I have always wondered why fairy tales only have damsels in distress. I have always wondered why in Hollywood, most times the main character is a male. I have always wondered why the female musicians who are on top only sing music that paints the picture of the fairer sex. Is this a well-thought-out strategy to make sure women are always discriminated against?
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Growing need for gender-positive ads
Gender stereotypes are found to be deep-embedded in the case of most Indian advertisements as well. A quintessential ad on kitchen appliances would depict a woman working in the kitchen and conveying to the audience how it makes her life easier. One would seldom see a man wearing an apron and promoting such products, when it is a known fact that the kitchen is not only a woman’s ‘work space‘ and that even men must take up responsibility and share the workload. On the other hand, car and bike ads always feature a male lead even though automobiles in India are self-driven by women in large numbers
Gender gap in the sporting world
Since sports like weightlifting and boxing are thought to be ‘masculine‘, families are usually reluctant when it comes to promoting the interests of women in these male-dominated sporting activities. Any discussion on Indian popular culture is incomplete without talking about cricket. While men’s cricket has seen more than 10 IPL seasons, a platform that has helped in spotting talent at the grassroot level and building a strong cricketing community, women’s cricket is yet to have its first IPL season.