Media plays a vital role in forming opinions, setting trends and forming a civilized society. But the most important aspect is, to change the perception of the people regarding particular things. Media has changed over the time, initially it was used as a bridge between the government and the people of the country and for spreading important information, but now it is also used for entertainment, which includes music, movies, internet, social media, etc. These kinds of media gradually change the thinking and perception of an individual. Today’s media is not only a bridge between the government and people but also a medium of connection between the people of different socio-cultural strata.
Representation Of Women
Around 50% of the world’s total population is women, I would think even more than that because women tend to live longer than men. Even after having 50% of the share in the population they are still not getting equal recognition in the society. Women are considered inferior in this male-dominant world. For better or worse media plays a very important role in shaping the image of women in society. Women are seen as house makers who are happy in just rearing children and preparing food for the family. There are many advertisements on television, using supermodels having toned bodies, practically impossible to attain without editing. Advertisements on radio, if about groceries or sales at a mall are generally spoken by female characters while advertisements about cars, houses or more expensive things are narrated by male characters.
In Bollywood movies, the stories always revolve around the male character, his intelligence, braveness and wittiness, while the female character is all about beauty, dance and dresses. Daily soaps showcase women as solely the housewife without any personal aspirations which affect the mind of young girls. A movie like Mary Kom is an exception which sends the message of women empowerment. Stereotypical movies changes the perception of the women about their success. Instead of building their own personality they begin to idolize the character or the actress.
Even cartoons that are primarily made for children also depict the mother of the leading character as a housewife, who is always busy performing household chores, while the father is working and enjoys holidays at home, playing with kids. Hence, at a very young age, children – both girls and boys learn their role in the society.
Women And Yesteryear’s Media
In the recent past, media had limited mediums like newspaper, pamphlets, posters, and radio. The role of women in media was limited to only the modelling and advertising aspect, rather than really participating in the mainstream media. Women have always been seen as the consumer of the society who purchases things for themselves and their home. In many advertisements, there were women shown being happy on a sale, or posing in the supermarket purchasing the product.
Before the Great Depression and World War II, advertisements and media portrayed women primarily as homemakers, but after the War, due to propaganda, media showed them as the workforce of the society who worked at factories for the country but still wanted to look glamorous. In 1950, when everything got back to normal, they wanted the women to come back to houses to take over the responsibilities, so again, advertisements were based on children asking them to stay at home. But by the 1950s, women had started working leading to many advertisements featuring women with machines coming into existence.
Feminism came into existence in 1960, many feminist groups stood against stereotypical advertising schemes. The media of 1960 emphasized women to be independent who earned for themselves. Images of women became a subject of criticism since the 1960s, when Betty Friedan in her book The Feminine Mystique (1963) revoked and criticized the image of an ideal woman in the post-war era in North America. Friedan called it ‘the happy housewife image.’
Come 1990, the media emphasized women to be self earning, intelligent, independent, taking care of their children alone, and were called super moms. Now the women had started to work for mainstream media, writing in esteemed magazines like The Cosmopolitan, Vogue etc. where the voice of the women could be heard.
In India, the concept of women in media has been quite different, since they were shown responsible for their family. Women were working in India after the independence majorly as labour force and farmers but not particularly in the corporate sector.
Present Situation Of Women In India
Women in today’s time are an integral part of the media and every aspect of it. In India, women writers, poets, novelists are recognized and have produced some of the most popular and classic pieces of literature. In digital media also women are contributing in a large ratio, women are news anchors, actresses, reporters, editors-in-chief etc. The contribution of women not only helps to empower women but also in bringing a balance in society.
Mainstream media, which are news channels and newspapers, do not cover women related issues because India is a democratic nation with several issues catering to political parties, and with a large population with all sorts of crimes; but then there are social media and events to convey the issues related to women and garnering a sense of sympathy and hatred.
- Social media: #MeToo is the best example of the judicial use of social media to convey the horrors of sexual harassment from all over the world and how it affects the mind of young girls and women. Social media, irrespective of the nations, castes, lands, boundaries unite people of different socio-cultural aspects with each other.
- Events: like TED talks, award ceremonies, rallies, etc. have access to a large number of people. Some events are even watched and attended by people around the world. Beauty Pageants like Miss Universe, Miss Asia and the likes can also be a platform to spread a cause or a message.
Natasha Gutierrez, a journalist at the “She for She” forum held in French Embassy said, “One of the most extreme cases of female journalism paying the price of their excellent work, is the case of Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan; Khadija exposed the President’s corruption. She refused to stop the reportage despite being anonymous, a sex video of her and her boyfriend was posted online which got viral. Her own investigation revealed that the government bugged her apartment with hidden cameras. She also served in jail for the retaliatory charges on her.”
Such threats and happenings inhibit the working of women in media, both in India and other countries. But there are some examples like Barkha Dutt, a leading media person or Homai Vyarawalla, India’s very first photojournalist, who have done some exceptional work. There are women who are very bold and strong, who have succeeded in their career of media, but in terms of number, they are rather less.
Ways To Enhance Women’s Participation In India
1) Including news for and about women: news related to women should be incorporated more; it should be ensured that the content is balanced across gender lines and respecting the diversities around the globe regarding the lives of women. Creating such a balance not only helps women but also increases the readership and the viewership.
2) Women should occupy newsrooms: no matter how much an organization increases its publication for women, if there isn’t a woman in the newsroom, attaining balance is impossible. A German newspaper, Die Tageszeitung, commonly known as Taz, has enforced a quota system which makes it mandatory to have 50-50 gender parity at every level of its newsroom. By recruiting women for entry-level positions, the company aims to have enough competent female applicants for senior positions.
3) Create equal pay: equal pay increases enthusiasm in women to work and give competition, it increases self-confidence, self reliability and a sense of equality. Many women in Indian media are using social media and events to raise their voice for equal pay, recently Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone have spoken for this cause at various platforms.
4) Education and skill development: from childhood, girls should be taught about equality. Skills and leadership quality should be taught through monitoring and developmental programmes.