Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 5 October 1995 on the image of women and men portrayed in advertising and the media
Date: 1995-10-05
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: action programme, advertising, anti-discriminatory measure, gender equality, press, sexual discrimination













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41995X1110(01)

Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 5 October 1995 on the image of women and men portrayed in advertising and the media  


Official Journal C 296 , 10/11/1995 P. 0015 - 0016 





RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF  THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCILof 5 October 1995on the image of  women and men portrayed in advertising and the media(95/C 296/06)THE COUNCIL OF  THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN  THE COUNCIL, Whereas the Council resolution of 12 July 1982 on the promotion of equal opportunities for women  (1) confirms the need to take steps to increase public awareness and disseminate information to  support the change in attitudes to sharing occupational, family and social responsibilities; Whereas the European Parliament resolution of 14 October 1987 on the depiction and position of  women in the media (2) recommends the media, advertising agencies, governments and socio-political  groups to implement practical measures to encourage the promotion of women, guarantee equal  opportunities and define the role played by women in professional, political and social life; Whereas Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions  laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of  television broadcasting activities (3) stipulates that television advertising should not jeopardize  respect for human dignity or include any discrimination on grounds of sex; Whereas the Commission, in its third medium-term action programme on equal opportunities for women  and men (1991 to 1995), has defined actions to promote a positive image of women, emphasizing in  particular the promotion of a better representation of women in the media industry as well as in  the institutional and professional environment of media organizations, the development of  innovatory programmes which challenge traditional images and the drawing up of recommendations  concerning the representation of women in the media industry; Whereas the Council, in its resolution of 21 May 1991 on the third medium-term Community action  programme on equal opportunities for women and men (1991 to 1995) (4), invited the Member States to  continue to encourage an improvement in the participation of women at all levels in the media  sector and to develop innovatory programmes which present a full, realistic picture of women in  society; Whereas the Council, in its resolution of 27 March 1995 on the balanced participation of men and  women in decision-making (5), invited Member States to promote the balanced participation of women  and men in decision-making as a priority objective in the context of their respective practices  regarding equal opportunities for women and men; Whereas the European Council, at its meetings in Essen (9 and 10 December 1994) and Cannes (26 and  27 June 1995), stressed that questions concerning equal opportunities for women and men are among  those that will continue to constitute the most important tasks of the European Union and its  Member States; Whereas the European Conference of Women Ministers of the Member States of the Council of Europe  (Brussels, 7 March 1994) declared its wish to achieve genuine equality between men and women in the  Europe of tomorrow, came out in favour of promoting an image of women and men that was positive and  free of prejudices or stereotypes and insisted on the need to implement all possible measures, e.  g. a code of ethics, to prevent discrimination against women; Whereas advertising and the media could play a part in changing attitudes in society by reflecting  in particular the diversity of the roles played by both women and men in public and private life;  whereas the roles of women in public life are represented less than those of men; whereas the roles  of men in private life are represented much less often than those of women; Whereas this resolution does not affect national respective constitutional rules or approaches and  practices; Whereas the Member States and/or the respective competent bodies must take into account the  differences between advertising - even that in the media - and the media themselves as a forum for  information and debate, I. CONFIRM: 1. their attachment to the principle of freedom of expression and to the principle of freedom of  the press and other means of communication; 2. that sexual stereotyping in advertising and the media is one of the factors in inequality which  influence attitudes towards equality between women and men; that this highlights the importance of  promoting equality in all areas of social life; 3. that advertising and the media can play an important part in changing attitudes in society by  reflecting the diversity of the roles and potential of women and men, their participation in all  aspects of social life, as well as a more balanced sharing of family, occupational and social  responsibilities between women and men; 4. that advertising and the media should not undermine respect for human dignity nor contain  discrimination on grounds of sex; II. CALL ON the Member States and/or the respective competent bodies, in compliance with their  national constitutional rules and/or approaches and practices to: 1. promote a diversified and realistic picture of the skills and potential of women and men in  society; 2. take action aimed at disseminating this image by implementing measures with a view to: 2.1. providing for appropriate measures to ensure respect for human dignity and an absence of  discrimination on grounds of sex; 2.2. implementing and/or encouraging regular information and awareness campaigns to promote  awareness in advertising agencies, the media and the public so that they can identify material  which is discriminatory on grounds of sex and is conveyed by advertising and the media; 2.3. supporting and/or promoting fora for discussion, consultation, monitoring - where appropriate  within a framework of voluntary self-regulation - and follow-up with regard to material which is  discriminatory on grounds of sex and is conveyed by advertising and the media; 2.4. supporting studies and initiatives which increase awareness in advertising agencies and the  media of equality of opportunity and a more balanced sharing of responsibilities, in particular in  public, political, economic, professional, social and family life; 2.5. placing special importance on values connected with equality of opportunity in all its forms  and at all levels of education and training, particularly training for professions in advertising  and the media; 2.6. promoting the balanced participation of women and men in production bodies, administrative  bodies and decision-making posts; 2.7. encouraging advertising agencies and the media to promote: (a) the study, creation and formulation of new ideas to reflect the diversity of the roles of women  and men; (b) recognition of the negative effects which stereotypes based on sex may have on the physical and  mental health of the public in general and of young people in particular; (c) the development and implementation of voluntary self-regulatory codes; III. CALL ON the Commission to: 1. take account of this resolution, in particular when implementing its action programmes for equal  opportunities for women and men; 2. establish and/or strengthen contacts with the bodies and organizations, at European level,  specialized in the field of advertising and the media, and with the social partners. (1) OJ No C 186, 21. 7. 1982, p. 3. (2) OJ No C 305, 16. 11. 1987, p. 66. (3) OJ No L 298, 17. 10. 1989, p. 23. (4) OJ No C 142, 31. 5. 1991, p. 1. (5) OJ No C 168, 4. 7. 1995, p. 3.