Financial ads still failing to show ’empowered representation’ of women
Men featured as central characters in 84% of ads, while only 15% of female characters are portrayed as having financial expertise, new study finds.
Women are still far less likely to feature as the central figure in ads for financial services, leading to lower levels of financial confidence and reduced participation by women in areas such as investment, a new study suggests.
Ads for products in the financial services sector have a reputation for featuring a poor representation of women, according to research from the Mannheim Business School, which has quantified the extent of the issue by studying print ads from 1949 to the present day.
The research analysed male and female participants, categorising them according to their gender, ethnicity and role, as well as perceptions of their authority and expertise. Women featured far less often as central figures or experts, while men were frequently portrayed in this way.
