Image of Women in Media

Abstract

The point of view regarding women depicted in media is still stereotyped in spite of development and progress in the society. Women have adopted the dual role of home-maker and the bread-earner at the same time, media hardly brings out this factual reality. Limited significance is attributed to the life struggles of women at home and outside world. Media depiction of women is full of images and cliche about women and girls - the glamorous sex kitten, the sainted mother, the devious witch, the hard-faced corporate; and political climber. Public and private local, national and international media organizations have still stuck to the degraded portrayal of women. Most of the coverage for women viewers revolves around soft stories - culture, health, beauty, and other social issues. Even the new means of media such as internet sites too spawn an unbalanced view regarding the current situation of modern women.Semantic changes need to be made by the government as well mass-media and advertising organizations to bring a change, rather than maintaining a status quo in relation of image of women in media. Gender specific features in media can strengthen the image of what a man and a woman are, and how they should behave in relation to each other. The symbiotic relationship among the consumers, the mass-consumer industry and advertising is capable of creating the consumer market in which women themselves would played a pivotal role. The need is only to accept their realistic strength and portray it without distortion and rather than reinforcing the traditional role of the two genders, accepting that private and public spheres of life are now relegated to both men and women. Only improving media images will not solve all of the problems associated with the rights of women, inequalities need to be addressed across a range of social and institutional systems (government, education system, family, religion, and so on).