Key Points
A case in point is the new advertisement of a service company that advocates dignity of labour for women professionals who work in salons..
The ad features a young salon professional wearing company colours who drives home in a car and has to face an angry younger brother, smarting from the ridicule he has been subjected to by bade bhaiyyas" in their building..
In an era when even consumer-product companies are moving away from objectifying women in their promotional material, it is strange that a service company still feels the need to scream from rooftops about the chastity of the work done by its professionals..
With the service sector offering a gamut of opportunities to women in the hinterland and Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, it is unfortunate that service-sector companies do not always see how their marketing efforts could either worsen the gender scenario or play a positive role in shaping perceptions..
While celebrating Womens Day and promoting gender equality through their advertising, companies must ensure that their workplace policies and practices are duly aligned with these values..
