Biannual Research Journal Grassroots Vol.56, No.II, 2022: 74-83 Grassroots THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN ADVERTISEMENTS: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS Rizvi Syed Sanober Lecturer at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, University of Law, Karachi Email: sanobarshah163@gmail.com Sarah Qurban M.Phil. Research Scholar University of Karachi Email: sarahqurban@gmail.com Sadia Naz Lecturer at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, University of Law, Karachi Email: sadia.naz@szabul.edu.pk ABSTRACT This study explores the way social norms, particular choices, and ideologies are inculcated through advertisements (ads) that construct gender roles. Ads are important artifacts that represent human lives in a particular manner by propagating and inculcating a specific set of values, believes, and attitudes in a very normalized way. This study aims to analyze eight different commercials ads that are taken from Pakistani T.V. channels and the internet to examine how gender norms and ideologies are co-optively taught through advertisements in decorative ways to impose power relations and inequality in a patriarchal state. This is a qualitative study and Fairclough’s (1989) three- dimensional model of textual analysis has been used to reveal how multiple gender-based ideologies are constructed, reconstructed, and legitimized in social practices through the promotion and commercialization of ads. After exploration of the data, it was ascertained that through commercialization media represents the stereotypical image of people where a male is taught to be dominant, and women are taught to be submissive, decorative, and passive dummies. Results reveal that through advertisements gender ideologies are injected co-optively to promote the practice of patriarchy. This study is limited to eight ads only. More revealing results can be found by caring out similar studies on other ads. _______________ Keywords: Language, Gender, Advertisement, Ideologies, Fairclough’s model (1989) INTRODUCTION Advertisements are not only about the commercialization of products but in disguise of selling products, it promotes gender stereotypical roles as commonsensical and natural. Advertisement (ad) is the form of discourse, which delivers and portrays social concepts i.e., gender inequality as well. An advertisement is a concrete form of communication that gives greater exposure to human life. The advertisement suggests what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in a particular society. It is not only for commoditization, but it also promotes gender stereotypes implicitly as well as explicitly. This study attempts to examine the representation of men and women in advertisements, and it also explores how advertisements promote gender ideologies for being “perfect”, “ideal” and “acceptable” in a particular society. Further, the application of Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) has been implemented to understand and analyze the text to interpret how gender discourse is exposed, formed, understood, and consumed.