Abstract:
In the Arab countries, many studies have tackled the image of women in different
media platforms, like in drama, movies, literature, and in theatre; however, very few
studies have focused on the image of women in advertisements whether in electronic
or in print media. In Egypt, representation of women in TV commercials has received
little attention. Since advertising is considered a mirror for the society, and a platform
that reflects real life, it is essential, therefore, to study the image of women in
Egyptian TV commercials. In light of the Feminist Theory which is concerned with
females and their suppression, this study aims at examining the representation of
women in Egyptian TV commercials. The study employs the qualitative research
methods of qualitative content analysis and in-depth interviews to examine, on 386
Egyptian TV commercials, how the Egyptian women were portrayed in terms of
contexts (e.g. rural or urban), occupations, ages, physical appearances, life styles,
social roles, social values, and social stratifications. In addition, some technical
features of the advert like the type of appeal(s) used, and the visual technique were
explored. Results have shown that Egyptian women have not been fairly represented
in the advertisements.
