Occasionally we hear protests from some militant women’s groups complaining about the portrayal of women as sex symbols by advertisers and corporate institutions which exploit the female body for commercial purposes.
There is also this complaint against what has been described as stereotyping that reinforces the perception that the only place for women at home is the kitchen, that is, if they are preparing the meals, or at the far corner of the bed making babies.
The matter would not die any time soon.
Last week, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), in a statement, expressed concern about the use of the media for advertisements that tended to show women as being less competent than men, thus, diminishing the dignity, value and accomplishments of successful women.
The statement blamed advertising agencies and corporate bodies for continuing to highlight those negative gender stereotypes in advertisements on products and services in the media.
These are serious and genuine concerns that deserve the attention of both men and women of goodwill who care for gender balance and equality and who want to see more of our women at the forefront of policy-making and implementation for the betterment of society.
The question, however, is, do we put all the blame at the doorstep of advertisers and corporate organisations for the continued portrayal of women as sex symbols, commercial objects and all other negative perceptions held about them?
No one is denying the fact that in our cultural setting, especially in the past, women were given minor roles to play in societal affairs. Even in that case, some of the decisions were informed by the perceived weaker physical disposition of women.
With better education and modernisation, women have now crossed many of the barriers which served as impediments to their path to emancipation and development.
Admittedly, there are pockets of resistance to this trend in some parts of the country where certain age-old traditions and cultural practices continue to stifle development and suppress the freedoms of women.
However, it must be said that generally or, at least, officially, women have had equal opportunities as their male counterparts to excel in many of the fields of endeavour they aspire to. The laws of the land do not frown upon the progress of women or discriminate against them, and, therefore, it can be said that at the state level, there is a fairly level ground for both men and women to advance in their chosen professions.
In our country, the problems confronting the girl-child are not much different from those confronting the boy-child. Both suffer from poor and irresponsible parenting, low family income and poor or inadequate educational facilities.
What women should seriously address is those psychological barriers which continue to make most of them feel inferior to men. Women, notwithstanding the achievements of some in all fields, continue to make demands for special or extra attention before they could make progress in their lives. With such a mentality, many do not want to go the extra mile in the search of self-redemption and the few that are able to make it sometimes leave clouds of doubt about their capabilities.
A few years ago, a renowned female educationalist, who had attained the highest level of learning as a professor in academia, suggested that the university entry grade for women should be lowered so that more women could gain access to university education.
That was a typical way of downgrading the capability of women and making them look inferior to their male counterparts. If that suggestion were to become a national policy, how do we make a case for equality between the two sexes? Incidentally, there are a lot of women who, in their own right and through their own efforts, have excelled in various spheres of life, including academia, business, public service, showbiz, etc.
On the exploitation of women for commercial purposes, women have to take a critical look at themselves and find out whether they have not directly or by inference made themselves commodities to be bought by the highest bidder?
Why are our women consumed by beauty contests that have so grown in numbers that these days they seem to be part of the academic calendar of our tertiary institutions? Indeed beauty contests have found their way into churches of all places.
Why should our future doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, scientists and many more be so willing to parade on stage half nude to the cameras in the name of beauty contests when they should be devouring volumes of literature that would transform their personal lives and bring honour and development to this nation tomorrow? And why should anybody blame event organisers and sponsors who cash in to market their commodities?
If young women chose to dance naked in video clips for the sake of musical works and alcoholic beverages, they can choose to avoid commercialising their bodies, if they care.
I am yet to see any of the women’s advocacy groups coming strongly against beauty contests, which do nothing but debase womanhood and reduce women to sex and commercial objects.
Those activists at the MOWAC should tell the rest of us what contribution beauty contests bring to national development and in what way they enhance the image of women as our mothers and future leaders.
When an educational institution with a strong religious inclination tried to enforce a dress code for its students, including females, some respectable women in society came out pontificating on human rights, personal liberties and freedoms to do anything, including the freedom to walk half-naked in public and on university campuses in defence of the appalling dressing habit of our young women in the name of fashion and modernity. Visit the university and polytechnic campuses and you will see aspiring intellectuals parading half-naked in the name of cultural liberation.
We still have a long-drawn battle to fight to rid society of certain obnoxious and oppressive cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which inflict severe hardships on women and deprive them of their dignity. A lot of these things cannot be stopped by legislation since they are practices deeply embedded in the cultural beliefs of the people. It is, therefore, up to our traditional authorities to relax the conditions of some of these practices or abolish them completely, whatever their historical origins.
The biggest task, however, rests with women themselves, who must come out of their psychological enclave, where they think their survival must come from outside. That orphaned posture adopted by women, always calling for support to do this or to do that, will only perpetuate their servitude to society. They must come out boldly and assert themselves. There is no need especially for women who want to venture into mainstream politics to continue to live in the shadows of men.
The beginning of this total emancipation and affirmative action should reflect in the manner women view beauty contests and other demeaning enterprises which add very little to their image.
Putting the blame on advertising agencies and corporate institutions will not solve the problem. It is for women to decide whether they want to be displayed as commodities on the open market or not. It is for them to determine whether their bodies are for sale or not.
And unless we are told that the advertised bodies were forced into those adverts, it is entirely the choice of women to be part or not part of commercial commodities on sale to the general public. They must look within and the remedy will not be too far away.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
Kofiakordor.blogspot.com
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