Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA
Media representations of women play a significant role in shaping societal perceptions and reinforcing gender norms. The present study is based on Goffman’s (1979) Gender Display Theory and investigates the depiction of women in Pakistani advertisements. Five advertisements across various product categories were selected and analysed using a qualitative research design and MAXQDA software to identify recurring themes and patterns. The results indicate that women are predominantly portrayed in domestic or caregiving roles, with a particular focus on beauty and grace; portrayals of women demonstrating professional competence, leadership and independence remain relatively low. These representations perpetuate a narrow, stereotypical view of women and narrow the range of women's identities in public debate. The study concludes that Pakistani advertisements predominantly reinforce stereotypical gender roles, and there is a need to represent women differently in advertising to encourage gender equality in society.
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Women’s Representation, Pakistani Advertisements, Gender Stereotypes, Qualitative Study, Goffman’s Model, Semiotic Analysis, MAXQDA
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(1) Ayesha Khadim
Lecturer, Department of English, University of Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Samia Noreen
M.Phil. Scholar, Department of English, Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Abdul Rashid
Post Doc. University of Reading United Kingdom/ Lecturer in English, University of Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan.
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Cite this article
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APA : Khadim, A., Noreen, S., & Rashid, A. (2026). Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA. Global Sociological Review, XI(I), 109-119. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2026(XI-I).11
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CHICAGO : Khadim, Ayesha, Samia Noreen, and Abdul Rashid. 2026. "Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA." Global Sociological Review, XI (I): 109-119 doi: 10.31703/gsr.2026(XI-I).11
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HARVARD : KHADIM, A., NOREEN, S. & RASHID, A. 2026. Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA. Global Sociological Review, XI, 109-119.
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MHRA : Khadim, Ayesha, Samia Noreen, and Abdul Rashid. 2026. "Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA." Global Sociological Review, XI: 109-119
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MLA : Khadim, Ayesha, Samia Noreen, and Abdul Rashid. "Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA." Global Sociological Review, XI.I (2026): 109-119 Print.
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OXFORD : Khadim, Ayesha, Noreen, Samia, and Rashid, Abdul (2026), "Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA", Global Sociological Review, XI (I), 109-119
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TURABIAN : Khadim, Ayesha, Samia Noreen, and Abdul Rashid. "Women’s Representation in Pakistani Advertisements: A Qualitative Analysis Using MAXQDA." Global Sociological Review XI, no. I (2026): 109-119. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2026(XI-I).11