A dvertisements are omnipresent. Newspapers, television, radio, billboards and hoardings they can be seen and heard everywhere. In majority of these advertisements women are present. From cosmetics meant for women to the products aimed at men, women find a place everywhere. But the way they are portrayed is a subject of concern.

An examination of these advertisements reveals that many of them seem to advertise the women rather than the products. Many of these portray women on the basis of years old patriarchal ideologies of a male dominated society.The only difference is that till a few decades back women were shown clad in traditional Indian attires; today they sport western wears. Yesterday a woman cooked Maggi for her kids clad in a sari. Today she cooks Sunfeast Pasta Treat clad in a pair of jeans. But the underlying factor remains the same. A range of cosmetics coming from the stable of different companies compete with each other to establish that a woman must be an ethereal beauty. The definition of beauty

conceptualized by the advertisements of fairness creams such as Fair and Lovely tells the same old story. A woman must be fair, slim with an impeccably made up face at all times of the day. If you use a particular brand of soap or cream, your husband will take notice of you otherwise you might as well be a dustbin lying in a corner of the kitchen. The point driven home is that to look exhausted or tired is a nothing less than a sin for a woman.Being tired is a man’s business. A woman has to be there with a smile and a glass of glucose for him. The advertisement of much loved Gluon-D bears a testimony to the fact. If that is not enough check the advertisements meant for the products meant to be used by the men. From motorbikes to hair gels all feature women as admiring starry eyed damsels. Advertisements of Axe Effect clearly suggest that all you need to do to attract a woman is to use a particular deodorant. To men the message is if you have a bike you have a girl. This representation of women as opportunistic and materialistic creatures has gained momentum in the past few years. If you thought it ends here take a look at the advertisements of bathroom accessories, cold drinks and a whole lot of other products. It is hard to use the blatant use of female anatomy to sell these. The print advertisements of Hindware bathroom accessories show a woman standing next to a wash basin. The advertisement of 7up with Mallika Sherawat was one of the most sexually suggestive advertisements.