Australia’s advertising industry has a puzzling relationship with feminism
If it isn't intersectional, it isn't feminism - it's a publicity play.
With an agenda often leaning towards superficial girl power—akin to serving caviar on a plastic plate—the efforts of Australian advertisers fall remarkably short of being truly intersectional, in general, and more so within our industry.
As the narrative presently stands, one might argue that Australian advertising’s brand of feminism is more a token gesture that represents some women rather than a meaningful societal commentary. Sure, we’re doing something. But are we doing enough?
Kimberlé Crenshaw coined intersectionality over 30 years ago and today, she sees it as “…basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” Crenshaw goes on to explain, “We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status”.
I’ve tried to break down an incredibly complex and nuanced issue into a five-part problem.
The gilded cage of tokenism
At first glance, a casual observer might laud Australia’s advertising scene for its strides in promoting feminist values. After all, women in power suits fill leather chairs and appear on billboards. Plus, ad campaigns delve into challenging traditional gender roles – a house husband and career mum, if you will. Yet, a closer look reveals a blatant lack of intersectionality. The feminist vignettes, as currently depicted, are monolithic and tend to represent a homogeneous subgroup of Australian women. Imagine a cricket team full of batsmen and no bowlers – good luck selling seats at the MCG. Similarly, a feminism that excludes the varied intersections of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation is incomplete at best, and misleading at worst.
The paradox of choice
Australian advertisers seem to be caught in a “paradox of choice.” Presented with a rich smorgasbord of feminist themes—ranging from the gender pay gap to discreet microaggressions in workplaces —the industry frequently chooses the most easily digestible options. It’s as if they’re at a gourmet buffet but opt only for the bread and butter. In this culinary context, intersectionality is the layered and nuanced dish that many are hesitant to serve, largely due to concerns over how these richer flavours will be received by a mainstream palate.
Quantitative disparities and qualitative shortfalls
Yes, one could argue that numbers are improving. More women and more backgrounds are being represented than before. But are we merely counting heads, or are we also making heads count? A smattering of diversity does not equate to intersectionality. Placing a racially diverse woman in a leadership role in an advertisement doesn’t inherently challenge the power dynamics that intersecting axes of inequality perpetuate. It’s rather like applying a Band-Aid on a fracture; it covers but does not heal.
A rallying cry for complexity
The call for a more nuanced approach to feminism in Australian advertising starts at the top, with leadership. Clients, it’s time to take notice. Diversity isn’t just a buzzword to be casually inserted into briefs—it’s an essential component for meaningful representation. Advertising agencies must challenge their clients to go beyond the superficial, to tackle not just gender inequality but dive deeper. Clients, if you’ve been indifferent to these vital conversations so far, it’s time to ask why. Boiling down gender equality, and in turn feminism, into easily digestible pieces for the sake of mass appeal only serves to perpetuate the very inequalities these campaigns aim to combat. This isn’t merely an industry shortfall; it’s a societal failing that warrants immediate action.
In a nutshell
If your brand of feminism is not intersectional, then it’s not feminism, it’s a publicity play. For the uninitiated, this may sound like a semantic quibble. However, it’s essential to recognise that this discrepancy between the portrayal and the essence of feminism isn’t a mere oversight—it’s a critical lapse in social responsibility.
As the poet and activist Audre Lorde pointed out, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” So too should the Australian advertising industry take heed: until it recognises the diversity of struggles faced by women from diverse backgrounds, its feminist efforts will remain as two-dimensional as the rock posters they are printed on.
Is it audacious to suggest that Australian advertising retire the anthology of feminism’s well-worn slogans to explore its richer, more nuanced discography? Hardly. The moment for that seismic shift isn’t in some distant future; it’s already overdue. And if you find yourself getting defensive or reaching to be a keyboard warrior, breathe. I am not suggesting you are the problem. I’ll leave you with this quote from one of my favourite books that explains this quite well: you are not the problem. The system is. But together, we can do better and dismantle that system.
“The problem isn’t men, it’s patriarchy. The problem isn’t white people, it’s white supremacy. The problem isn’t straight people, it’s homophobia. Recognise systems of oppression before letting individual defensiveness stop you from dismantling them.” ― Ruchika Tulshyan, Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work
For those interested in delving deeper into Shy’s perspectives on intersectional feminism and the role of visibility in enacting change, she will be participating in a panel discussion organised by Mavens. The event is scheduled for this Thursday, September 21, in Melbourne. Further details can be found here.
Shyaire Ganglani I cannot wait to hear you speak at tonight’s Mavens Visibility for Change panel discussion. Actively understanding intersectionality is fundamental to any meaningful progress by way of equality and inclusion.
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