European Parliament: Call for Ban on Sexist Ads

IRIS 1997-9:1/7

Marina Benassi

Attorney at law

On Tuesday the 16th of September the European Parliament urged the governments of the Member States as well as the advertising industry to take a strong and decisive position against advertisements presenting offensive or degrading stereotypes of women.

The European Parliament expressed the necessity that the Member States should take all the steps needed in order to prevent any form of pornography in the media and in the advertising. In the opinion of the European deputies both pornography and other forms of degrading portrayals of women can contribute to violence against women and to the enduring lack of equal opportunities.

The European Commission should, in the view of the Parliament, play an active role in stimulating the advertising industry to lay down a voluntary code of practice containing higher standards on the matter.