Harmful gender stereotypes in media and advertising: a significant gap in EU law!
On International Women’s Day 2025, the European Equality Law Network, with several Utrecht University researchers in its team, published a report on Tackling harmful gendered content and gender stereotypes in advertising and the media in Europe: new challenges and opportunities.
Harmful gendered content and gender stereotypes in advertising and media remain a persistent issue on both analogue and digital platforms. The report reveals that whilst various EU legal instruments prohibit gender-based discrimination, there is a significant lack of a comprehensive legal framework at the EU level that directly addresses gender stereotyping and harmful gendered content advertising and media. Over the past decade, this issue is exacerbated by the rapid shift of advertising and media content to digital platforms, particularly social media, where the portrayal of men and women is framed within reductive binary gender narratives (women portrayed as overly sexualised or passive; men as hypermasculine or emotionally stoical). Online platforms operate with minimal legislative or regulatory oversight, relying instead on self-regulation and voluntary ethical codes of conducts, both of which lack sufficient enforcement mechanisms allowing advertisers and content creators, including ‘influencers’ to perpetuate harmful gender norms.
What is the European Equality Law Network?
Over the past 20 years, Utrecht University has successfully managed the gender equality strand of the European Equality Law Network, which counts among the biggest projects managed at Utrecht Law School. The current coordination team consists of Linda Senden, Franka van Hoof, Alexandra Timmer and Birte Böök . The Network consists of legal experts from 36 European states who gather independent, expert information on legislation, case law and national developments to support the European Commission in fulfilling its role as guardian of the treaties, responding to new challenges and setting agendas for law- and policy-making in the field of gender equality and non-discrimination. For further information on the network and its publications please visit our website.
Other recent Publications:
The most recently published thematic reports of the Network include a report on the Legal implications for the EU after accession to the Istanbul Convention and Gender equality in statutory social security: the future of Directive 79/7. Other yearly publications include , a Comparative analysis of gender equality law in Europe 2024, a European Equality Law Review including in depth articles on the pink tax and intersectional discrimination in pay transparency, 31 country reports, two thematic reports and regular flash report updates describing very recent developments in the participating states. For further information on the network and its publications please visit our website.