Tackling harmful gendered content and gender stereotypes in advertising and the media in Europe: new challenges and opportunities

Abstract

This thematic report focuses on the varied efforts to combat harmful gendered content and gender stereotypes in advertising and the media across 27 EU member States, Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and The UK. This report aims to 1) identify the gaps in the current EU legislative framework, including the Goods and Services Directive 2004/113/EC, Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2018/1808/EU, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (The Digital Services Act) and the Violence Against Women Directive (EU) 2024/1385; 2) identify national legal instruments that tackle gender stereotypes and harmful gendered content in advertising and media content including enforcement bodies, soft law, policy and self-regulation; 3) evaluate the measures that have been implemented at national level to address gender stereotypes and harmful gendered content with a particular focus on algorithmic advertising; 4) propose recommendations and possible ways forwards for the European Union and Commission to take actions on these issues.