Gender

Stereotypes
in Advertising

shEqual’s guide to identifying and

challenging gender stereotypes in ads

SHE QUA L .C OM .AU

 There is a lot of talk about gender stereotypes, and
most of us agree they should be avoided. But brands
and agencies tell shEqual they still have questions. This
‘how to’ guide unpacks the what, why, when, and how DEFINTION (THE WHAT):
of gender stereotypes to help brands and agencies
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS push past them and build characters that are authentic Gender stereotypes are widely held, over-
and representative of the audiences advertised to. simplified ideas about a group or individual
based on gender. They are harmful because
First, this guide breaks down the seven common
shEqual acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the female stereotypes seen in ads today: The Model they can limit people’s personal abilities,
land that we work on. We pay our respects to them, Mother, The Passive Little Girl, The Observed Woman, professional careers and/or the choices
their cultures and their Elders past and present. We The Sexualised Woman, The Pretty Face, The Magical they make about their lives. 1

recognise that sovereignty was never ceded and that Grandmother and The Ticked Box — plus we look
we are beneficiaries of stolen land and dispossession, at who’s missing from ads altogether. We highlight
which began over 200 years ago and continues today. the data that shows how harmful and out of touch
stereotypes are. We provide tips to Get Real and Get
THE IMPACT (THE WHY):
Equal. These tips are designed to help you make ads Ads are powerful cultural vehicles so
These guidelines were developed with input from shEqual that represent Australian society and promote gender
advertisers need to be mindful of how people
reference group members from: equality.
may or may not see themselves reflected.
Respect Victoria Next, we answer some frequently asked questions We still see an overreliance on stereotypes
RMIT University about why advertisers need to be more aware of that reinforce a limiting narrative of peoples
Initiative gender stereotypes and how to actively challenge roles and value.
The Shannon Company them in your workplace.
Marmalade 1 https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/women/wrgs/pages/
City of Melbourne Lastly, we have your reading list. We’ve compiled a list genderstereotypes.aspx
Clemenger Group of resources to support you in starting conversations
and creating real change.
Third-party advertising material has been used throughout
this document. Refer to our Copyright policy for more Ads show us stereotypes like The Perfected Parent, who tells us that women are responsible for
information: https://shequal.com.au/copyright/ domestic tasks and nothing else (how uncomplicated!), or The Sexualised Woman who tells us women
should be desirable at all times, in public and at home. But consumers want to see more realistic
portrayals in ads and, if we look at the stats, these stereotypes don’t line up with the world we live in.
shEqual is an initiative of Women’s Health Victoria. By using stereotypes, advertisers are trying to tell audiences who they should be — and that can be
Supported by the Victorian Government, in partnership an unrealistic and harmful picture.
with Respect Victoria.
It’s time for the advertising industry to get real about the stereotypes being used in ads today, change
ads to represent audience’s authentically, and pick up the pace to achieve equality.

Let’s dive in and look at the seven most common female stereotypes we see in ads today...
THE MODEL MOTHER THE PASSIVE LIT TLE GIRL

Ads should represent the reality of family dynamics, All children should feel empowered to run, play and learn
showing mothers in paid employment, nurturing fathers, in any way they wish.
rainbow families and single parent homes.
But ads are telling children that boys should engage in
Women are still disproportionately shown as the sole active play and girls must be sitting to play. Boys can run
caretakers both of the home and of children. Ads often around with cars, lightsabers and get outside, but girls are
show women caring, dressing, cooking and cleaning up often shown sitting with one another, playing with dolls and
after children, while mostly showing men engaging with home appliances and too often everything is pink!
children though playing outside.
Toys regardless of gender accurately represents how
To move away from the narrow message of mothers as children play. This representation also has the power to
caretakers and fathers as workers, we need to reflect what shape the way boys and girls grow and learn important
Australian families really look like. skills.

Let’s check the stats: Let’s check the stats:

• There are more women in the paid workforce today than 10 • 68% of girls regularly participate in sports. 1
years ago today, and many of those women are mothers who
are balancing home and paid employment. Four out of five • Girls aged 5 to 14 participate in physical play as much
mothers of school-aged children and two-thirds of mothers or more than boys in the same age groups. 2
of children under five are working in paid employment.1
• Toys marketed to boys often require motor development
• In 2020, there were 1 million single parent households, and spatial skills, while toys marketed to girls focus on
making up over 14% of all Australian families. 2 verbal and social skills, which affects development later
in adolescence. 3
Get Real:

□ Represent Australian mothers’ full lives with simple Get Real:

visual cues, like showing mum dressed in a work
uniform or working from home while juggling parenting. □ Remove the gendering of toys by avoiding gendered
colour signals and showing boys and girls playing
□ When showing multiple families in an ad, don’t forget together in creative ways, both sitting down and running
that single parent houses make up over 14% of families in around, with the same toys.
Australia and should be represented in your campaigns.
Get Equal:
Get Equal:
□ Show girls in active play and show children of all genders
□ Subvert the narrative of expected gender roles for playing with all sorts of toys. To subvert stereotypes, show
men and women. Show men as caring, nurturing boys engaging with pink toys, dolls and kitchen sets and
and playing inside with children, cleaning the show girls outside, running, playing with cars, tools and
home, and cooking and serving meals for the family. other traditionally ‘boys’ toys.

