Media and Oppression of Gender

The changes in the way information spreads means there is an avenue through which
oppressed elements in the society can voice their grievances. The MeToo movement started
on Twitter and has spread into the main stream media where the leading opinion makers have
covered the issue. However, the movement has also been met with much opposition from
section of the media because of their view that the women are gaining too much power. Their
aim is to continue as usual even when there are reports of harassment. The viewers of such
media will form an opinion based on what they hear and this impacts overall relations with
the other gender (Segel-Evans, 2019). The roles given by the media to men and women has
shaped the way we perceive and relate. Most of the advertisements for products involve
women represented in a seductive manner even when the product is not related to such topics.
An example are the car adverts which depict skimpily dressed women in seductive poses.
This is meant to appeal to men but it will also mean that women do not have the same
capability as men. There are no adverts of men washing in most of the detergents adverts
which is an indication that those are women roles. The subconscious mind of the population
will always associate such tasks with women (Wood, 2019). Such representations come from
the traditional society and continue in the modern society because the media represents it in
such a manner.

When looking at what gender is, there is a need to differentiate between gender and sex. Sex
is biologically determined while gender is not as it can be socially constructed set because of
behaviours and patterns (Heuer et al. 2011). Therefore, masculinity and femininity can be
culturally determined and is a matter of choice. There are certain patterns of female and male
behaviour which comes from the different ways a culture has allocated them. The question of
sex and gender has become more important because masculinity and feminism has questioned
the way conventional methods of operation and representation (Grosz, 2015). Their aim is to
create a better society which is more equal and has respect for the genders. Whether an
individual is born as a female of male it should not necessarily determine what they become
and what roles they play in the society. However, these notions are not properly adhered to
because certain sections of the society have ensured that certain roles are for particular
genders. These forms identities which permeate the society and when the media follows such
a path, this is seen as the appropriate way of acting (Dadas, 2018). Media is an important tool
in constructing of identities and can help dispel or entrench these identities.