Campaign against sexist advertising launched
Terre des Femmes plans to launch a campaign against sexist advertising. The organization states that gender-discriminatory images are particularly harmful to women. Possible consequences include eating disorders, body shame, or depression.
When women are constantly portrayed on posters and television as addicted to shopping or lacking technical skills, this has a lasting impact on society's image of women, writes Terre des Femmes in a communiqué on Monday. This is because advertising has a subtle effect. The images that hit us daily in the media and in advertising demonstrably construct and reinforce gender stereotypes. Prejudices about the role of women and men in the family and society are thus perpetuated. Sexist advertising also has numerous negative effects. According to the organization, these range from notorious body scrutiny and eating disorders to a shortage of skilled workers.
Terre des Femmes is therefore launching an awareness-raising campaign. This consists primarily of the website Sexism.chwhich informs the public about the topic. The platform is advertised with flyers and beer mats, which are displayed in bars and restaurants in the four largest German-speaking cities in Switzerland. Some Swiss cantons have bans on sexist advertising in public places. However, gender-discriminatory advertising is not banned at national level. Terre de Femmes calls on consumers to complain about sexist advertising to the relevant fairness commission. It also wants companies that advertise with sexist advertising to be publicly pilloried. (SDA)
