AANA To Update Gender Stereotype Guidance

AANA To Update Gender Stereotype Guidance

The AANA today welcomed the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA’s) Guide to Progressive Gender Portrayals in Advertising, which is consistent with the established requirements in Australia.

As a WFA member, the AANA supports the collective voice of industry through the international Unstereotype Alliance to take positive steps to remove outdated stereotypes from advertising.

The AANA Code of Ethics already prohibits advertising which discriminates on the basis of gender, including sexism where conformity to negative gender stereotypes is portrayed.

The AANA Code applies to all advertisers in Australia on a platform-neutral basis.

The AANA intends to provide more details in its Code of Ethics Practice Note, which will be applied by Ad Standards Community Panel and assist advertisers in their understanding of how the Code applies to the use of gender stereotypes.

B&T is doing its own part in tackling gender inequality in media, with our Changing The Ratio conference.

Changing the Ratio will be held on May 28 at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills. Grab tickets here, and for all other information, head to the website.

AANA CEO John Broome said, “Gender stereotypes in advertising can limit and reinforce misperceptions about roles in society. The Code of Ethics helps ensure advertisers do not use discriminatory portrayals that reinforce negative gender stereotypes.

“Advertising contributes to cultural attitudes and there is a social imperative to positively affect change in the way people are portrayed. The AANA’s new guidance aims to reinforce responsible advertising that does not diminish or limit the role of women and men in society.”

The AANA said that the Code does not prohibit all forms of gender stereotypes, such as a woman doing the washing or a man doing DIY tasks.

However, advertisers should avoid depictions that show people in an adverse light due to their gender, for example, a woman with the sole responsibility for cleaning; an advertisement that suggests a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereotypically associated with girls, or vice versa; or a man trying and failing to undertake household tasks.

Complaints about discrimination on the basis of gender, including gender stereotyping, have been, and can continue to be, made under the Code of Ethics.

Anyone concerned about the breaches of the Code can make a complaint to Ad Standards. Complaints are determined by an independent community panel, which is comprised of members of the Australian public.




Please login with linkedin to comment

    Latest comments
    1. Hope everyone doesn’t forget that genders are actually non-binary now and talking about male and female only is actually old news.

AANA gender WFA

Latest News

Revium Snags Peter Bauld From Deloitte Digital
  • Advertising

Revium Snags Peter Bauld From Deloitte Digital

Revium, a leading full-service digital and AI consultancy, has announced the appointment of Peter Bauld (lead image) as Executive General Manager. Revium is a full-service digital and AI consultancy with over 20 years of experience creating engaging digital experiences for leading organisations and their customers. Bauld joins Revium after an illustrious career spanning over two […]

Veridooh Snatches Prashand Menon From ScentreGroup
  • Advertising

Veridooh Snatches Prashand Menon From ScentreGroup

Out-of-home OOH) and digital media leader Prashand Menon (lead image) has joined OOH ad tech company Veridooh as group business director within NSW and QLD. Menon joins Veridooh from his most recent role as ScentreGroup’s group business director and brings with him more than 10 years of experience in Australian media. Previously, he held positions […]

Kat & Co Transforms Into THE WORLD OF Experiential Agency
  • Advertising

Kat & Co Transforms Into THE WORLD OF Experiential Agency

After more than twelve years of producing experiences for some of the world’s most innovative brands, including Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co, Kat & Co has quietly metamorphosed into THE WORLD OF. THE WORLD OF is an experiential agency at the juncture of culture, technology and the human condition. […]

SMG Studio Launches Risk: Global Domination X Dune Part Two
  • Campaigns

SMG Studio Launches Risk: Global Domination X Dune Part Two

Through a licensing agreement with Legendary Entertainment, SMG Studio inked the rights to adapt Dune: Part Two into a game based on Risk: Global Domination, Hasbro’s interactive board game. Inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic masterpiece, Dune: Part Two, this new digital adaptation, RISK: Global Domination X Dune: Part Two, is poised to captivate players from […]

QMS: Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year & Mardi Gras Were Boon For OOH Market
  • Marketing

QMS: Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year & Mardi Gras Were Boon For OOH Market

Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival have had a dramatic impact on the number of people moving in and around Sydney over the past month, drawing big crowds into the heart of the city and its surrounding suburbs. New data from digital outdoor company QMS reveals a […]