What Is the Objectification of Women and How It Appears in Everyday Life

The sexualized portrayal of Natasha Romanoff by Scarlett Johansson, the logo of the alcohol brand “Drunken Cherry” featuring a stylized image of a woman with bare breasts, or the scandalous promotion of the Third Assault Brigade showing a girl in a crop top and a short skirt sitting on a soldier’s knees — all of these are examples of the objectification of women. This is a form of depersonalization and dehumanization that appears familiar and even supposedly “aesthetically appealing,” yet carries serious risks for mental health and gender equality.

Everything — from soap advertisements featuring a half-naked Sydney Sweeney to a lecturer’s remark like “you don’t really need to pass the exam, you’ll get married anyway” — creates a world in which a woman exists not as a subject, but as an object. A world where femininity is defined primarily by form, not substance. But why is this a problem? And what consequences does this everyday objectification have? Let’s take a closer look.

Defining Objectification: What Experts Say

Sexologist Olena Arkhypenko explains objectification as “the act of treating a person exclusively as an object of sexual desire… as a commodity, without respect for her personality or dignity.” This means that attention is focused not on a woman’s thoughts, feelings, or values, but solely on her body.

This approach is reinforced by countless cultural narratives and media images in which a woman exists not “for herself,” but “for others” — to be desirable, beautiful, convenient, and sexually attractive. Sexual objectification occurs when a woman is portrayed as a body or a body part, regardless of context, and is used as a tool for selling, entertainment, or advertising.

Objectification in the Media: Advertising, Film, and the Music Industry

One of the most widespread manifestations of objectification is the media representation of women. In advertising, films, music videos, and games, women’s bodies are often used as decoration or sexual objects. For example, an APA analysis of television programs found that women are portrayed in sexualized clothing far more often than men, and comments about them are frequently reduced to appearance or sexual availability. In music and advertising, the female body becomes a commodity, and female sexuality a mechanism for sales.

Politics, Public Visibility, and Control Over Women’s Bodies

The objectification of women is deeply rooted not only in media, but also in political and professional spaces. When Olena Zelenska appeared on the cover of Vogue Ukraine in 2022 wearing a suit with her legs apart, public attention focused not on her work as First Lady during a full-scale war, nor on her initiatives to restore medical and mental health care, but on her pose, facial expression, and her supposedly “too harsh” look. She was judged as “too masculine” or “not gentle enough,” rather than as a leader.

Similarly, for decades Angela Merkel — one of Europe’s most influential politicians — was the target of mockery and dismissive comments about her appearance: from being called a “sack of potatoes” to a “woman without sexuality.” While she was leading the EU out of crises and shaping global politics, the media rarely let the public forget about her body or hairstyle.

Show Business and Humanitarian Work: When Achievements Are Devalued by Appearance

In show business, the mechanism of objectification is no less ruthless. Emma Watson, who has spent years advocating for women’s rights, spoke at the UN General Assembly and became an ambassador for the HeForShe feminist movement, received not only words of support after her speech but also a wave of attention focused on the neckline of her dress.

Angelina Jolie, who saved children in conflict zones as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and publicly spoke about breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy, nevertheless remains in the public eye primarily as a “sex symbol,” rather than as a humanitarian. This is objectification: when a woman’s greatest achievements and real courage are overshadowed by how she looks, sits, or moves.

Women in the Military and the Sexualized Clichés of War

The situation of women in the Ukrainian military is particularly alarming. Despite the fact that thousands of women voluntarily went to the front and risk their lives every day, public imagination continues to reduce their presence to sexualized clichés. Women in military uniform are often discussed not as heroines, but as a “decoration” for the front.

Common derogatory comments such as “they’re there for the commanders’ pleasure,” “at least there’s someone to sleep with in the dugout,” or “oh, a pretty sniper,” once again reduce women to objects of desire rather than subjects of resistance. Such objectification not only humiliates women’s dignity, it fuels a culture of sexual violence that is often silenced or justified by the so-called “atmosphere of war.”

As a result, cases of harassment and psychological or physical violence in the military not only occur, but are also justified by stereotypical logic: “she knew what she was getting into.” All of this stems from society’s persistent refusal to see a woman as a human being rather than a body, even in the most heroic circumstances.

