Communications, Culture & Society

Women make over 80 percent of purchasing decisions in the U.S. and are primary consumers of a wide spectrum of products and services, but they are significantly underrepresented in the advertising and marketing fields. The advertising sector is overwhelmingly male-dominated and managers and account executives continue to rely on sexualized and objectified images in their marketing. Such campaigns can be harmful to women and girls in reinforcing stereotypes about consumer preferences and gender roles. Marketing to “tweens” (ages 8-12) and teens has added new psychological and economic pressures on girls to conform to unrealistic standards and increase consumption.