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Gender Bias & Inclusion in Advertising in India
A Unicef-Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media analysis of gender representation in 1,000 most viewed advertisements in India on TV and YouTube during 2019
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This study assesses the role of advertising media in reinforcing and challenging harmful gender roles that shape the lives of girls and women in the country.
UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media analyzed the top 1,000 most viewed ads in India in 2019 on television and on YouTube. This is the first public study to systematically analyze gender representations in ads in India to serve as a benchmark for making advertising more gender-sensitive in the country.
The findings show that although female characters are prominent in ads in India, they are still highly stereotyped: less likely to be shown in public spaces and in paid employment; more likely to be selling domestic products and food to other women as well as responsible for childcare and shopping.
The research also highlights issues particularly pertinent to address and includes some recommendation on interventions for advertisers and content creators including but not limited to:
Increased representation of women and girls across age, social class, skin tone and other diversity indicators.
- Promotion of diverse templates of beauty and avoiding regressive beauty norms of women and girls being only fair and thin.
- More women and girls portrayed as leaders, especially in the public sphere.
- Positive gender norms around body and attitudes towards healthy eating.
For more details and to download the report click here.