Content Analysis of Gender Representation in Advertising in China

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, media and advertising wield immense power in shaping cultural norms, beliefs, and values. This includes gender stereotypes, which are simplified generalizations about the attributes, behaviors and roles of men and women in society. By influencing the gender socialization process—through which individuals learn and internalize these norms from childhood to adulthood—media and advertising play serves as a pivotal roe force in shaping social expectations about the behaviours and roles based on gender, where gender stereotypes often emerge and take root.

With this powerful influence comes a profound responsibility: the opportunity to tackle harmful biases and dismantle deeply rooted gender stereotypes and negative social norms. Doing so can contribute significantly to the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment globally – which is enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal #5,(or SDG 5) as well as to the attainment of all 17 SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, given gender equality’s cross-cutting nature.

This report, “Content Analysis of Gender Representation in Advertising in China,” is an essential first step to identify how these media-driven stereotypes manifest in China and what can be done to address them. By shedding light on the urgent need for action, this report also contributes to the broader goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021–2025), the Outline of Women’s Development in China (2021–2030), and Outline of Children’s Development in China (2021–2030) to address gender discrimination and reduce gender inequality and other forms of social inequality. This report calls on key stakeholders in the media and advertising industry to fundamentally shift how gender is represented. By ensuring positive, diverse, and empowering portrayals of all genders in media and advertising, we can help eliminate negative stereotypes and biases and inspire future generations to envision a world where every individual—regardless of gender—can thrive and live with dignity.