Media Isn’t Dismantling Harmful Gender Stereotypes, Says UN

A study from UN Women and the Unstereotype Alliance—the industry-led coalition designed to banish harmful stereotypes in advertising—has illuminated a regression in societal attitudes towards gender roles, as well as the disproportionate impact Covid-19 had on women and girls. One particularly shocking statistic detailed a setback in attitudes towards domestic violence. While 91% of people agreed gender equality in all areas was essential to their countries’ success, 19% said they thought there were “acceptable circumstances” for someone to hit their spouse or partner. This marked an increase of two percentage-points compared to 2018, most notably in the United States, India, Sweden. Young men were the demographic whose attitude of acceptance towards this issue had grown. Prevailing attitudes were also shown to be hampering progress for women in business and leadership positions. While 90% of respondents agreed equal pay for equal work was important to their country’s future success, 52% of men aged 16 to 19 and 54% of men aged 20 to 34, agreed “women should work less and devote more time to caring for their family.” Amid the cost-of-living crisis and a looming recession, 25% of respondents conceded that “in times of food shortages, priority should be given to men,” and 31% of respondents believed “when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women”. The study was backed by CPG giants Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Unilever, with research conducted by data business Kantar. The findings were unveiled on Monday at Cannes Lions Festival. An ‘alarm bell’ for brands and media The media, including the ad industry, continues to hold a mirror up this inequality. Most people surveyed agreed that men and women were still portrayed on the screens and devices around them in traditional gender roles. In 2022, 68% of respondents said media depicted women as wives, mothers, or caregivers (just 54% of audiences believed this was the case in 2018). Meanwhile, 72% said the media represented men in conventional male roles, including as providers for the family, as leaders, or as businessmen (up 20 percentage points since the last study). Sima Bahous, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive director of UN Women, said: “The study findings reiterate the urgency of addressing the social norms holding back women and girls,” adding that the increase in acceptance of domestic violence, held in particular by young men, was “deeply disturbing and an alarm bell for action.” “These findings show exactly why social norms are at the heart of our strategic plan for gender equality,” she added. The halfway mark? For advertisers, demonstrating inclusion and diversity in creative work is no longer optional—it’s an imperative. However, a recent Unstereotype study found that while 70% are planning to showcase greater diversity in their campaigns over the next 12 months, lack of expertise, knowledge and talent are holding marketers back. Aline Santos, chief brand officer and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Unilever, said the study results reflected the fact the “work was never done” when it came to diversity, equity and including (DEI). According to Unilever, 98% of its global advertising last year was “unstereotypical” and 60% of the ads were “strongly progressive”. This translated into commercial results, with these ads outperforming its standard creative 1.2-fold in 2021. “We are still at the halfway mark,” she added, saying marketers needed to remain optimistic in order to drive progress: “We must continue creating advertising that drives humanity forward and is a force for positive change.” Marketers Say Fear of ‘Getting it Wrong’ Is Holding Up More Diverse Ads

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Media Isn’t Dismantling Harmful Gender Stereotypes, Says UN Study

Research backed by Procter & Gamble, Unilever and others sounds ‘alarm bell for action’ as attitudes to gender roles deteriorate

Rebecca Stewart

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Rebecca Stewart