Opposition to ‘sexist’ adverts has nothing to do with the appropriateness of an item of clothing, the national equality commission said, nor did it hinge on the portrayal of sexual activity.
Instead, the Commission said its concern was that representations that objectify and over-sexualise women have a social and a relational impact that negatively affect women and men.
Last week, the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, NCPE, condemned “videos and statements that depict women in an over-sexualised manner and reinforce negative gender stereotypes in society”.
The Commission said it had received a number of complaints about adverts which depicted women in a way that reinforced sexist stereotypes. The complaints come as two adverts by clubbing venue Uno Malta caused a stir online, with people complaining these were inappropriate and disparaging towards women.
While the Commission would not confirm whether it had received complaints about the two adverts, it is understood these were at least one of the source of complaints.
Some men feel they can assert power over women by treating them as sexual objects
Following the NCPE’s call for the media to refrain from issuing material that objectified women, the clubbing venue’s manager Kevin Decesare said that women are seen “dressed like that all the time on TV or out in Paceville.” He also called on the Commission to focus on “more important things”.
Reacting to these claims, the Commission said that opposition to the objectification and over-sexualisation of women in the media was directed at all depictions that over-sexualise women, including pictures, videos and statements that appeared in different media.
“Such images place women as the subject of the constant gaze and judgement of men. They also convey the message that a woman’s value is mostly determined by her physical appearance and her sexual appeal,” the Commission said, adding that this was not the case with representation of men in the media, who are often linked to strength, dominance and decision-making.
“The context to all this is that women are underrepresented in most spheres of life, such as employment, and in both economic and political decision-making.
“Women, more than men, face sexual harassment in their everyday lives, including in entertainment and at the workplace. Sexual harassment is closely related to unequal power relations and to the fact that some men feel they can assert power over women by treating them as sexual objects,” the Commission said.