Objectification of women in television advertising in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Today, women have become objects of marketing, and the ethics of women have indeed been disrupted due to the careless actions of television advertisers. Women are more vulnerable to objectification compared to men, which, in practice, leads to the reproduction of inequality. Consequently, the topic used to study is the Objectification of women in television advertising in Sri Lanka. The main objective of this paper was to identify the impacts of the objectification of women in television advertising in Sri Lanka. This study aimed to identify how women's stereotyping, sexual objectification, and patriarchy are prevalent in Sri Lankan advertising, mainly through a gender perspective. This paper discussed do advertisements force women to uphold certain body standards and do they affect women's self-esteem and value in society. The research methodology is based on secondary data from articles, journals, and websites on the subject and covers issues, particularly in the context of Sri Lanka. The research questions were studied by gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. Accordingly, a mixed-method research design was used for the study. The analysis was performed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings indicate that many advertisements are built on extreme sexist ideologies and heavily influence the way women are treated in real life. Television advertising in Sri Lanka is considered a powerful propagator of gender stereotypes. These advertisements promote women to uphold certain body standards and an unreachable beauty that can harm individuals. The study suggests that there is a contemporary need for mass media literacy programs targeting both media organizations and the public. It also suggests that an impartial policy framework is required. These research findings will assist television companies and relevant government authorities in adopting gatekeeping mechanisms to censor and control certain advertisements that exploit women for erotic and obscene purposes.