The Influence of Female Representation and Gender Stereotypes in Femvertising on Public Perceptions of Female Images in Digital Advertising

Abstract

The debate regarding the representation of women in digital advertising continues to grow as criticism mounts against visual practices that tend to normalise gender stereotypes and objectification. Although previous studies have examined these forms of representation, there is still a gap in understanding how the representation of women, gender stereotypes, and femverting empirically influence the perceptions of an increasingly critical digital audience. This study aims to bridge this gap by analysing the influence of these three variables on public perceptions of women's images in digital advertising. A quantitative approach was used through the PLS-SEM technique with the help of the SmartPLS application to test the relationship between variables and ensure the validity and reliability of the instruments. The results show that femverting is the only variable that significantly influences public perception, while conventional representations of women and gender stereotypes do not have a meaningful impact. These findings indicate a shift in public attitudes towards representations of women in the digital age, where narratives emphasising empowerment and authenticity are considered more relevant than traditional, normative representations. Furthermore, this study confirms that digital audiences have increasingly strong media literacy, making them less susceptible to biased or stereotypical representations. This research contributes to the development of gender and media studies by emphasising the importance of an empowerment-based approach to representation in shaping public perception. Practically, these findings provide guidance for the advertising industry to design communication strategies that are more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and in line with contemporary social values.