The objectification of women and sexualization of their bodies is nothing new, but Fe-Male was always there since its establishment to monitor and campaign against any content that abuses women and their rights. In 2016, Fe-Male was able to campaign against the well-meant, but ill-thought advertisement made by ABC Mall, a famous shopping mall in Lebanon, to raise awareness on breast cancer. Offended by the advertisement, women’s rights activists and feminists reached out to Fe-Male, being the sought out reference in challenging negative portrayal of women in media and advertisements, Fe-Male quickly called out the offensive ad.
In less than three hours after the first call was made through our online platforms to take it down, Fe-Male was contacted by ABC’s advertising company, where we explained the reason behind campaigning against the ad and asked for stopping it and apologizing from women on the harm this ad caused.
Accordingly, the advertisement disappeared from the mall and its online platforms streets and a public apology was issued. The ABC Mall gaffe was only one of six prominent offensive ad campaigns stopped by Fe-Male over five years.
