This study suggests that community members perceive that stereotyped gender portrayals and sexualised images of women are common in advertising, and that these portrayals pressure women and men to conform to limiting stereotypes, have negative impacts on health and wellbeing, and may support attitudes that cause violence against women.

This issues paper argues that the continued use of gender stereotypes and increasing reliance on images that sexualise and objectify women in advertisements undermines efforts to promote gender equality in Australia. The studies cited in this paper demonstrate that there is a clear business case for change.

This study by Jesuit Social Services’ and The Men’s Project, involving 1,000 men aged 18 to 30 has shown that young men who comply with society’s pressures to be a ‘real man’ report poorer mental health, are twice as likely to consider suicide, more likely to commit acts of sexual harassment and experience and perform...