2748248_Analysis of Women & Women's Issues in Media

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1 The Sexualization of Women and Girls in the Media Author's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor Name Assignment Due Date

2 The Sexualization of Women and Girls in the Media Introduction The sexualization of women and girls in the media is a common issue where they are viewed as sexual objects. This has resulted in negative impacts on the self-image of women and girls. Exposure to sexualization before one is mentally and physically ready to deal with the issue can be detrimental to society. A lot of parents have failed to consider this, as well as how their children, particularly girls, dress. The sexualization of women and girls has resulted in inequalities towards the female gender and, in some cases, violence against women. Women and girls must be kept safe from problems like gender-based violence. More efforts should be put into raising awareness about the need to respect women and see them as people rather than as objects to make them live healthy and productive lives. The Media and Victimization of Women and Girls The media contributes to the sexualization of women and girls because it often repeatedly hypersexualizes and objectifies their bodies. According to the American Psychological Association, the media often depicts girls sexually more than boys; while wearing revealing attire, facial expressions, and body postures that imply they are ready for sex (Andersen et al., 2021). Another study also reported that in fifty-eight different magazines, 53% of adverts that featured women showed them as sexual objects (Payling & Loughran, 2022). Nevertheless, when women's adverts appeared in men's magazines, women were objectified seventy-six percent of the time (Payling & Loughran, 2022). Social media has made adolescent girls agree to some sexualized narratives. For instance, approximately ten to twenty-five percent of teenagers agree to send or receive texts or images of a sexual nature (Van Ouytsel et a., 2021).

3 Effects of the Sexualization of Women and Girls The sexualization of women and girls in the media affects them physically, emotionally, and mentally globally. Examples of impacts include depression, lower self-esteem, eating disorders, feelings of shame, and stress about appearance. Media representations cause women to have a lower-esteem which prevents them from engaging in life activities because they have low confidence in their bodies (Howard et al., 2021). Due to the poor body image they see from the media, girls develop poor eating lifestyles that make them malnourished in the name of being afraid to become fat. Sexual objectification leads to dangerous gender stereotypes that promote violence against women and girls. Studies have shown that these stereotypes do not only negatively affect girls but also boys (Verrastro et al., 2020). Boys perceive the way their bodies are presented with regard to girls. Often, they assume that attractiveness and success are connected to aggression, power, and dominance. Adverts can set the tone for what is considered normal in a culture. When the media promotes ideas that harm and degrade women and normalizes gender-based violence, it decreases the chances that violent acts against females, specifically sexual violence, will be punished. Data from thirty countries indicate that only one percent of teenage girls who are victims of violence have sought professional assistance (Carrington et al.,2020). In the United States, only one out of five female victims has filed their cases (White et al., 2019). The fear of consequences, fear, and denial are examples of factors that bar women from sharing their stories. Indeed, this is a challenge considering that in sex trafficking, campus rapes, domestic violence, and dating violence, it is common for victims to be disregarded unless they report their assault and exploitation. Even though movements have come up to raise awareness concerning sexual harassment and abuse and invigorated victims to speak, systemic challenges persist

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4 (White et al., 2019). Social service providers and law enforcement have put minimal effort into encouraging females to self-identify. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the media and people's culture to enlighten women by affirming to them that any form of sexual assault or abuse is harmful and severe. The media often relays messages that women and girls should never be respected or noticed, not powerful, but just pretty. This kind of perception is hazardous to girls' development and culture as a whole. Solutions to Tackle Sexualization of Women and Girls in the Media Organizations and changemakers can work together to tackle the effects of media sexualization. For instance, women and girls can try getting assistance from girl-led and girl- centered organizations that fight cases of the sexualization of women and girls. An example of an organization is FBomb, which can educate and influence media producers to improve how they represent men and women in their videos (Clay-Robison et al., 2020). This will assist in stopping the norm of people stereotyping women as weak and sexual objects. Women and girls can also employ helpful resources offered by initiatives that foster a positive image of women and girls. For instance, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media can help to advocate for the use of diverse female characters when making films that target kids aged eleven and below (Paragas et al., 2022). Educational institutions, corporations, entertainment industry leaders, and content creators should also be offered education programming opportunities that center on promoting gender equality. Organizations can also raise awareness of the importance of women embracing their bodies and having body confidence. It is also essential that boys and men are engaged robustly to remove power imbalances and gender norms that may result in sexualizing girls and women. Men and boys should be challenged about their norms, toxic masculinity, and stereotypes that promote gender violence

