Understanding Gender Washing

In recent years, the phenomenon of “Gender Washing” has become all too familiar. Brands flood our screens with ads during International Women’s Day, donning slogans of solidarity and empowerment. However, these messages often ring hollow when examined against the backdrop of women’s global struggles. While these brands may champion women’s rights in their marketing campaigns, their actions behind the scenes tell a different story.

In today’s world, gender equality remains a pressing issue, with companies increasingly called upon to address it. Yet, amidst the public spotlight on issues like the gender pay gap, harassment, and representation, some companies engage in what’s known as “gender washing.” This term refers to the practice of making unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims about supporting gender equality. We need to recognize and understand this phenomenon, as it sheds light on the need for genuine action in supporting women’s rights.

Gender washing occurs when companies make bold statements about supporting gender equality without backing them up with tangible actions. It’s a form of tokenism that undermines the progress towards true equality. As consumers and citizens, we need to be aware of this practice and hold companies accountable for their actions.

The Lingering Challenge of Gender Pay Gap

One of the most significant challenges in the fight for gender equality is the persistent gender pay gap. Women continue to earn less than men for the same work, perpetuating economic inequality. This is not just a statistical issue; it’s a reflection of systemic biases that need to be addressed at every level of society. 

Recent data from Australia reveals a sobering truth: the gender pay gap persists, with many of the country’s largest companies showing disparities of 30-40%. And yet, these same companies are often the ones celebrating women on March 8th. It’s a jarring irony that calls for deeper reflection and action.

Let’s delve into the stark realities of gender inequality through some eye-opening statistics:

1. Despite progress, male CEOs still outnumber female CEOs. (Axios)
2. Women face substantial wage disparities, losing significant earnings over their careers compared to men. (Yahoo)
3. Only teaching assistants see equal pay between genders. (Forbes)
4. The vast majority of venture capital funding goes to male entrepreneurs, hindering female-led startups. (Science Direct)
5. Women are more likely to face layoffs, particularly in the tech industry. (Women Tech Network)

Ignored Realities of Women in the Shadows of Conflict

Beyond the glitz of marketing campaigns lies a harsh reality: women are disproportionately affected by conflict and war around the world. Yet, many brands turn a blind eye to the origins of their products, sourcing materials from regions embroiled in violence and exploitation. Take conflict minerals, for instance, essential components in electronics and countless other products. These minerals often come from war-torn countries where women endure unimaginable suffering. Despite this, many brands fail to ensure transparency in their supply chains, perpetuating the cycle of exploitation.

Women’s Plight in Conflict-Stricken Eastern Congo

In the troubled lands of eastern Congo, a harrowing crisis unfolds as sexual violence against displaced women escalates rapidly, casting a dark shadow on the region’s ongoing conflicts. 

The conflict-induced displacement has torn families apart and shattered lives, with women and girls bearing the heaviest burdens. Recent data from the International Organization for Migration paints a stark picture, revealing that nearly 60% of those seeking refuge near Goma are women and girls. 

In places like Bulengo, where displacement camps serve as makeshift sanctuaries amidst chaos, the wounds of conflict run deep. According to Voice of America, each day an average of 70 survivors of sexual assault seek solace and treatment at clinics operated by Doctors Without Borders. With over 130 armed groups vying for control and power, sexual violence has become a weapon of choice, inflicting untold trauma on women and girls.

In the face of conflict and displacement, hunger looms large, exacerbating the plight of women and girls. According to CARE DRC, 60% of displaced individuals are women, many of whom face dire food shortages in overcrowded camps. Desperate situations push women into perilous choices, including “sex for survival,” further fueling the epidemic of gender-based violence.

Tackling Conflict and Exploitation

The conflict in Congo, compounded by the ruthless exploitation of mineral resources, perpetuates violence and instability. Companies from Europe and Asia, knowingly or unknowingly, fuel this cycle by trading in minerals sourced from armed groups, prolonging the suffering of countless innocents for profit.

An extensive 110-page report, titled “Faced with a gun, what can you do?” delves into the concerning practice of companies purchasing minerals sourced from parties involved in armed conflicts. Within the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), numerous mining sites fall under the control of both rebel factions and the national army, exploiting local civilians to control valuable resources like cassiterite, coltan, and gold. These minerals serve as essential components in the production of various electronic devices, including mobile phones and computers.

Global Witness conducted thorough investigations, reaching out to 200 companies, and discovered that the majority lacked adequate measures to prevent the inclusion of ‘conflict minerals’ within their supply chains. Furthermore, governments, including those of the UK and Belgium, inadvertently undermine their own efforts to resolve the 12-year conflict by failing to regulate companies operating within their jurisdictions.

