in India propagate gender bias and stereotypes.
Advertisements make cameos on our television screens because they are rarely more than a few seconds long. However, those few seconds are significant to plant an impression in one's mind and trigger change.
However, if the advertisement's concept is wrong, the ramifications can be severe. According to a UNICEF report, India is dealing with the same issue regarding women's portrayal in commercials.
As per UNICEF's raw data, women make up 49.6% of characters in advertisements, but they account for roughly 60% of screen time and 56% of speaking time.
The issue is that women only appear in Indian advertisements to sell home and cosmetic products. As a result, these figures reveal deep-seated preconceptions, as women, according to these commercials, still belong in the kitchen.
According to the study, female characters dominate screen time (59.7%) and speaking time (56.3%). One of the reasons for this is their portrayal as salespeople promoting cleaning supplies, food, and cosmetic items to female consumers. Almost every detergent and food commercial, for example, featured a woman caring for her family and spoke directly to female viewers about family care.
Female characters are shown to be married at a greater rate than male characters (11.0 % compared with 8.8 %). Female characters are three times more common than male characters to be shown as parents (18.7% compared with 5.9 %). While male characters are more likely than female characters to be portrayed making decisions about their future (7.3 % vs. 4.8 %), female characters are twice as likely to be seen making household decisions (4.9 % compared with 2.0 %).
Male characters are more likely to be depicted as smart than female characters in ads when intelligence is an aspect of their character (32.2 % compared to 26.2 %). Male characters are about twice as likely as female characters to be depicted as amusing (19.1 % compared to 11.9 %).
In Indian advertisements, two-thirds of female characters (66.9%) have light or medium-light complexion tones, which is more significant than male characters (52.1 %). Female characters are nine times more likely than male characters to be described as "stunning/very appealing" (5.9 % compared with 0.6 %). Male figures in Indian advertising are generally skinny, whereas female avatars come in various body proportions.
"In advertising, misrepresentation and damaging stereotypes about women have a profound impact on how women — and young girls — regard themselves and their value to society. "While we see female representation dominate in Indian advertisements, they are still marginalized by colourism, hypertextualization, and a lack of careers or aspirations outside of the home," said Geena Davis, Academy Award-Winning Actor, Founder and Chair of the GDI, adding that the stark inequality evident in female portrayals in these advertisements must be addressed to ensure an equitable society.
