An incongruence exists between the expectations a society has of what women are capable of and how that society regards the increasing number of women that meet and exceed those expectations. This dissonance between ideal and actual is not restricted to one geographical locale. It is a worldwide phenomenon (Culp-Ressler, 2014). Given the increasing integration of the global economy, and the dominance of the mass media in that integration, the contribution of women is coming into a sharp focus (BBC Magazine, 2012). Additionally, because the technologies driving globalization are relatively homogeneous, it is possible to deduce the sentiments the global society has of women . In particular, women in positions of authority that have long since been male dominated find it challenging to fulfill their mandates. The challenges arise simply because they are women.
The major obstacle women face in view of the increasing focus on their societal contributions appears to be simple, their image (Caprino, 2014). Yet, the intense focus the global media devotes to the image women project, as opposed to what their struggle to achieve their ambitions entailed, reveals the media’s baser intentions (BBC Magazine, 2012). First, men and not women, still dominate as the figures of authority. This is still a worldwide phenomenon, and it is proving difficult to dislodge. This being the situation, women who are determined to challenge the stereotype that holds them adjunct to the male figures in authority find it difficult to assert their competence in their endeavors.
The image of a woman in the mass media is that of objectification. This image is so pervasive that it is difficult for the end-consumers of mass media content to imagine a woman otherwise (Caprino, 2014). Where such a departure from the stereotype occurs, little meaningful evaluation is available that demonstrates how the female figure challenged the conventions. Where the media presents such coverage, the consumers devote passive appraisal to such content.
In lieu of focusing on what the women are doing, their competency, their achievements and their aspirations, the global media still elects to focus on their limitations. In particular, the media elects to focus on the physical presentation of women, not where their occupational competence or the struggles that these women invested to actualize their ambitions (Caprino, 2014). The media is often obsessed with women’s apparel or how they wear their hair, in brief, the women’s fashion statement (BBC Magazine, 2012). A review of news items online confirms that women’s bodies, as opposed to what they are capable of intellectually, dominate the media’s focus (Caprino, 2014). The passive treatment of what women accomplish stands in stark contrast to the fervent devotion the same media accords the lipstick or perfume the same women wear.
It is true that the restrictions women face today have somewhat lessened compared to past decades. Still, such an observation is debatable because the fixation on women’s looks still dominates the discourse of female achievement (Culp-Ressler, 2014). In fact, much of the content global media generates on women covers their physical looks, from their attire to their mannerisms. This is in contrast to the media content covering the struggle women face to achieve their aspirations (BBC Magazine, 2012). Further, this debate is taking place in the west, where much of the global media content originates. In less developed economies, the situation is dismal. Women there have very limited platforms of self-advancement given the patriarchal dominance characteristic in less developed economies.
Market forces are just one aspect accounting for how the media projects women. Another factor is how that status quo actually came about. As mentioned elsewhere, women today enjoy more liberties than they did in past. On one hand, the media utilizing the global information communication technologies infrastructure promulgates the entrenched objectification of women (Caprino, 2014). On the other hand, the very same technologies that power the mass media are also finding utility in re-evaluating the portrayal of women by the media. Albeit nascent, perspectives challenging the objectification of women by the mass media are a result of the ready accessibility to media content.
The mass media will continue presenting opportunities and challenges with respect to the portrayal of women. The fact that males dominate visibility the mass media makes available is not something that is likely to alter presently (Caprino, 2014). Additionally, where the media accords women visibility, it is not to demonstrate what they are contributing to society in terms of entrepreneurship or innovation (BBC Magazine, 2012). Likely, it is to objectify their person. In the event that a woman has made significant strides in what the media deems serious, there is always the inclusion of a quip about her person. Although the media might understate it, the consumers of that content invariably are likely not to, and the trend is, the quip ends up in someone’s blog only to be picked up by similar platforms.
The template the media utilizes to presently depict women is far from ideal. Altering the objectification of women in the media does not begin with the media. It begins with the consumers of that media that demand such content in the first place. Even so, given the dominance of the mass media in virtually every aspect of public discourse, the media can be and is a portent platform with respect to revising how societies view women. Finally, sheer effort on the part of women in defining how they wish society to view them is a proviso for any gains to be possible and sustainable.
References
BBC Magazine. (2012). Five Things about Women in the Press. BBC Magazine Online. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20554942
Caprino, K. (2014) What's Wrong With The Media's Portrayal Of Women Today, And How To Reverse It. Forbes_Leadership. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/11/21/whats-wrong-with-the-medias-portrayal-of-women-today-and-how-to-reverse-it/
Culp-Ressler, T. (2014). Are We Finally Fed Up With The Media’s Unrealistic Portrayal Of Women’s Bodies? ThinkProgress. Retrieved from: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/06/16/3449302/media-women-portrayals/
