On International Women's Day, March 8, 2001, the Office of Women's Policy in Victoria, Australia established a committee to address issues of concern regarding the portrayal of women in advertising. The committee stated that previous research on images of women has suggested that these images: -fail to portray a representative rage of women's real skills and occupations, particularly in positions of authority; fail to reflect the increasing diversity and richness of women's lives, or the range of women's contributions and achievements; and fail to represent the real variety of women's ages, shapes, sizes and colors.
They also stated that this type of presentation of women is problematic because they can generate adverse perceptions of women. These perceptions can include issues such as:
-validation of masculine behaviors, language and values as though they represent the universal norm
-reinforcing perceptions that may legitimize violence against women
-in general limit the range of behavior considered acceptable for women
Source:
http://www.women.vic.gov.au
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