The commitment to ending harmful gender stereotypes in advertising is serious
Publish Date: Dec 11, 2019
News on the decision by the Advertising Regulatory Board in South Africa with regards to the advertisement adjudged to have not met standards regarding the furthering of stereotypes gives welcome new attention to the issue regardless of the merits of the advertisement in question.
Dan Seymour, Director of Strategic Partnerships for UN Women and lead for the Unstereotype Alliance said; “It is encouraging to see ordinary people using their voice to call out harmful gender stereotypes in advertising and media content. As the Unstereotype Alliance we recognize that harmful gender stereotypes have profound consequences. They are behind different forms of discrimination, from limiting women’s leadership roles to reducing their economic opportunity. They underlie significant problems of violence against women, something experienced by an estimated one in three women in the world, with consequences that threaten women’s lives. Advertisers shape our attitudes on a daily basis. As a result, they have a huge role to play in challenging norms and presenting more progressive and positive role models, and a responsibility to be a force for equality. At its heart the Unstereotype Alliance is founded on the belief that we must recognize the problem and acknowledge that despite progress we still see stereotypes in advertising. Brands need to take steps to ensure that this changes, including by using tools such as those the Unstereotype Alliance is making available.”
The South Africa Unstereotype Alliance national chapter will be launching in 2020 and we invite all advertisers and creative agencies to join and collectively use the advertising industry as a force for a gender equal world.
The Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. Convened by UN Women, the United Nations entity for Gender Equality, the Unstereotype Alliance provides the tools and know-how needed to create an unstereotyped world.
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Read the full decision by Advertising Regulatory Board here.
For further information please contact
unstereotypealliance@unwomen.org