Women’s Plight in Conflict-Stricken Palestine

Since October 7, 2023, over 30,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, with 70% of them being women or children. Additionally, more than 1.9 million people, constituting 85% of Gaza’s total population, have been displaced, including nearly 1 million women and girls. This dire situation has left the entire population of Gaza, approximately 2.2 million people, facing acute food insecurity.

This overview sheds light on the crisis in Gaza and outlines UN Women’s efforts as part of its six-month multisectoral response to the ongoing situation.

The report titled “Gender Alert: The Gendered Impact of the Crisis in Gaza,” published on January 19 by UN Women, underscores how the crisis affects men and women, boys and girls, the elderly, and the young differently.

At the time of writing this article, UN Women had reported the following facts: 

1. 9,000+ women have been reportedly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. 
2. 19,000+ women have been injured.
3. 3,000+ women may have become widows, and new heads of households, following their male partner’s death.
4. 10,000+ children may have lost their fathers.
5. 37 mothers are killed every day in Gaza.
6. 155,000 women in Gaza are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Yet most major global brands support the occupying powers that inflict such suffering but on International Women’s Day launch campaigns for purposes of revenue.

Support Palestine

Urging Muslim Brands to Lead the Charge

Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.

Source: Muslim Reference: Hadith 34, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi

In the face of these challenges, Muslim brands must reevaluate their role in advocating for women’s rights. Islam, a religion often misunderstood for its stance on gender equality, provides a rich foundation for championing women’s rights. Both the Quran and Hadith offer clear guidance on the importance of respecting and upholding the rights of women.

As custodians of Islamic values, Muslim brands have a unique opportunity to lead the charge in advocating for women’s rights. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Islam, which emphasize the importance of justice, equality, and respect for women, Muslim brands can play a pivotal role in promoting gender equality both within their organizations and in society at large. By taking concrete actions to support women’s rights and challenge gender washing, Muslim brands can contribute to building a more just and equitable world for all.

Steps for Proper Advocacy

1. Internal Policy Reforms: Muslim brands must embark on internal policy reforms aimed at fostering gender equality and inclusivity. This involves a comprehensive review of existing policies and practices to ensure fair treatment and opportunities for all employees, regardless of gender. Such reforms should encompass equitable hiring and promotion practices, and the establishment of a work environment that is supportive and free from discrimination or harassment.

2. Supply Chain Transparency: Muslim brands must prioritize supply chain transparency by conducting thorough audits to detect and address any instances of exploitation or mistreatment of women in conflict areas or otherwise. This includes sourcing materials responsibly and ethically, ensuring fair wages and working conditions for workers across the supply chain, and actively supporting initiatives that uplift and empower women within the communities they operate.

3. Educational Initiatives: Muslim brands can contribute to advocacy efforts by educating both their employees and customers about women’s rights and the significance of gender equality within Islam. This can be achieved through the implementation of educational programs, workshops, and outreach campaigns designed to enhance awareness and understanding of these critical issues.

4. Community Engagement: Muslim brands should engage proactively with their communities to support initiatives and organizations dedicated to advancing women’s rights and empowerment. This may involve collaborating with local NGOs, sponsoring relevant events and programs, and advocating for policy reforms that promote the well-being and equality of women and girls.

Conclusion

In a world where women continue to face systemic oppression and exploitation, Muslim brands cannot afford to remain silent bystanders. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Islam, they must actively champion women’s rights, both within their organizations and in the wider community. By taking concrete steps to advocate for women’s rights, Muslim brands can not only uphold their religious values but also contribute to building a more just and equitable world for all.

As we mark the end of another International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024), let us remember that true solidarity requires more than just words—it demands meaningful action and unwavering commitment to the cause of women’s rights.

The post Muslim Brands’ Crucial Role in Championing Women’s Rights Amidst Gender Washing appeared first on Muslim Ad Network.

Ginetta Sagan once said:

Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor.

Today the pressure on brands to speak up for social justice is coming from protestors on the streets but also by both customers and employees. Neutrality is no longer an option.

Brands Taking Action Against Social Injustice 

In the summer of 2020, we witnessed many brands doing something they had never done before. They spoke up against racism. In the United States, when the spotlight turned on racial justice, brands communicated extensively about their commitment to social justice. 

Sadly enough, most brands prefer avoiding such issues as they worry about the impact of their bottom line. They were now in an uncomfortable position. But they had little choice; the times have changed.

According to Forbes:

60% of the US population, and 78% of those aged 18 to 34, expect brands to take a stand on racial justice.

