Zambian TV Ads Threaten Women’s Gains

Valentine Chanda – IPS – Inter Press Service – Wednesday, 2 March, 2011 (originally published 28 Feb)

Zambian mother and child. Besides diminishing the place of women in Zambian society, the adverts are markedly out of touch with real life. Image: Trevor Davies / Gender Links

LUSAKA, Feb 28, 2011 (IPS/SNS) – Five years since Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected president in Liberia, it appears there is a systematic campaign to remind African women that their place is still in the kitchen. And advertisers of detergent powders and other cleaning products appear to be the main culprits.

One advert, currently airing on both Zambian national and private television, shows a man dragging his wife to the village chief and claiming that she doesn’t know how to do laundry.

“This woman does not know how to wash. And you know what that means to a man like me in this village,” the man says.

“So?” the chief asks.

“I need a divorce,” the man replies.

“There is no way in our tradition a woman can fail to wash. Young lady you are destroying your own home,” the chief responds, berating the young woman.

At this point the chief’s wife interjects on behalf of the young woman and introduces her to a new detergent which will solve all her problems. . .

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