The Hindu Business Line : Fair to the fairer sex?

I took my share of flak as a part of the advertising community for allegedly promoting gender bias, sustaining stereotypes and portraying women as sex objects.

This piece is not about what is wrong with the portrayal of women in the media, whether in the form of advertising or editorial matter. It is about what is right. It is about the changing trends and mores and the dawn of hope. More than that, it is about women taking charge of their own lives, and demanding change.

An NGO called Population First, which has done a great job of launching a communications campaign branded Laadli, organised what would arguably be the country's first Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity. The awards were meant to highlight, acknowledge and celebrate the commendable efforts by various forms of media at providing `gender-just' perspectives, portrayals and analysis. Veteran advertising person Bobby Sista who drove this initiative and all those connected with the effort need to be commended.

At the end of the day, generations of social conditioning cannot be wished away instantly. True results can only accrue with a combination of changed perceptions of society on the one hand and a heightened self-esteem of women on the other. And these seemingly different aspects are actually inexorably intertwined.

Society needs to see women differently. Women need to feel they are being seen differently. For this, a long slog with media in all its forms chipping in is essential.

Let's begin with advertising. The Tetley Tea commercial in Hindi was one example of the change that is beginning to be felt. The commercial begins with a gender stereotype where a domineering husband orders the seemingly meek and submissive wife to do his bidding and she is shown sitting in a train compartment with him, fetching his spectacles and pressing his feet. Suddenly, the mould is broken and the young wife has the husband thrown out of the compartment by the ticket collector, and in a sense, out of her life as well. The intelligent woman seems to be demanding the respect she rightfully deserves. I see the advertisement as not only gender-just, but also very wise. I am sure market research must have revealed that the woman makes the purchase decision when it comes to buying tea. After this kind of empowered portrayal, if I were a woman I would run out and buy Tetley.

A commercial for Pond's cold cream tries a different tack. Keeping in mind the fact that today's woman (who could afford Pond's cold cream and use it) is independent and aspirational, the commercial addresses a very harsh and hidden truth. Apparently, some statistics (from the Centre for Women's Development Studies) reveal that 45 per cent of Indian women in rural and urban areas, are slapped, kicked or beaten by their husbands, at some time in their relationship.

Pond's has evolved a beauty philosophy that feels that only a woman who is truly happy can look and feel beautiful, because beauty is more than skin-deep, it goes to the core of who she is and what her identity is. The challenge, according to Pond's, was to provide a platform to the new-age woman that would inspire her to find her voice and express herself so that they can feel beautiful and therefore look beautiful.

The TVC shows different women making excuses for the wounds their faces display. The voice-over exhorts women to speak out against domestic violence. It goes on to request women to send the blue flap inside the cold cream jar to Pond's, which will contribute Rs. 2 to UNIFEM to tackle this dreaded yet hidden scourge of domestic violence. The advertisement is shot sensitively and is moving without being overly dramatic.

Here again I like the dual purpose the message serves. Firstly, it pulls a dark subject out of the closet and turns the spotlight squarely on it. One must realise that it is not only uneducated, slum-dwelling women who are victims of domestic violence. Educated, seemingly emancipated women too find it hard to react to this in an emphatic and spontaneous manner. On the other hand, the message definitely endears the brand to its audience as a caring and feeling partner.

What we are really talking about is that depending on the product and its core values, you can make a stirring social statement that also makes sound commercial sense. Evidently, Pond's managed to raise Rs 25 lakh for the fund through this promotion. That also accounts for 50 lakh jars of cold cream sold, and then do not forget the invaluable bonding with the brand this effort must have achieved.

I am very happy to see HDFC Standard Life focusing sharply on the higher foreign education of a young girl in its advertising. It is truly a sign of our times.

So much for commercial advertising. I am not for a moment saying that everything is hunky dory in commercial advertising, but there are a few positive ripples which will grow into a flood. Common sense understands it, social justice demands it and commercial sense will dictate it. The print and the electronic media have been doing yeoman service in highlighting issues related to women. This is not only in the realm of news coverage of dastardly acts against women, but also features that focus on the looming problems like the highly distorted male to female ratio of our population in many states.

More media coverage on these issues and the scary results that might be faced by all of us would definitely have a salutary effect on the mindset of people. I was personally distressed to read and listen to TV shows that said that female foeticide was equally prevalent in rugged rural Punjab and tony South Mumbai and South Delhi.

One is sure that all this publicity will also spur the law to enforce existing laws more strictly. One might be shocked to hear that it was just in March 2006 that India saw the first conviction of a radiologist under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act of 1994.

I also believe that media has a responsibility in highlighting relevant success stories. Reading about contemporary women achievers would go a long way in heralding behavioural change. People have to perceive the girl child not as a burden but a positive asset. Justice Fathima Beevi, Kiran Bedi, Arundhati Roy, Indra Nooyi, Naina Lal Kidwai, Sania Mirza, Barkha Dutt and the many women achievers in various fields are an inspiration to every Indian. The media brings them into our homes and into our psyche in a vibrant and positive manner. They represent the indomitable strength that refuses to be cowed down. The force that shatters the glass ceiling into a million little myths. They also project the public manifestation of the rare and unique spirit that exists in my mother, wife, sisters, friends and all the women in general that I am privileged to salute today.

I look forward to the year in which we will not need to have a Women's Day. We don't have a Men's Day, do we?

(Ramesh Narayan is a communications consultant. Comments on this column can be sent to brandline@thehindu.co.in)

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