Gender stereotyping in advertisements

Gender stereotyping, the origin of which is very ancient, is still prevalent in some way or the other even in present times. The unequal power structure which is existent at the household level flows into the media and especially in advertisements. This results in their negative representation where they can be seen in traditional stereotypical roles. Wrongful gender stereotyping is a frequent cause of discrimination against women and contributes in violations of rights mostly related to gender. Policy instruments prohibiting gender stereotyping in advertisements are available, both at national and international levels but a lot more needs to be done to witness real change. Hence, this study tries to examine the roles played by male and female characters in advertisements related to washing/ cleaning/ laundry products, food products and baby care products. The rationale of being very selective with regard to the advertisements is to ascertain whether any gender role variations could be seen in the recent times and to provide valuable suggestions for improving the quality of such advertisements.