Self-Objectification and Consequences for Mental Health

Research by the More Than a Body project shows that women who are constantly subjected to objectification begin to perceive themselves “from the outside,” evaluating their worth through attractiveness rather than talents, experience, or character.

This phenomenon is called self-objectification, and it is associated with anxiety, body dissatisfaction, depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. At the same time, objectification also shapes male perception, reinforcing the idea that a woman should be beautiful, available, and convenient — rather than free and equal.

How Beauty Culture Forces Women to See Themselves Through “Other People’s Eyes”

What is especially insidious is that many women, in response to these social expectations, begin to “adapt” to them themselves. Beauty campaigns, cosmetics advertising, “girls’” magazines, and bloggers often impose a single standard instead of supporting individuality: a slim body, smooth skin, sexualized behavior. As a result, a woman loses not only control over the image she creates, but also over the image demanded of her.

How many times have you caught yourself thinking before leaving the house not “am I comfortable?” but “am I convenient?” or “do I look attractive enough?” Will someone comment on my appearance? Do I look “too revealing”? These are the consequences of a culture that taught you to evaluate yourself through “other people’s eyes” — most often male ones.

How to Recognize Objectification and Resist It

However, objectification is not a sentence. Breaking the vicious cycle begins with awareness. Sexologist Olena Arkhypenko notes that many of us simply do not know how to recognize objectification, and therefore perceive it as something normal, “aesthetic,” or even as a compliment. The first step is learning to notice when a woman’s image is reduced to her body or sexuality, no matter how beautifully it is presented.

What We Can Do: APA Recommendations

According to the APA Report, combating the sexualization of women (and especially girls) requires a comprehensive approach. Here are key recommendations that can be implemented at different levels:

  • Critically analyze media. Do not consume advertising, music videos, or films uncritically. The APA recommends developing media literacy in children and adolescents so they can recognize when the female body is used as a commodity or a sales tool.
  • Talk about it — don’t stay silent. In families, schools, and workplaces, it is important to openly discuss examples of objectification, including those found on social media. Such dialogue helps break the normalization of harmful images and fosters empathy.
  • Support alternative representations. Not only criticize, but also promote portrayals in which women are shown as subjects: intelligent, strong, active, and diverse in age, body type, and experience. The APA emphasizes that diverse positive representation in media has a real impact on girls’ self-esteem.
  • Education and environmental change. Schools and universities should introduce education on gender roles, body respect, and critical thinking about appearance. This is not just awareness-raising, but a tool for preventing mental health issues.

Why Silence Is Also a Form of Consent

We can break these patterns. Look closely, listen critically, speak up. And if next time you hear a “joke” about a body, a “compliment” without respect, or see an ad that devalues women — don’t stay silent. Because silence is a form of consent.

What Can I Do About It:

  • Ask yourself: is this about a woman, or only about her body?
  • Talk about it — at home, in comments, in education.
  • Don’t like or share content that devalues.
  • Support images of intelligent, brave, diverse women.
  • Don’t laugh at “jokes” about breasts, legs, or “she asked for it.” It’s not funny.
  • When you see injustice, don’t stay silent.
  • Silence is consent. And we do not give consent.

Sources:
1. Dim Channel. (2024). Objectification of Women: A Sexologist Explains What It Is and How to Fight It. Interview with Olena Arkhypenko. https://kanaldim.tv/obyektyvacziya-zhinok-seksologynya-poyasnyuye-shho-cze-take-ta-yak-z-czym-borotysya.
2. American Psychological Association, Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls (2007).
3. Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. https://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-full.pdf.
4. More Than a Body & Beauty Redefined. Objectification: What Leggings and the Blame Game Reveal About Our Bodies and Power. https://www.morethanabody.org/objectification-leggings-blame

About the Author:

Kateryna Nikitenko, 19, is a student at Jagiellonian University in Kraków. As part of her studies, Kateryna actively promotes knowledge about Ukrainian culture, history, and contemporary events among Polish students. She is one of the founders of the “Suchasnyky” literary club in Sumy, which focused on fundraising for the army and promoting Ukrainian culture among young people.
 The feminist movement has become an important source of support for her — helping her accept herself, find the courage to speak out, and take action.

*This publication was prepared with the financial support of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Council of Europe.