Research Shows Consumers Believe Media and Brands are Responsible to Improve Women's Equality

A new report finds that 82% of adults surveyed globally believe the media has a responsibility to improve women’s equality, while 80% believe brands bear the same responsibility.

Conducted by SeeHer, the global gender equality initiative within the ANA that champions the positive representation of women, in partnership with dentsu, 'Global Perceptions of Progress on Gender Equality' uncovers viewpoints around gender equality and what role media and advertising play across cultures. 

The study also revisits US perceptions of gender equality by analysing results from SeeHer and dentsu’s first iteration of the research report from 2021. This latest study was conducted in 2023 with an expanded global lens, surveying consumers in the US, UK, India, Japan, and Mexico.

“By understanding global perceptions on gender equality and the barriers women face in different countries, we can infuse these learnings into how they are depicted and leverage the power of the media and marketing ecosystem to impact the change we need to see,” said Christine Guilfoyle, president, SeeHer. “Gender equality is a movement, and we all must prioritise progress every day. Marketers who mandate and embed gender equality best practices will not only transform society and culture but increase growth by double-digits across their business.”

“Advancing women and girls in society is critically important. As a leader in the advertising industry, we are acutely aware of how representation influences reality,” said Christena Pyle, chief equity officer, dentsu America. “By partnering with SeeHer on this critical research, we will be able to shine a light on how we as an industry can continue to impact gender equality in marketing and media.​”

'Global Perceptions of Progress on Gender Equality' uncovered numerous findings and insights, including: 

Hope Turns to Disillusionment in the US

In the initial study conducted in 2021, 47% of Americans stated they were 'very hopeful' about the future of gender equality, however, “Global Perceptions of Progress on Gender Equality” found this had dropped to 39%. In addition, the report found that only 64% of Americans saw the value of gender equality as a “very important personal issue” versus 73% of Americans in 2021. 

While 90% of Americans believe in the potential for media and marketing to create change by helping shape gender roles, they see barriers in media and advertising still exist, including the lack of willingness to support or promote women, and persisting stereotypes about women’s roles. In fact, Americans saw an accentuation over the last two years of women being portrayed in more traditional roles. Most notably the report found: 

• 30% of Americans see women being portrayed as leaders versus 48% of Americans in 2021
• 70% of Americans see women being portrayed as caretakers versus 52% of Americans in 2021

There is also an increasing lack of confidence in media and marketing in terms of how they support gender equality. In 2021, 32% of Americans agreed that the media usually accurately portrays women, yet this year’s report report saw that number decrease to 24%. 

Gender Equality Is a Global Concern But Prioritisation Varies

Gender inequality is widely recognised as a global concern with the majority of consumers across the five countries surveyed recognising its importance on both a global and personal level. Research from “Global Perceptions of Progress on Gender Equality” found: 

• 84% of global adults say gender inequality is an important global issue
• 93% of global adults say women’s equality is an important issue to them personally

However, the report found there are significant differences in how gender equality is perceived, addressed, and approached by region. Mexicans exhibit an emphasis on gender equality, with 91% expressing it as a top global concern – a sentiment surpassing that of any other country surveyed – followed by the UK and India (both at 86%), the US (at 82%) and Japan (77%). 

'Global Perceptions of Progress on Gender Equality' also unveiled how global populations viewed how equal women are perceived to men, with Japan viewing women 54% equal to men, followed by the UK (64% equal to men), the US (66% equal to men), India (77% equal to men), Mexico (74% equal to men). Globally, the report found that women are viewed as 70% equal to men. 

Media and Marketing Are Seen as Key to Advancing Gender Equality

With none of the countries surveyed seeing women as fully equal to men, it was no surprise that media and advertising depictions were also seen as unequal. The report found that Japanese media and advertising depicted women at 55% equal to men, followed by the UK (60% equal to men), the US (70% equal to men), India and Mexico (both 80% equal to men). 

Global populations recognise the far-reaching influence of media, with 91% of global adults stating the media plays a crucial role in shaping gender roles and norms. In addition, 89% of global adults state that the media can teach girls they can do anything boys can do and vice versa. However, only 32% of global adults feel a lot of progress has been made in the past decade on how women are represented in the media. 

Across the board, a consistent challenge to gender equality is the perpetuation of stereotypes in media. Overall, only 16% of global adults felt that women were portrayed accurately all the time in advertising and media. 

Similar to the 2021 study, among the various depictions measured, the report found that global adults see women being most often portrayed as caretakers versus leaders and in supporting versus leading roles, with the highest variances in the US, UK, and Japan. 

“Our findings underscore the significant influence both media and marketing wield in building a gender equitable culture,” said Latha Sarathy, chief research officer, ANA and SeeHer. “Media and brands alike can be a disruptive force to transform society. For them to effectively drive change, however, they must prioritise this imperative. They share equal responsibility and power in counteracting the adverse effects of gender bias and steering the course toward accelerated gender equality. Sustained commitment is essential to effect meaningful progress.” 

The '2023 Global Perceptions of Progress of Gender Equality' report provides marketers and media companies with timely, actionable intelligence with a market-by-market outlook on obstacles to overcome and tactical recommendations on how to leverage their influence to shift societal perceptions and increase opportunities for women. The research was conducted from a fully representative sample of 3,00 respondents from March 9-20th, 2023. To access the full report, please visit this page.