FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

ABSTRACT

The study focused on the female undergraduate students perception of the portrayal of women in advertising. The objectives of the study were to find out the level of exposure of female undergraduates with female models, to a certain the extent in which women are portrayed in advertisement and to find out the perception of female undergraduates to the portrayal of women in advertisement. For its methodology, the survey research method was used to gather the data used for the study. Findings of the study revealed that female undergraduate students of Mass communication, UNIBEN encounter advertisement featuring women and they believe that this advertisement portray women in a narrow and stereotypical manner. The findings also revealed that there is widespread consensus among the respondents that advertising has fallen short in adequately representing the diversity of women's experiences. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded that female undergraduate students of Mass communication, UNIBEN have a negative attitude of women in advertising. The researcher therefore recommended among other things that advertisers should prioritize diversity and inclusivity in their campaigns by featuring a variety of women from different backgrounds, ethnicities, body types, abilities, and experiences. It was also recommended that advertisers should actively work to challenge and break down traditional gender stereotypes in their advertisements.