Introduction In May  the Equality Authority in Ireland called for tenders to carry out a study of the ways in which women are stereotyped and degraded by advertising. This call has very much brought the issue of how women are represented in advertising to the fore. Interestingly, responses to the Equality Authority’s call appear to be quite polarised. On one hand, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, having received a number of complaints in recent years about advertisements that have been degrading to women (Irish Examiner, ), welcomed the proposed study. On the other, the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) and the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) seemed irritated by the very notion that such a study was warranted (Sunday Business Post, ). The Equality Authority (a) was concerned: at the barriers to equality for women that result from the widespread stereotyping of women in advertising and the use of negative or degrading images of women in advertising. The Equality Authority seeks to explore the nature, extent and potential impact of these phenomena. The case for advertising being implicated in pro- moting gender inequality is undoubtedly a strong one. It may seem surprising then that the IAPI and the ASAI remain unconvinced of the link between the representation of women in advertis- ing and gender inequalities within the Irish labour force and beyond. According to the IAPI, it makes no commercial sense for advertisers to promote negative images of women. Women, after all, fea- ture strongly amongst the industry’s clients and also represent a significant target market. Moreover, the IAPI maintains that the study is ‘completely one-sided’ and suggests that the por- trayal of men should also be considered in the interests of balance. For its part the ASAI acknowledges that the major- ity of complaints it receives relate to misleading advertising, rather than to gender stereotyping. That said, the number of complaints to the ASAI relating to the portrayal of women in advertising has increased in recent years. However, the num- bers remain relatively small. In ,  f the  complaints received by the ASAI referred to the portrayal of women in  advertisements. In , the ASAI received  complaints about  advertisements, nearly half referring to one cam- paign for Hunky Dorys. In , there were  complaints about  advertisements (Sunday Business Post, ). The campaigns that have attracted attention in  include outdoor adver- tising for Belmayne housing development, and Ryanair’s newspaper advertisement featuring a model in a school uniform.  WOMEN IN ADVERTISING: REPRESENTATIONS, REPERCUSSIONS, RESPONSES © Mercury Publications The representation of women in advertising has been the subject of discussion and debate for over four decades, with advertisers standing accused of utilising inappropriate and degrading stereotypes. This is currently a matter of prime concern in Ireland. The Equality Authority has recently issued a call for a background paper on the issue. This initiative has been welcomed by the National Women’s Council of Ireland. However, it has been dismissed as unnecessary by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) and by the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI). This paper explores these issues and, in an effort to represent diverse views, draws upon discussion and empirical evidence from gender studies, consumer research, media studies and advertising studies. The paper highlights the fact that polarised views regarding the repercussions of gender representations are based upon understandings of how advertising impacts its audiences. Specifically, do advertisements operate as gender scripts or, alternatively, is gender textually mediated? The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for the advertising industry. Maurice Patterson, Lisa O’Malley & Vicky Story