□ Broaden the parenting narrative by showing rainbow

families, grandparents and extended family, and
single parents, in addition to straight nuclear families.
1 https://www.sportaus.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/675562/
AusPlay_focus_Children_Participation_2.pdf
1 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/gender- 2 https://www.sportaus.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/675562/
indicators-australia/latest-release AusPlay_focus_Children_Participation_2.pdf
2 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/gender- 3 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-
indicators-australia/latest-release impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and
THE OBSERVED WOMAN THE SEXUALISED WOMAN THE MALE GAZE:

Women have agency over their lives, and advertising Women should be represented as complex and real and be The Male Gaze refers to the common
should not position them as people to be observed, gazed treated with respect regardless of the way they look.
practice where women in the media
at or narrated by men.
are viewed through the eyes of a
The sexualisation of women in ads tells us that a woman’s
The Observed Women often loses her voice to a male value comes only from her sexual appeal or behaviour heterosexual man and are represented
narrator or exists for the Male Gaze — made an object to the exclusion of other characteristics. Women have as passive objects of male desire. In
for male characters to watch and comment on. This been sexualised in ads to provoke the Male Gaze and – advertising, this can be seen in ads
stereotype often intersects with the stereotype of The supposedly – as a form of ‘empowerment’. But this sends for women’s underwear, shampoo
Sexualised Woman, with the camera acting as the observer the message that women’s power is linked to their sexual and activewear, among others, where
as the woman acts seductively for a male audience. This desirability to men. a product designed for women is
encourages men to view women as objects. marketed towards men through the use
Ads should show that women can exist, either sexually or of sexualised imagery that objectifies
Showing women with agency and authority in ads shows not sexually, just for themselves and not for anyone else. and sets unrealistic beauty standards
the audience women should be trusted, respected and
for women.
treated as equals. Let’s check the stats:

Let’s check the stats: • The sexualisation of women in ads is increasing over time,
even in ads for teen and pre-teen girl’s. This directly affects
• Over 60% of voiceovers in ads are voiced by men. 1
girls and women’s self-esteem and body dissatisfaction
and increases men’s perception of women as objects. 1
• Women losing their voice in ads sends the message that a
man’s voice is more important, trustworthy and respected. • Women make up to 70-80% of household purchase
Limiting women’s independence is a driver of vioelnce decisions so it makes business sense to appeal to women. 2
against women. 2
Get Real:
Get Real:
□ Address the male gaze by representing women as they
□ Make sure female characters in your ads are given their are, rather than a version designed for men. You can do
own voice, through dialogue or narration, that allows this by interrogating your character’s choices – is the
them to have their own agency. character doing this for herself or for someone else?

□ Create backstories for female characters that will help □ If you’re unsure if a woman’s role, pose or gesture in an
show they have independence with cues from costume ad is sexualising her, ask yourself why a woman has been
and lcoation, and by setting intention with actors and chosen for this role and if it would still fit if a man was in that
when developing the script. role. If a man wouldn’t fit in that role, ask if that is because
she is being sexualised and we are too used to seeing this.
Get Equal:
Get Equal:
□ Challenge who is given the voice of authority in
an ad. If the ad is for a product or service that is □ The best way to ensure your ads are more diverse is
traditionally considered ‘masculine’, subvert the by diversifying your workplace first. Prioritise involing
stereotype by using a female voice of authority. women at every stage of production.

□ Show women as central to the action in every ad, where

the female character is driving the story forwards rather
than participating passively in it.

1 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-
impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and
1 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-
2 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-
impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and
impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and
2 https://www.ourwatch.org.au/the-issue/
THE PRET T Y FACE THE MAGICAL GRANDMOTHER

Women deserve to be seen and valued by society as smart, Older women are active and influential in society and
independent and equal. should be represented that way in ads.