The Islamic Perspective of Business and Social Justice

To be completely honest, it’s about time businesses move towards social justice. Six centuries ago, Islam stated that business owners should be part of the social fabric and make sure that they have a positive influence on society. 

A business in Islam is the direct antithesis of most businesses today that only care about profit at all costs. It’s about profit but also about taking care of the community and that includes speaking out on social injustice.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.

Source: [Muslim] Hadith 34, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi

Where governments as authorities can “change evil with their hands” (social injustice) by instituting laws and legislation, brands can fight it with their ‘tongue’, meaning to say, they can use their resources and influence to speak out.

We will talk more about Islamic Business Principles and social justice later in this article.

Do Consumers Have Confidence in the Brands’ Initiatives for Equity?

Brands have taken an initiative so far by signaling intent through internal channels (to employees) and external channels (PR campaigns).

A recent article by Harvard Business Review identifies consumer skepticism regarding the brand authenticity of those brands lining up to promote social justice. In the article, “When a Brand Stands up for Racial Justice, Do People Buy It?” the authors explain:

Recent protests demanding social justice and the affirmation of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement have provoked a flurry of activity among corporations as they drop brands that have racist connotations, reposition other brands with ambiguous to outright offensive racial implications, explicitly state their solidarity with the movement, and donate money to racial justice causes. But do consumers perceive these actions as authentic — especially when many of these companies are not Black-owned and/or have a lackluster history of Black corporate leadership? And will these strategies result in long-term brand loyalty?

They then lay down a framework that brands can use to create a proper social justice strategy that is more in sync with the consumer sentiment.

They divide it into two sections ‘Corporation-Oriented Actions’ and ‘Societally-Oriented Actions.

Corporation-Oriented Actions

1. Atone: Making amends for past mistakes. These are internal decisions like withdrawing a campaign, product, or brand line with negative racial or Islamophobic connotations. This, while necessary, is both passive and self-focused. Consumers are likely to give such actions a low authenticity score.
2. Allure: A corporation-oriented action that is a bit more proactive is when a brand becomes an activist and supports a cause in a way that’s also directly in their self-interest. Why? Because it will also bring in more revenue as consumers seek to support the cause through their purchases. As such, consumers perceive these sorts of actions as those of medium authenticity at best. 

Brands can take a lesson in the selflessness of Abu Bakar bin Siddiq, who was one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

As a wealthy business owner, Abu Bakar spent a large chunk of his wealth buying and freeing the slaves of Makkah. The following verse in the Quran was revealed about him.

Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification. And have in their minds no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return. But only the desire to seek the countenance of their Lord, Most High. And soon they shall attain complete satisfaction.

Source: Qur’an, 92:18-21

Societally-Oriented Actions

1. Acknowledge: When acknowledging broad social issues, brands take societally-oriented actions in support of social justice that might not lead them to profit directly. However, these actions also don’t hurt the business. In the eyes of the consumers, the authenticity of this brand action is medium to high.
2. Advocate: Brands that advocate for important social issues in a manner that feels truly authentic to consumers, can be risky. Remember when Nike supported Colin Kaepernick after he was abandoned by the NFL after kneeling during the national anthem? They used him as the face of their Just Do It campaign. It faced widespread backlash, with some unhappy people posting videos showing them burning Nike sneakers. This campaign in the eyes of the consumer exemplifies a high-authenticity action.

Zara’s Underwhelming Atonement

One of the motivations behind this article that you are reading now is an incident concerning one of Zara’s senior employees who used discriminatory comments on Instagram against Palestinians.

Vanessa Perilman – head designer at Zara – verbally abused a Palestinian model who expressed his support for his home nation. She said:

The people in my industry know the truth about Israel and Palestine and I will NEVER stop defending Israel… Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza.

The Middle East Eye explains that:

The comments come a month after Israel waged an 11-day war with the Hamas movement, during which Israeli airstrikes killed at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, and Palestinian rockets left 11 dead in Israel.

Zara finally came out with a statement after some serious backlash and threats of boycotts. They said:

We condemn these comments that do not reflect our core values of respect for one another, and we regret the offense that they have caused.

Perilman has since deleted her social media accounts after apologizing following the condemnation online.  However, the Palestinian model explained that he could not accept her apology as it was half-hearted.

He went further to highlight the selective nature of brands when it came to social justice stating that:

If Zara wants to make a statement with me, the statement needs to say that they stand with the indigenous people and are against what is happening in Chinese concentration camps in Xinjiang.

Facebook’s Bias

Amid the Israeli attacks on Gaza, in May 2021, Facebook employees accused their company of bias against Arabs and Muslims.

