Women as Reflected in Egyptian TV Commercials

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.