The importance of equality in gender has long been a topic of discussion but to create an egalitarian society, this awareness must be widespread all across the globe. There are different media through which the gender equality can be emphasized and this media includes psychological, social, economic, philosophical awareness of human rights. The role of Mass Media is a very crucial one if one has to achieve success in the above-mentioned spheres.
The Gender Equality
There have been numerous national and international conferences and conventions to emphasize and publicize the need to break public stereotypes by making certain amendments to media policy.
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But the mass media in some of the other way still continues reproducing discriminatory stereotypes about women and portray them mainly in sexist forms. For example, if we are to divide mass media into, say, 2 categories, namely – Fictional (Televisions, Movies, etc.) and Non fictional ( News reporting, anchoring business channels, captaining a bank, etc.), then, we will see that the former form of media associates women with household products / mediocre work or display them as sex objects that are made to meet a man’s set standards of beauty; while the latter has either very negligible role or no space for women at all.
The Media
Many women have to sacrifice their female attributes and characteristics to work their way up in the corporate ladder, but their efficiency still gets neglected thanks to their gender discrimination imposed by the society.
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The movies and televisions shows, which should help in eroding this gender-biased decision, they rather do the opposite. The movies and television shows portray any ambitious women in a very negative way – ruthless, aggressive and heartless. This strengthens people’s belief that a vulnerable gullible woman is not appropriate to head a business or make important decisions related to finances or any other crucial work. This has brought unfortunate circumstances in the lives of many women.
Discrimination
Why is it that always a woman has to make sacrifices? Every time she is the one who is left to choose between her loyalty to her job with dignity and her loyalty to her home with family? Only because the society, and moreover, men, cannot accept a woman to be smarter and more capable than her male counterpart. Yes, that is the sole reason - This gender inequality still exists.
The duty to wash off this sexist beliefs and discrimination lies not only with the Media but with the society too. But, it is the media that has to take responsibility to show women some respect and let them have their fair share in the society which has been denied to them ever since.
The Successful Women
The media should stop displaying women as a household chore and instead portray the real picture of the 21st century’s fiercely independent, strong and bold women.
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Oprah Winfrey, J. K. Rowling, Pratibha Patil, Late Kalpana Chawla are only a few examples who have shown the world the power of women – the power within every woman. Now, its the turn of the media to unleash that power and show the egalitarian way.
An equilibrium society with an equal share for both the genders is the most undisputed crucial indication of the country’s economic, spiritual and psychological growth, and in the absence of any one of these, the country’s progress towards development takes a major setback.
Written by
Ruchika Mertia
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