Portrayal of Women in Advertisements: A Sri Lankan Experience
by To analyse the portrayal of women in media, the idea of women in the world view should be understood clearly. According to the media advertisements, women should live in their houses as good housewives and mothers. This view exists mainly in the Asian countries where modern social changes were unable to bring many change in the structure of the society firmly rooted in religious beliefs and practices. The media in Asia capitalise on this issue and portray women as obsessed by the family and caught in its web of emotions – emotions spun by a male psyche dominated by the enigmas of a masculine imagination.
We should question and correct anti human interests concerning women and others. Social interaction is an important element in communication. Intellectual sharing and media based discussions should be initiated among the public to help them understand the dehumanisation and the reinforcement of cultural values adopted by the media. Church leaders should be alerted and trained to understand the socio- cultural changes that affect human life due to the influence of the electronic media. Especially when churches have started ordaining women into the priesthood the church should be made aware of the negative impact the media are creating regarding women in society.
I am not trying to provide ‘quick fix’ ideas to solve the problem, instead I prefer this work to be used as a study paper for the churches to understand the challenges all are confronted within regard to media.
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CCA News. Hong Kong:Christian Conference of Asia News. Jan. & Feb. 1995
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Media Development. London: WACC, 3/1995
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Dinamina. Colombo:22nd October 1995
Observer. UK: 29th October 1995
Today. UK:13th October 1995
Today. UK: 28th October 1995
The Sunday Leader. Colombo: 15th October 1995
The Sunday Leader. Colombo: 22nd October 1995
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