Two adverts banned for perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes
The IndependentStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. From the specialists for the specialists.” According to the Advertising Standards Authority, eight viewers complained that the advert perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes by depicting men in roles that were stereotypically male and implying that only men are interested in technology and computers. “Although the guidance did not prohibit ads from featuring only one gender, we considered that because the ad strongly implied only men could excel in the specialisms and roles depicted we concluded the ad presented gender stereotypes in way that was likely to cause harm and therefore breached the code.” The second advert to be banned by the ASA was a poster campaign for PeoplePerHour – an online platform giving businesses access to freelancers – which was posted on the London Underground in November. The ASA said 19 people complained that the advert perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes by depicting a woman running a business in a patronising way and implying women were not technologically skilled. “However, for the reasons given we concluded that the ad had the effect of reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes and that it breached the code.” In June 2019, the ASA introduced new rules regarding advertising that endorses harmful gender stereotypes.