CONSTRUCTING DOMESTIC FEMININITY IN PAKISTANI TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS: A STUDY OF HOUSEHOLD CHORES IN FOOD AND CLEANING PRODUCT ADS (2025)

Abstract

Grounded upon the sociological theories of feminism and gender performativity, the paper discusses how household chores were discursively constructed as gendered chores owned by women. Linguistic, visual and narrative strategies linking femininity with domestic labour were unveiled in a purposive sample of television advertisements. The analysis presented in this paper examines Pakistani femininity construction in television advertising, primarily in food and cleaning product advertisements found in the first half of 2025. Based on the findings, women are always relegated to the domestic realm, particularly in kitchens, where preparing food, washing, and mothering are portrayed as rewards for love, care, and ethical duty. In addition, the paper mentions a general tendency: a modern image of empowered women remains confined to conventional family roles and therefore creates an illusion of power rather than weakening the conventions of gender relations. The article recognizes the significance of advertising as a useful cultural system not only for reflecting but also for reproducing patriarchal norms and gendered bodies within Pakistani society. The study contributes to the emerging debate on media, gender and discourse by effectively critiquing these images to provide insight into how the normalization of everyday practices of domesticity is executed by contemporary advertising.