Advertising sector thrives off undermining black women, says Mandisa Mashego

Racism, discrimination and undermining of particularly black women and children in the advertising sector encapsulates the character of society at large.

This is according to former EFF Gauteng chairperson Mandisa Mashego, in testimony to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Monday — this time as a marketing and communications industry practitioner.

Mashego was assisting the commission in dissecting allegations of racial discrimination, or discrimination in general, in advertising in SA in its second leg of the investigation.

“Any advert involved with a cleaning product — soap — will show a black person, in particular black women. But if it’s a washing machine or a robot cleaning, or a high-end product, you will see a white person,” she said.

“Black women are used in soap adverts because cleaning is a black woman’s job. We have to clean literally and figuratively after society, we are always cleaning up after everybody, and nobody values us.

“Advertisement doesn’t happen accidentally ... It’s the guiltiest in misrepresenting women and children in a bad light. Racism in advertising is a global problem.

“In the recent past, there have been a few advertisements that have been indicative of racism and have evoked much criticism of the industry and its clients.”

The commission said it began this engagement to craft medium to long-term interventions that will instil in the advertising sector a culture of human rights and produce mechanisms that promote equality and prevent unfair discrimination. “And, in doing so, prevent the publication of discriminatory (racist, sexist, tribalist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic or ableist) advertisements,” it said.

Mashego likened the commission to that of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established in the dawn of democracy to address the injustices of the apartheid regime.

“What is going to be the impact of this commission? In my age group, people might relate to the TRC. What will be the outcome? I have a right to be sceptical of these commissions.

“We must watch adverts and when we see discrimination, we as the victims must contact the advertising authority and tell them? Why should the burden of profit-makers be put on us, when the companies that pay millions to advertise have all the resources to make sure the producers don’t violate the rights of consumers?

“There’s a lot of passing the buck on poor people. Why can’t they make their adverts in a way that they comply with the law? It must be fully vested on the shoulders of the companies.”

Mashego said the industry is racist in its outlook, posture, how it develops content, how it projects black people, and racist in how it undermines and erases identities of black people.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.