Women are more educated than ever, but some ads still Women aged 55 and over are notably missing from
show women as nothing more than a pretty face. While advertising, and when they do appear they are shown as
this can present subtly in some campaigns, it still sends the the magical grandmotherly figure, most often in the kitchen,
message that women are less intelligent than men and not serving food at Christmas or smiling and supporting
capable of deep or intellectual thought. younger characters. They are always perfectly presented
and rarely given lines.
Representing women as skilled, accomplished and
intelligent shows us that women are equals in the world. Older women are optimistic, active and participate fully in
society and should be represented this way in ads.
Let’s check the stats:
Let’s check the stats:
• The majority of Australian universities have more
women than men enrolled every year, with some • Research shows that women aged 55-64 are happier,
universities having up to 70% female students. 1 more body-confident, more financially secure and less
constrained by social expectations than younger groups. 1
• Men are 62% more likely to be shown as
intelligent and authoritative characters in ads (for • People aged 55-64 make up 12% of the Australian population,
example, playing the role of a doctor or scientist) 2 which is over 3 million people.2 16.1% of the population
are 65 or older, which accounts for 4 million people in
• Young women are more likely to feel valued for their total, and 13% of 65+ people are still in the workforce. 3
appearance than their brains. 3
• The household spending of people aged 55-64 outstrips
Get Real: the spending of people aged 24-35 and is rapidly
increasing. 4
□ Utilise the wardrobe, props and setting in addition to
dialouge to represent the character’s backstory. For Get Real:
example, use costume and props like books and magazines
to show that a female character is also a doctor, scientist □ Show women of all ages participating in every
or business owner. activity without being inhibited by their age.

Get Equal: □ Target older women in your advertising. Advertising to

older women makes good business sense because they
□ Put women in positions of authority in your ads by making are responsible for a higher proportion of household
them narrators and sources of information for industries/ spending.
products that require a trusted voice, or with action by
showing them fixing things or making decisions about Get Equal:
finance.
□ Involve older women in every role, as mothers, shopping,
playing sport, and as leaders. Ask yourself if an older
woman can play your character without changing the
story or action.

1 https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/lh-martin-institute/insights/gender-
enrolment-trends-flarkins
1 https://www.nineforbrands.com.au/advertise/research/blindspot/
2 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-
impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and 2 https://www.nineforbrands.com.au/advertise/research/blindspot/
3 https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality- 3 https://www.webalive.com.au/marketing-to-seniors/
impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and 4 https://www.nineforbrands.com.au/advertise/research/blindspot/
THE TICKED BOX THE MISSING WOMEN

Women, of all races, ages and abilities should exist as main Everyone deserves to see themselves represented.
characters (with lines!) across advertising campaigns.
The missing women aren’t strictly a stereotype – because they don’t
But white, able bodied, and straight characters still dominate exist in ads in the first place. There are many women who rarely or never
stories. When characters are included for diversity, they are appear in ads: women with disabilities, in larger bodies, LGBTQI+
often put in the background, with no substance, backstory women, trans women, gender diverse people, older women, women
or even lines. Involving women from a mix of backgrounds, of colour – particularly First Nations women. When these women
with a range of sexualities, genders, ages and abilities can are given space in advertising, they are often used for inspiration, to
bring new voices and vision to your work. These characters invoke pity or used as a joke.
need to be treated with the same respect, authority and
attention as characters who are white, straight, cis and able- Moving away from stereotypes in ads is about creating a more
bodied. representative picture of Australians today. But that can’t be achieved
when so many people are ignored.1
Always maintain that diversity is not a box to be ticked but
a way to represent the world as it is and connect with your Including women who have been forgotten by advertising shows that
audience in an authentic way. the brand is listening to consumers while working towards representing
an Australia where all people are respected and equal.
Let’s check the stats:
Stats:
• One in four of Australia’s 22 million people were born
overseas; 46 per cent have at least one parent who • Over 3% of Australians identify as being Aboriginal, Torres Strait
was born overseas; and nearly one in five Australians Islander or both, but First Nations people are usually only shown in
speak a language other than English at home. 1 ads that are marketing directly to them. 2
• A recent survey showed 18 per cent of Australians had • 18% of people in Australia identify as having a disability but they are
experienced discrimination because of skin colour, not proportionately represented in ads. 3
ethnic origin or religion. 2
• Seeing images of body diversity has an immediate impact on how
Get Real: people feel about themselves and makes them less critical of their
bodies.4
□ Create casting guidelines for your organisation to make
sure diversity is a priority and include multiple women Get Real:
from different backgrounds in your ads where possible.
□ Australians want to see themselves in advertising. If ads are going to
Get Equal: be relatable, then they need to include the missing women... and not
just to tick the diversity box.
□ Cast women in roles that are traditionally given to men to
challenge traditional ideas of male-dominated activities. Get Equal:
□ Make the main characters in your ads people from □ Follow the tips in this document to push past female stereotypes and
marginalised identities, making sure they are given see if the missing women start to appear as characters in your ads.
dialogue and narration roles that promote respect and
authority.

