Leyes de violencia de género y sexismo publicitario: Análisis comparativo de Argentina, España, Estados Unidos y México

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of gender violence legislation on the incidence of sexism and gender bias in advertisements published in four countries: Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Methods. The study focused on the content of 163 advertisements: 69 from Spain, 16 from Mexico, 50 from Argentina, and 28 from the United States. Data were gathered on the presence of bodies not associated with the product being advertised, to study the stereotypical presentation of men and women and gender biases in advertisements in Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Results. The following stereotypical findings were observed: (i) men were shown in public places more often than women in the ads from Argentina (P = 0.000), Spain (P = 0.000), and Mexico (P = 0.011); (ii) men were shown more often than women practicing neutral professions in the ads from Argentina (P = 0.004), Spain (P = 0.000), and Mexico (P = 0.025); and (iii) men were shown more often than women as workers and users (P = 0.000) and less often than women in a parenting role (P = 0.000). With regard to biases, (i) men were given greater visibility than women in all four countries, and (ii) only in the ads from Spain were there significant differences in terms of parity, with men appearing more often in the ads than women (P = 0.014), and empowerment, with men shown making decisions more often than women; P = 0.045). Conclusions. Those countries with legislation aimed at using communication to prevent gender violence do not have less sexism in their advertisements. To analyze the relationships between laws, sexism, and gender violence, it would be necessary to undertake a rigorous diachronic assessment of the instruments constructed and also to compare the results with other cultural and social indicators that are often difficult to isolate. © 2013 Organización Panamericana de la Salud.