Cyber Risk and Gender Violence in Fashion Advertising

In the present India, women are facing violence in each and every sector. As per the report of National Heath and Family Survey (NHFS-4), in our country 30% of women of 15–49 years age group are suffering physically as well as mentally, they are being harassed and exploited in every sector; sexual violence is also common in this age group which is found to be around 6%. No doubt at legislative level our country is making progress but the discrimination in gender and violence is continuously growing every year both publicly and in private spaces. These cases are hidden from the outside world in most sectors and under-reported due to the barriers in our society and its various stumbling blocks. An equivalent picture can be seen globally too. The need of the hour is to find ways to end this social evil named gender discrimination. We can socially communicate among us in terms of frequency as well as volume through advertising: Our morals, basic idea, viewpoint, and perception of the world around us. One of the vital areas of spreading awareness about gender discrimination is through marketing. Advertising and fashion world has created the awareness about the discrimination women face in our society and encouraged the different public organization to speak up against it. Forums of International fashion organizations have initiated dialogues on the harms gendered advertising brings to women and society. The United Nations-Women Organization has come forward with the data that around 35% of women all over the world have experienced physical/sexual violence by a partner or a non-partner at least once in their lifetime. The enormous difference based on gender our country is undergoing is clear from these figures. Fashion world through media has also shown our understanding of gender and their roles in society as media performs a vital role in the construction or deconstruction of gender equality. The discriminatory tendency against women can also be viewed in the fashion world.