Considering the recent 16 days campaign, it is
disappointing to note the billboard campaign currently ongoing by
Triumph International. Rather than ‘supporting’ women, Triumph has
produced a range of outdoor adverts which implicitly promote
stereotypical views of women.
The
adverts are currently up and are prominently displayed on William Nicol in Johannesburg. They show women in the undeniably lovely
underwear with different, some clever, slogans.
However, there is one advert with the slogan ‘Undress for success’ which
we should take exception to, considering the rates of sexual harassment and
gender based violence in South
Africa.
This advert contains a very dangerous
message in the light of the current and recent high-profile gender high rates
of sexual violence in this country. The
workplace is, seemingly a microcosm of broader social problems, including gender
based violence. Sexual harassment and
discrimination is thought to be widespread in the South African workplace, it
is difficult to gauge how widespread because it is hard for assaulted women to
come forward. This is even in
organisations which have the structures in place to deal with it. Many do not.
Typical forms of gender discrimination in
the workplace include a lack of opportunities for advancement, unfair
discrimination and even dismissal.
Gender discrimination is downplayed in public discourse and often
ignored in the light of issues of racial discrimination. However, the two are often entwined. Making black women disadvantaged in terms of
race and gender. As a result, black
women suffer from higher levels of unemployment than other groups. These imbalances which affirmative action
seeks to address, because the unconscious attitudes need to be changed.
Sexual harassment is almost uniformly male
on female. It may take the form of
unwanted physical contact, unwelcome and persistent advances and pressure to
engage in sexual intercourse, even rape.
Sexual harassment victims often are caught by surprise and may not react
to the first few instances.
This is the real picture of the state of
‘success’ for women in this country. By
trivalising it in the billboard advert, the advert contributes to people’s
perception of a sexualised workplace which could conceivably lead to sexual harassment. The MMP would like to challenge Triumph to
support women in a more comprehensive way, other than manufacturing bras.
By Sandra Roberts
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