500 signatures reached
To: Mick Gentleman, ACT Planning Minister
Let's ban sexist corporate advertising in Canberra
The UnionsACT Women's Committee is calling on the ACT Government and Planning Minister to immediately ban sexist corporate advertising that objectifies women's bodies.
Massive companies, like Geocon, are using sexualised images of women for corporate profit.
For too long, the representations of women have been misused in corporate advertising; union women continue, as feminists and unionists, to fight against sexist stereotypes and exploitation.
It is clear that companies like Geocon are out of step with Canberra's community expectations and have abused the privilege granted by the community to display massive public advertisements. Cities like London, Paris and Stockholm all have restrictions on advertising that degrades women or is sexist.
That's why we need the Government to step in and enforce community expectations by banning these kind of sexist ads.
Why is this important?
Canberrans overwhelmingly reject the sexist objectification of women's bodies that corporations like Geocon are smothering the ACT with. These advertisements are sexist and offensive to large segments of the Canberra community. The fact large corporations like Geocon insist on ever more sexist ads across the ACT gives us a clear insight into their corporate culture: they just don't care about respecting women.
This kind of corporate objectification and disrespect of women has a direct link to gendered violence and sexual harassment in the workplace, which is driven and exacerbated by disrespect for women.
Widespread use of sexist gender stereotypes and images that sexualise and objectify women in advertisements undermines efforts to promote gender equality and are highly problematic for the prevention of family violence and other forms of violence against women.
There are plenty of regulations when it comes to advertising. We already don't see overly sexual or violent ads, and there are plenty of rules surrounding how and where cigarettes and alcohol can be advertised. It's past time for regulations that stop ads that degrade and objectify women.
The ACT Government needs to step in and stop rogue companies, like Geocon, by banning sexist, objectifying and degrading advertising in Canberra.