Government pulls Covid advert after ‘1950s sexism’ complaints
The government has pulled a coronavirus public health ad urging Brits to stay at home following complaints that it portrayed “1950s sexism”.
The advert showed four households — three with women doing housework and looking after children and one with a man reclining on a sofa.
The poster was lambasted online over its sexist depiction of women, with Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones accusing the government of “having a women problem”.
“The fact this advert was ever approved in the first place speaks volumes!” she wrote.
In a viral tweet behavioural and data scientist Pragya Agarwal said: “Who made this? And who approved it? Heteronormative. Reinforcing the view that it is a woman’s job to homeschool, clean, do the childcare.”
“Are the men out there fighting a war or something?,” she added.
The government last night confirmed it had withdrawn the advert, saying it did not reflect its views on women.
The Advertising Standards Authority, which regulates the ad industry, warns that depictions of gender stereotypes are likely to cause “harm or serious or widespread offence”.
“An ad that depicts a man with his feet up and family members creating mess around a home while a woman is solely responsible for cleaning up the mess” is “likely to be unacceptable,” its guidance states.