Portrayal of Women in Internet Advertising

Abstract

Depiction of women in advertisements in mass media has been debated on many occasions. To understand the nature of such representation in internet is the present area of interest. Advertising is as a potent weapon worldwide, for promotion of ideas, goods and services. Portrayal of women in advertisements has been stereotypical in most mediums. In present scenario, websites in the internet acts as vital sources of information regarding different products and services. Even though the internet is a new medium developed and used mostly by young people, yet it has been found that patriarchal mindset is reflected in the way women are portrayed. Advertisers in the internet too have cashed in on visual appeal of women to attract the attention of the users. However, neutral depiction of women is getting some space. Depiction of women in internet advertising will change through proper gender sensitisation of developers of this medium.