33 NGOs demand bans on sexist ads
33 NGOs demand bans on sexist ads
JAKARTA (JP): Thirty three non-government organizations
demanded yesterday advertisements insulting women's dignity be
banned.
Spearheaded by the Indonesian Consumers Agency (YLKI), they
lodged their petition with the Ministry of Information, the
office of State Minister of Women's Roles, the advertising
agencies' governing body and the mass media.
In their five-point demand, the NGOs urged the information
ministry to set up an advertising controlling body comprising
government and non-government organization representatives.
"The body should be truly free from conflict of interest in
advertising. Membership of the existing Film Censorship body
should be expanded to encompass NGOs," the petition stated.
The NGOs demand the government and the Advertising Companies
Association scrap ads demeaning women, especially those
portraying women as sex objects.
They said it was time the Advertising Companies Association
improved its code of ethics so sexual harassment in advertising
could be minimized.
The statementburged advertising producers, models and all
parties involved in making advertisements to stop arguing they
were exercising their artistic rights when making advertisements
which were offensive to women.
Newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations have been
asked to stop publishing the indecent advertisements.
The NGOs made the petition in connection with the
commemoration of "No Violence against Women Day", Nov. 24.
They said women in Indonesia were subject to harassment. Women
are traditionally shown in inferior positions to men and
associated with domestic affairs, like raising children, cooking
and serving their husbands.
Several TV advertisements portray women as sexual objects such
as the commercial for the herbal medicine, Idaman.
The advertisement claims the herbal medicine restores women's
youthful sexual appeal so much that husbands stop going to
"meetings" every night so they can stay home with their
revitalized wives.
"This particular advertisement misleadingly tells the audience
that happiness in the family is determined by whether the wife is
able to sexually please her husband," the NGOs said.
"Women are objects and victims of misperception formed by
socio-cultural, economic and political systems dominated by men,"
they said.
So many commercials disrespect the marriage institution
distorting gender equality, they said. (pan)