• Dr. Rachana Sharma

The mass media has consistently served as a potent platform for communicating ideas, either reflecting existing societal values or contributing to the evolution and reinforcement of prevailing norms. Unfortunately, the media's portrayal of women as equals in society continues to be a low-priority issue, persisting in a pattern that has endured over time. Even in the era of globalization, the media has fallen short of adequately repositioning women's image and status, instead often amplifying and legitimizing misunderstandings, misconceptions, and misrepresentations of their roles and standing in society. To a considerable extent, the media has sidestepped the critical and profound aspects of women's empowerment, equality, and justice, often perpetuating the notion of "commodification of women." This paper contends that the media fulfills a dual role in shaping the image of women. On the one hand, it persistently constructs and promotes sexist portrayals of women and their bodies for entertainment and marketing purposes. On the other hand, it has made limited efforts to challenge traditional depictions of women, which tend to confine them within rigid role frameworks emphasizing control and conformity. Even when the media introduces novel portrayals of women, these representations often lack constructive depth. The research findings indicate that women perceive the media's portrayal of women as unrealistic. However, they also acknowledge that the media has played a significant role in their personal development.

Impact, Market, Media, Portrayal, Women.

" A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIA's IMPACT ON GENDER REPRESENTATION AND WOMEN's EMPOWERMENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no.188-201, July-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807A27.pdf

" A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIA's IMPACT ON GENDER REPRESENTATION AND WOMEN's EMPOWERMENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no. pp188-201, July-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807A27.pdf