5 and inequality. Social media is an effective tool that can be used to raise awareness worldwide about the detrimental effects of the sexualization of women and girls (Suzor et al., 2019). People can use Twitter and Facebook to share their experiences, which will help show how this problem is a menace and needs urgent solutions. Social media can also inform people about the sexual objectification that the media causes on women and girls. People can shed light on the sexist images that affect females daily and suggest solutions to improve gender equality. It is also high time that media outlets that foster sexualized images of girls and women are reported, fined, or closed down. Media outlets should be reminded of the need to create environments where women feel valued (Suzor et al., 2019). People should also be advised to monitor what they watch on television or the Internet. Doing this will help people avoid seeing images that sexualize women and portray them as objects. Conclusion The sexualization of women and girls in the media is a daunting issue that negatively and significantly impacts society. Many people consume media content that presents women as sex objects. This has created the opportunity for gender-based violence. One can see how sexualization affects women and girls' mental, physical, and emotional well-being. The media should also focus on presenting materials that promote gender equality. References

6 Andersen, T. S., Silcox, J., & Isom Scott, D. A. (2021). Constructing “bad girls”: Representations of violent girls in the Canadian and US news media. Deviant Behavior , 42 (3), 353-365. Carrington, K., Guala, N., Puyol, M. V., & Sozzo, M. (2020). How women's police stations empower women, widen access to justice and prevent gender violence. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy , 9 (1), 42-67. Clay-Robison, S., Burrell, M., Hume, E., Hurwitz, D. R., Sample, E., & Temoney, K. E. (2020). Empowered Women Empower Women: Peacebuilding in the Age of# MeToo. Building Peace in America , 209. Howard, D., Klettke, B., Clancy, E., & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M. (2021). What are you looking at? Body image esteem and sexting behaviors among emerging Australian adults. Computers in Human Behavior , 124 , 106915. Paragas, F., Rapanot, C. E., Mangalus, M., Hoggang, C. F., & Agonos, M. J. (2022). Gender in Philippine advertisements: Portrayal patterns and platform differences immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic. Plaridel , 181-202. Payling, D., & Loughran, T. (2022). Nude Bodies in British Women’s Magazines at the Turn of the 1970s: Agency, Spectatorship, and the Sexual Revolution. Social History of Medicine . Suzor, N., Dragiewicz, M., Harris, B., Gillett, R., Burgess, J., & Van Geelen, T. (2019). Human rights by design: The responsibilities of social media platforms to address gender ‐ based violence online. Policy & Internet , 11 (1), 84-103. Van Ouytsel, J., Walrave, M., De Marez, L., Vanhaelewyn, B., & Ponnet, K. (2021). Sexting, pressured sexting and image-based sexual abuse among a weighted-sample of heterosexual and LGB-youth. Computers in human behavior , 117 , 106630.

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7 Verrastro, V., Liga, F., Cuzzocrea, F., & Gugliandolo, M. C. (2020). Fear the Instagram: beauty stereotypes, body image and Instagram use in a sample of male and female adolescents. Qwerty-Open and Interdisciplinary Journal of Technology, Culture and Education , 15 (1), 31-49. White, J. W., Sienkiewicz, H. C., & Smith, P. H. (2019). Envisioning future directions: Conversations with leaders in domestic and sexual assault advocacy, policy, service, and research. Violence Against Women , 25 (1), 105-127.

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