Portrayal of women in Indian advertisements has changed significantly over time. Earlier advertisements often portrayed women as passive, less intelligent, and as sexual objects for men. However, advertisements now show women in a more positive light as independent, assertive, and career-oriented. This reflects the social changes in India as more women pursue careers and roles outside the home. Notable examples include the Tanishq remarriage ad celebrating women's rights, and the Hero Honda Pleasure ad advocating for women's empowerment and enjoyment of outdoor activities. Major advertisers are now leading the way in portraying women in a progressive manner that celebrates their evolving status in Indian society.

1. ADVERTISEMENTS THEN and NOW!
Advertisements is a form of media which has the greatest potential in shaping the minds of the
society. The message which it carries has a great influence on the minds of people. Ads can
change lives and it has in the case of women!Portrayal of women in ads has been of an
alarming concern amongst the media analysts as ‘objectifying women’ created a wave in the
world. It added pressure on the women to look and behave in a certain manner and this concept
ingrained in our culture has scars even till now.
It all started one fine day when the
concept to increase the sale of
products was directly related to the
image of women leading to the idea
of objectifying women. Ads referred
women as some “sexual objects” and
“beauty without brains.”
The thought was spread that women
who are fat are not appealing
enough for men and since men were
the earning members all the ads
showed women in service of men (in
all manners). Print ads, TVCs, radio
ads- conveyed the message that
women are ‘cute cooks’.
The product ads used women as a beautiful showpiece to create the consumer appeal. Women
who were not fair were not considered beautiful.

2. Now, this concept is changing. Not only in preference but in professional
fields as well “LADIES are FIRST”. Nandita Das has come up with a
campaign which says that women should be unapologetic for the way they
are.
TVCs are changing the thinking process of society- ‘TANISHQ
Remarriage’, ‘education and work profile of women’, ‘beauty with brains’,
‘stronger than men’ etc. New product ads like “BURQINI” ad in Middle
East countries are trying to return the untold rights of the women in the
society. Bigger brands with greater followers are taking the first steps in
bringing about the change. Messages conveyed from ads have come a great
way from objectifying women to celebrating the presence of women.
GOVERNMENTINITIAVE AD FOR
VIOLENCE AGAINSTWOMEN
CHANGING
TREND

3. Portrayal Of Women In Indian Advertisements
Earlier, in advertisements, women were portrayed as passive and less powerful
players in society, depicted as less intelligent and competent than men and were
shown as objects of sexual pleasure.
There has been a socio-cultural change in society over the decades, which is
evident from the increasing number of women pursuing careers, changing family
role structure, and unfavorable female attitudes toward traditional sex-role
stereotypes.
Thus advertisers’ attitudes towards women has changed and changed for the
better. This community is more sensitive on how it places women in
communication and is paying extra attention on the
effect that continuous exposure to such messages will
have on viewers and society at large. Many
contemporary advertisements portray women in a more
positive way i.e. as independent, assertive, enjoying
life and a career woman.
In the 80’s, Indian advertising suffered from the British
influence, targeted the elite and was pushing western
lifestyle. There were cigarette brands with women in skimpy clothes hovering
around the male model.
In the 90’s, Alyque Padamsee played an important
role in breaking the stereotype with memorable
women characters like Lalitaji and the Liril girl.
He was the first marketer to showcase a smart
woman, who knew her mind in the Surf campaign.
Lalitaji was very conscious about saving, did not
bargain when it was a question of quality, took her
own decisions and had
logical reasons to justify
them.

4. The bikini clad Liril girl bathing under a waterfall was loved by the consumers
and every woman in this country could identify herself under a waterfall, free
from western up-market lifestyle trappings of bathtubs and lavish bathrooms.
2008 saw HDFC Standard’s ‘Sar utha ke jiyo’ campaign take a bold step,
where a young girl named Tulika Sharma writes a cheque for her dad’s new car
with her own savings as she says “Tulika Sharma chahati hai ke uske dad style se
travel karein” and her dad accepts after an initial hesitation with a look of pride on
his face.
The recent Tanishq commercial
sends out a bold message, where a
dusky lady with a child is getting
married again in Indian traditions.
HERO HONDA PLEASURE (Why should
boys have all the fun)- This advertisement
advocates women empowerment. Today
women have stepped out, realizing their
potential in fulfilling their dreams and for
them, driving a vehicle is one of the symbols
of liberty and fun. This ad completely breaks
the notion that outdoor fun is only a domain of
men.
As advertisements are a reflection of changes in societal fabric, the depiction
of women in advertisements is becoming progressive day by day with their
emerging status in the society.