Take a listen to this barn-storming interview with the wonderful Natasha Devon MBE, who we are extremely proud to call a member of the Men and Boys Coalition.
Following the recent ASA ruling against two gendered ad campaigns, she discusses the power of advertising and its impact on men’s role as carers and fathers, with a brilliant acknowledgement of our work here at the Coalition.
“Adverts sell more than products, they sell ideas of what it means to be attractive, what it means to be sexual, what it means to be normal.
“Let’s say you’re a young boy and you’re being told boys aren’t carers, that they’re not nurturing, they don’t show empathy — you won’t be encouraged to develop those skills, so the chances are, by the time you reach manhood you maybe will be less good at them, but that’s only because of the way society has shaped you.
“I think gender equality is very often framed in terms of the way that women see the world and gender equality for women, but I’m actually part of an organisation called the Men and Boys Coalition and it looks at some of the more damaging aspects of our culture for boys and men.
“One of the things you hear constantly from men who are part of this group is, I want to take a more active role in childcare, but I live in a society that first of all doesn’t structurally allow that and second of all ridicules me for that. Advertising shouldn’t be perpetuating it.”
Well said Natasha!