The
draft Law on Advertising is expected to address inequality in the
representation of women in advertising, including inappropriate and degrading
stereotypes, said Bui Thi Phuong from Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics
and Public Administration.
"In most advertising, women are always
restricted to doing simple work such as housework or are shown in the fashion
or cosmetics industries," Phuong said. "People rarely see women in
the role of successful entrepreneurs or dedicated scientists."
Advertisers also perpetuate gender stereotypes
in their depictions of children, emphasising the differences between boys and
girls, she said, with girls often helping their mothers wash dirty clothes
while boys participate in sports with their fathers.
"These types of advertisements have an
effect on young minds," Phuong said. "They send the wrong message in
society that the male is the decision maker and does important work."
Dr Nguyen Quy Thanh of the sociology
department at the University of Social Science and Humanities agreed, saying
that women are also being exploited in advertising, with the female body
presented for its sexual allure.
For instance, an image of a beautiful woman
besides a beverage product and the word ‘delicious' gave mixed signals, Thanh
said.
He made a recent survey of television
advertising, which showed that 60 per cent of the ads had woman as the primary
character, and 80 per cent depicted beautiful young women.
This type of ad had even been banned in some
countries, Thanh said. Many television ads in India are banned after a
deodorant spot was aired earlier this year featuring a girl who couldn't help
tearing off her clothes whenever a man who used the product passed by.
Nguyen Thu Ha, a Hanoi resident, said she
always felt annoyed by an ad for a seasoning product in which a man called his
wife com (rice) and his girlfriend pho (noodles) – a vernacular for men who are
tired of their wives.
"Women shouldn't be referred to like
that," Ha said. "It may be funny to say with your friends, but it's
totally inappropriate to broadcast it nationwide."
However, Do Kim Dung, vice president of the
Vietnam Advertising Association and chairperson of the Vietnam Advertising Institute,
said 90 per cent of his company's advertising orders are for products targeted
female consumers, so images of women doing housework or using beauty products
are unavoidable.
"What advertisers want is to attract
viewers' attention and get them to buy their products," Dung said.
"They are only afraid of losing their clients and losing their
profits."
Ninh Thi Thu Huong, head of the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism's Advertising and Promotion Office, said the draft
Law on Advertising will require the implementation of gender equality measures.
Huong, who is also deputy head of the law's
drafting committee, said that under the law, all ads would be closely screened
before being broadcast. Violators will have their ads banned and face fines of up
to VND200 million ($9,600).
The draft law will be submitted to the
government for consideration later this month, Huong said.
VIR/VNA
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