At a time when Facebook is dealing with internal allegations of censorship, unequal enforcement, and pro-Israel bias, its employees have stated that it is once again mishandling the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

An open letter by Facebook’s Egyptian engineer highlighted the selective nature of Facebook’s social justice efforts. In it, he explains that Facebook had been a huge help for activists during the Arab Spring of 2011, but during the latest Israeli-Palestinian violence, censorship — either perceived or documented — had made Arab and Muslim users skeptical of the platform.

For instance, an Instagram post from actor Mark Ruffalo about Palestinian displacement had received a label warning of sensitive content. While ads from Muslim organizations raising funds during Ramadan with completely harmless content were suspended by Facebook’s artificial intelligence and human moderators.

At the date of writing this article, there is a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, Facebook must deal with employees who are worried that the world’s largest social media platform is exhibiting anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias.

How Businesses Based on Islamic Principles Destroy Social Injustice at its Roots

In 2017 The New Internationalist wrote an article known as The Equality Effect that stated:

…even a cursory study of inequality reveals that the greed of the rich is the real problem, not some laziness among the poor. In practice, the ‘one-per-cent-take’ statistic correlates closely with other measures of inequality, but it may be one of the best to focus on because the very richest have such a disproportionate effect.

Kasim Renderee of Coventry University wrote a paper in 2014 titled, “An Islamic Perspective on Economic and Social Justice” which depicts the teachings of Imam Ghazali (1058-1111) – a reputable scholar in Islam on economic and social justice.

The Islamic tradition has a proud history of providing economic and social justice during its ubiquitous leadership of the early Islamic period. 

Muslim societies need to reexamine their currently Euro-centric understanding and model of social advancement. Muslims today must strive to serve global equity through a more balanced approach.

Trusteeship in Business

Islam has many important economic principles. Muslims regard resources as gifts from The Creator given to human beings as a trust, with us being the trustees. This belief has practical implications for ownership, either of wealth or the means of production. 

Islam teaches us that entrepreneurs, businesses, brands, etc. must enact a principle of economic trusteeship that is rooted in collectivism. This is the complete opposite of the principle of self-interest, which is central to the free-market economy of today. 

Disclaimer: Understand that Islam is not teaching socialism. Islam recognizes private ownership. It also recognizes that Allah has given some individuals more sustenance than others. However, this recognition is not absolute and unconditional. Private ownership in Islam is subject to the interest of the community.

Kasim Renderee mentions in his article:

The Shari’ah (Islamic Law)  decrees that the private interest of the individual should be secondary and subsidiary to that of the community as a whole.

Excessive and Disproportionate Accumulation of Wealth

Islamic business principles combat the excessive and disproportionate accumulation of wealth and its concentration in the hands of the few.

Islam ensures public ownership and management of utilities in the broadest sense. On the flip side, free-market economies advocate adverse domination by private monopolistic industries. 

Kasim Renderee further brings to light that Islamic business principles demand that all extractive industries relating to the production of water, mining, and even food should be treated as state enterprises within a just legal and regulatory framework. 

Even domestic and industrial fuel, cannot justifiably be left in the hands of a few private entrepreneurs. He explains:

This energy sector, for example, is consequently extensive, as is currently the case across many parts of the Muslim world, such as the Arabian Gulf states

Today, the Arabian Gulf States have come under criticism for overspending and human rights violations.

Contrary to this, Islam teaches us that as social beings in this temporal life we must satisfy our basic needs. However, this satisfaction demands moderation and avoidance of excess. Respect for and tolerance of others are essential requisites for virtuous living.

Final Word

Businesses and entrepreneurship are necessary for our progress as human beings. Effectively exploring and exploiting existing and potential resources for the wellbeing of humanity separates us from all other beings on earth. 

Businesses and their brands fall under two main categories:

• the market/private sector economics that’s based on commercial entrepreneurship  (self-interest-centric)  
• the state/public sector economics relying on state entrepreneurship  (public-wellbeing-centric). 

However, both have, individually and collectively, failed to ensure the fundamental goal of well-being for human societies.

So expecting these entities to suddenly become advocates of social justice may be quite a stretch.

Islamic entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is a community-centric model of business. It is the cure to the problem of intolerable economics and a natural strategy against all forms of capitalist exploitation to control world resources.

Muslim Ad Network aims to be on the right side of history by supporting communities through our Giving Back project. As an Islamic-based Muslim advertising company, we strictly adhere to the Islamic Principles for Advertising.

If you want to know more about what we do please feel free to contact Muslim Ad Network. If you want us to help you reach millions of Muslim consumers online, we are at your service.

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