| | |  Editorials | Issues | May 2009 
Mexico's Political Parties Accused of Sexism in TV Ads
 The News with Wire Reports
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Gender took a lead role in the political campaigns this week, as the nation's parties were accused of portraying women in a sexist light by a citizens' gender equality group that monitors the media.
Lourdes Barbosa, president of the Citizens' Council for Gender Equality in the Media said that her organization analyzed 16 political ads and found that the majority were offensive to women. Nearly all parties were guilty, including the progressive Social Democratic Party, she said in an interview with El Universal.
In 15 of the ads, a woman was portrayed as a victim of issues such as health, unemployment or violence. In 12 of the ads, Barbosa said, the women were seen playing the role of housewife, mother, wife or daughter - rather than that of a working woman, which would have been more apt, Barbosa said. In 14 of the 16 ads, she added, women were associated with motherhood.
The issue of gender equality has been a running theme ahead of the July 5 midterms. Earlier this month, the Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE, warned the nation's parties that they could be fined if they replaced women elected by ballot with men. The law requires a 60-40 percent balance among candidates, but the IFE's concern was that post-election, a party could and would substitute a new, male candidate.
Prior to the latest study, the National étion Party had already lashed out at the Institutional Revolutionary Party for its alleged aims to keep male party stalwarts in the Chamber of Deputies. After Mother's Day on May 10, PAN president Germán Martínez again attacked the PRI for using the holiday to create a false impression that the party is interested in gender equality.
écording to the study, the worst offenders regarding the campaign ads were the PAN, the Democratic Revolution Party and the Green Party. They portrayed women in the most stereotypical ways, Barbosa said. The Social Democratic Party, or PSD, came under fire for depicting women who have had abortions in one ad, which Barbosa was a gratuitous use of serious imagery. |
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