Abstract

This study “Assessment of public perception of advertising and gender inequality in Makurdi metropolis”, investigated the perception of advertising and gender inequality by the people in Makurdi Metropolis. The perception theory anchored the study. The survey research design was adopted with questionnaire used as the data collection instrument. Findings from this study revealed that that the people in Makurdi Metropolis are exposed to advertising messages through the following media on a regular basis: radio, television, newspapers, magazines, billboards/neon signs, car branding and posters/handbills. It also found that the public in Makurdi Metropolis perceive that there exists some form of demonstration of gender inequality in the advertisements they are exposed to and that the people in Makurdi Metropolis perceive the following as the ways in which gender inequality manifests in the advertisements they are exposed to: portray women as subordinates to men, portray men as super beings, place women as being in charge of home chores, depict women as sex objects for men and show that men are stronger and women weaker. Therefore the study recommended, among others, that advertisers should ensure that they package advertising messages that promoting equality of all gender categories will be fair and that regulatory agencies such as APCON and other related bodies should check the activities of advertisers and advertising agencies regularly to ensure that they deviate from the portrayal of gender inequality in the advertising messages they make available to the public.