1 https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/people-will-look-at-these-photos-and-say-wow-i-
can-see-myself-20190530-p51st2.html
2 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/
estimates-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-australians/latest-release#:~:text=Among%20the%20
Aboriginal%20and%20Torres,and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20origin.
3 https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/
1 https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-cultural-diversity people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability
2 https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-cultural-diversity 4 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548506.2020.1734219
 W H AT D O E S T H E A A N A C O D E O F E T H I C S S AY A B O U T GE NDE R
FAQS TO H EL P PU SH PAST S T E R E OT Y P E S ?

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics provides guidance about
the harms associated with gender stereotypes and the types of representations that should be avoided.
TH E STE REOT YPES
Specifically, they advise against the use of gender stereotypes that depict a person badly because
of their gender. The examples they use are “a woman with the sole responsibility for cleaning; an
advertisement that suggests a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereotypically
W HY SHOULD ADVER TISE RS BE M O RE AWA RE O F ST E REOT Y P E S? associated with girls, or vice versa; or a man trying and failing to undertake household tasks.”

What we want to see in advertising is a shift from using stereotypes to building characters. For more information about the 2021 updates to the gender stereotype guidelines, see: https://
aana.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AANA_Code_of_Ethics_PracticeNote_Effective_
With only 15-60 seconds to convey a message, stereotypes have become an easy and fast way to distil February_2021.pdf
a group of people into something widely recognised. Because stereotypes are so deeply ingrained in
our social narrative, advertisers often assume that using stereotypes is a normal and accepted way to The Code of Ethics represents the minimum standard for ads, but why stop there? Let’s move beyond
convey their message or show consumers who the audience is. the bare minimum towards more equal and representative practice across the industry.

While we may not immediately identify something as a stereotype, it might still be pushing a harmful and
reductive message about the role of women and fail to engage consumers who don’t see themselves
represented by the brand. RESOURCES WE RECOMMEND:

Everyone in the advertising industry has a role to play – we all need to look honestly at who our Current findings about stereotypes in the advertising industry, including
audience is and represent them authentically; and find new and creative ways to tell stories about data about the increased reliance on stereotypes in ads during COVID:
women. https://www.unstereotypealliance.org/en/resources/research-and-tools/unstereotype-
metric-2020-findings
HOW CAN I CHALLENGE STER E OT Y P E S I N T HE WO RK I C O M M I SS I O N / M A K E ?
‘Beyond Gender – The Invisible Stereotypes’ breaks down those missing from
First, it’s important to acknowledge and challenge our own unconscious bias. Unconscious bias exists advertising: https://www.unstereotypealliance.org/en/stories/beyond-gender---the-
in us all so it’s important to keep asking questions. Be critical of both the ads you are involved in invisible-stereotypes-report
making and the ads you watch as a consumer and ask, ‘is this really what the lives of women are like?’
shEqual’s Communications and Marketing Guidelines for Local Government provides
The best place to start when making change at work is to make sure it’s part of the conversation. You six principles and practical tips for achieving gender equality in your marketing:
could share this resource with your co-workers, bring up recent campaigns you’ve seen or worked on https://shequal.com.au/app/uploads/2021/09/671WHVA_shEqual_Guidelines_v1.pdf
and discuss whether subtle stereotypes were present, or suggest taking a training session together to
expand your team’s creativity when it comes to gender equality. Tips for every stage of production of an ad or campaign and how to incorporate
inclusive practices across the workplace: https://all-in.withgoogle.com/
WHAT IF THER E IS RESI S TA N C E I N M Y WO RKP L AC E ?
Gender Stereotypes and Masculinity: https://theconversation.com/gillette-has-it-right-
Resistance can come in many different forms, from “we don’t have time to think about that” to “this advertisers-cant-just-celebrate-masculinity-and-ignore-the-metoo-movement-110034
isn’t important”. There may be resistance, but there will also be allies. Find colleauges that support you
and strategise ways for pushing past the resistance. Inclusion of people with disabilities in ad’s and ad agencies: https://www.forbes.
com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/07/26/advertising-industry-must-overcome-its-anxiety-
Depending on the type of resistance you face, there are some resources you can use to help counter around-disability-representation/?sh=10b36a807c32
and reduce backlash.

VicHealth (En)countering resistance: strategies to respond to opposition to gender equality initiatives

https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/-/media/ResourceCentre/PublicationsandResources/PVAW/ shEqual provides gender equity training desgined specifically for the advertising
Encountering-Resistance-Gender-Equality.pdf industry. To further support your work challenging gender stereotypes visit:
https://shequal.com.au/get-involved/
Our Watch Workplace Equality and Respect: practice guidance - dealing with backlash
https://workplace.ourwatch.org.au/resource/practice-guidance-dealing-with-backlash/

| www.shequal.com.au