Page 19 - The Staunch Test

THE STAUNCH TEST

Gender stereotypes have the potential to cause harm by inviting
assumptions about adults and children that might negatively restrict how they
see themselves and how others see them. These assumptions can lead to unequal
gender outcomes in public and private aspects of people’s lives; outcomes, which
are increasingly acknowledged to be detrimental to individuals, the economy

and society in general.

To this end, ads that feature gender stereotypes have the potential to cause
harm by contributing to unequal gender outcomes, although advertising is
understood to be only one of many different factors that contribute, to a greater
or lesser extent, to unequal gender outcomes.

In 2019, the ASA, CAP and BCAP (for the broadcast industry) went so far as to

ban gender stereotypes in advertising because of the harm they can do. UN
Women also launched the Unstereotype Alliance, and is working with the
advertising industry worldwide to end harmful stereotyping in ads.

UN Unstereotype Alliance flag

But if the harms done by stereotypical depictions are so widely recognised in
advertising, why are the film and television industries so far behind the curve on

this? They seem to be trying to tackle diversity issues in casting, but how can the
obsession with showing women being stalked, raped and murdered be anything
other than harmful, unequal, irresponsible and archaic? Not to mention deeply
misogynistic.

There’s another aspect to representation that’s worth considering. Every time a
film or TV drama is made in which a woman is a victim of violence is an
opportunity lost for a different story to be told. A chance lost for an actress to

play a different and better part — that of a well-rounded, three-dimensional,
complex, interesting and engaging character in a more original piece of work.