Fragmented woman's face surrounded by media, representing gender bias in media.

Unveiling Gender Bias: How Media Shapes Perceptions and Limits Female Voices

Lena Kashyap in Culture & Society December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Explore how media representations perpetuate stereotypes and the ongoing struggle for gender equality in media."

In today's media-saturated world, the stories we consume shape our understanding of ourselves and others. But what happens when these stories consistently marginalize or misrepresent women? Asunción Bernárdez Rodal’s "Mujeres en medio(s): Propuestas para analizar la comunicación con perspectiva de género" (Women in Media: Proposals to Analyze Communication with a Gender Perspective) sheds light on how media perpetuates gender inequality. Rodal's work offers a critical analysis of the ways media messages subtly and overtly reinforce societal biases.

Bernárdez examines the intricate relationship between feminist theory, media discourse, and communication. Her analysis extends to legislative contexts, feminist genealogy, media language, and the collective imagination surrounding gender relations. She unveils how power dynamics influence the interpretations and social representations presented in cinema, television, and advertising, and celebrates feminist activism in cyberspace.

Rodal builds a case how the 'silence' of women throughout history permeates the information we receive through media. She investigates the role of women in narratives legitimized by systems of thought dominated by men. These systems often use symbolic representations to confine women's roles in society. The information disseminated by media isn't merely a reflection of events, but a careful selection and crafted narrative, subtly shaping our perceptions.

How Media Silences Female Voices: Understanding the Power Dynamics

Fragmented woman's face surrounded by media, representing gender bias in media.

One of the most damaging aspects of media representation is the subtle erasure of women's agency and voice. Media often presents women with a veneer of presence that ultimately diminishes their status. This erasure occurs through objectification, where women are reduced to their physical attributes, stripping them of their complexity and individuality. These symbolic representations, perpetuated by the media, extend a narrative dominated by socio-economic systems, which are repeatedly reproduced through mass communication.

Media's influence on mass control operates subtly, embedding itself within our subconscious and dictating social norms. Media outlets are shaped by power and societal representations, becoming sources of symbolic power. This power dynamic diminishes alternative expressions from groups, which perpetuates inequality by reinforcing the notion that women lack value, solidifying passive and objectified roles.

Objectification: Reducing women to their physical attributes, ignoring their intellect and capabilities.
Stereotypical Roles: Confining women to traditional roles such as homemakers or caregivers, limiting their aspirations and potential.
Lack of Representation: Underrepresenting women in positions of power and leadership, reinforcing the idea that they are less capable than men.
Silencing of Voices: Ignoring or marginalizing women's perspectives on important issues, perpetuating the notion that their opinions are less valuable.

One manifestation of this media power is the exploitation of women's bodies, presenting them as fragmented objects or promoting masochistic ideals. This portrayal perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes, objectifies women, and reinforces their subordinate status within society.

Turning the Page: Challenging Media Narratives for a More Equitable Future

To foster gender equality, it's crucial to dismantle the barriers that conceal women's significance and challenge the stereotypes perpetuated by media. This requires promoting diverse representation, amplifying marginalized voices, and supporting media literacy initiatives. Ultimately, creating a media landscape where women are accurately and authentically represented is crucial for achieving a more equitable society.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.5209/rev_infe.2016.v7.n1.52709, Alternate LINK

Title: "Mujeres En Medio(S): Propuestas Para Analizar La Comunicación Con Perspectiva De Género", Asunción Bernárdez Rodal,

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Investigaciones Feministas

Publisher: Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

Authors: Mª Dolores Alcázar López De Felipe

Published: 2016-05-18

Everything You Need To Know

According to Asunción Bernárdez Rodal, how does media subtly reinforce gender inequality?

Asunción Bernárdez Rodal, in "Mujeres en medio(s): Propuestas para analizar la comunicación con perspectiva de género", argues that media reinforces gender inequality through subtle and overt messages. Her work analyzes how media messages reinforce societal biases by examining the relationships between feminist theory, media discourse, legislative contexts, media language, and the collective imagination surrounding gender relations. Power dynamics influence interpretations and social representations in cinema, television, and advertising, often 'silencing' women by perpetuating narratives that confine their roles and diminish their value.

What does it mean when the media presents women with a 'veneer of presence'?

When media presents women with a 'veneer of presence', it means women appear to be represented, but their agency and voice are diminished. This occurs through objectification, which reduces women to their physical attributes, stripping them of their complexity. In other words, media creates an illusion of inclusion while reinforcing their subordinate status. This perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes that reinforce socio-economic systems.

How do 'symbolic representations' in media impact women's roles in society, and how do these representations relate to power dynamics?

Symbolic representations in media confine women's roles in society by reinforcing narratives dominated by men. These representations stem from power dynamics that permeate media outlets and societal structures. Media outlets are shaped by power and societal representations, becoming sources of symbolic power. They perpetuate the notion that women lack value and should occupy passive, objectified roles, hindering alternative expressions and maintaining inequality.

What are some concrete ways that the media silences female voices, and what is the impact of this 'silencing'?

Media silences female voices through objectification, stereotypical roles, lack of representation, and ignoring women's perspectives. Objectification reduces women to physical attributes. Stereotypical roles confine them to traditional roles such as homemakers. The lack of representation of women in positions of power reinforces that they are less capable. The silencing of voices ignores women's perspectives on important issues, suggesting that their opinions are less valuable. The impact of this 'silencing' is the perpetuation of inequality and the reinforcement of women's subordinate status in society.

What role does 'feminist activism in cyberspace' play in challenging media narratives and promoting a more equitable future?

Feminist activism in cyberspace challenges media narratives by providing a platform to amplify marginalized voices and promote diverse representation. It helps dismantle barriers that conceal women's significance and actively challenges stereotypes perpetuated by traditional media. This activism supports media literacy initiatives, enabling individuals to critically analyze media messages and advocate for a more equitable media landscape where women are accurately and authentically represented.