As part of delivering on an “equally safe” national requirement, the council has to take action to ensure that its on-line content supports this priority: “Women and girls are safe, respected and equal in our communities; women and men have equal access to power and resources.”
If you produce information for the council’s website, intranet or social media sites, you have an important role to play in ensuring that:
- Information is inclusive and does not reinforce stereotypes.
- Positive gender roles are promoted; we do not reinforce gender stereotypes and traditional roles
This guidance will help you do that.
Writing for the website: Equally Safe – guidance to avoiding stereotypes
Gender stereotypes can shape how people see themselves and their role in the world.
This in turn can risk limiting individuals’ aspirations and choices for their future, and can put women, men and children off asking for the help they need.
There is significant evidence that gender inequality leads to real-world harm, for adults and children.
These unequal outcomes might affect different people in a variety of practical, social, emotional and economic ways.
(Advertising Standards Authority – “Depictions, Perceptions and Harm” report/Regulatory Statement on gender stereotypes in ads)
Examples of what to avoid:
- If senior-level staff are always depicted as men, that could put women off applying for a senior role
- If homecare workers are always depicted as women, this could put men off thinking it’s for them and applying for a job
- If women are always depicted in caring roles, and leadership roles are always shown to be men’s, this can shape/limit young people’s expectations for their lives.
- If we provide a helpline, and only depict women calling it, this risks various, unhelpful perceptions, for example that only women need help, that men don’t need help and shouldn’t call it, that women are less able to deal with situations etc
Writing it right – guidance
Overall, avoid suggesting that roles or characteristics are:
- Always associated with one gender
- The only options available to one gender
- Never carried out or displayed by another gender Ensure that information you write, and images you use:
- Are supportive of the emotional and physical well-being of vulnerable groups of people who may be under pressure to conform to gender stereotypes
- Do not suggest that something is for one gender but not for another
- Do not suggest that an individual’s happiness or success depends on conforming to a gender stereotype
Here are some examples of what we mean by the points above. They are based on guidance from the Advertising Standards Agency, advising advertisers to avoid depicting:
- Men with their feet up and families making a mess while a woman is solely responsible for cleaning up
- Anyone failing at a task because of their gender, such as a woman parking a car or a man hanging out the washing
- Making out all boys are daring and girls are caring
- Belittling men who do stereotypically ‘female’ roles such as cooking
What this means for you
If you publish information on the council’s website, intranet or social media sites please:
- Check that what you have written complies with the points above eg if you provide case studies, or use images, please ensure they avoid stereotypes.
- If you are advertising a job or role, avoid suggesting that it would suit one gender and not another
If you have any questions please contact the Communications Team on 01546 604171