THE SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN: A SOCIO-

RELIGIOUS RESPONSE CURBING ITS MENACE

A SEMINAR PRESENTATION

BY

AKOR, ENE PEACE

21RS1013

SUBMITTED TO;

DEPARTMENT OF RELIGOUS STUDY, FACULTY OF

EDUCATION.

PRINCE ABUBAKAR AUDU UNIVERSITY

January, 2024
INTRODUCTION

women play many important roles in real life, sometimes she is a mother running after her child
with food, coloring the family as a daughter, holding the family together as a wife. When we
think of a woman we believe the first person that comes to our mind will be our mother, whom
we respect, love and care for. Most of the women around the world work both inside and outside
the home, usually by necessity. Now increasingly, everywhere families rely on mothers and
wives for emotional support and care.

Sexual objectification occurs when a woman’s body and her sexual body parts, along with their
functions, are viewed separately from her as an entire person (fredrickson & roberts, 1997;
gervais, vescio, & forster, 2012). fredrickson and roberts explained that when women are
objectified, they are treated as objects, with their primary purpose being for the use and pleasure
of others. Sexual comments, objectifying gazes, body evaluation, and unwanted sexual advances
are all examples of sexual objectification in addition to viewed media images (kozee et al.,
2007).

Objectification is seeing or treating a person as a commodity. objectification usually occurs in

sexual nature where a person being primarily viewed as object of sexual desire. both men and
women are victims of sexual objectification but women are more objectified than men while
women report more sexual objectification experiences than men (swim, hyers, cohen, &
ferguson, 2001). Most women have gone through sexual objectification at least once in their
lifetime. bartky (1990) defined sexual objectification as “when a women body parts are separated
from her and reduced to a mere instrument with the capability of representing her”. sexualization
of women bodies can range from sexual evaluation (gazing) to sexual violence (rape). Evidence
of sexual objectification can be found everywhere, from women’s subjective experiences to
media and film industry, to specific cultures where women are portrayed as sexual objects.

the discussion around women's body has been happening for many years and again emerges
today as women have claimed their own bodily autonomy following the rise of education and
awareness among women. the movement to women’s freedom to be recognized as human being
and a free individual is being noted into several waves of feminism starting from the first wave
into the third wave in the western world.
sadly, there are still places where women are only being appreciated by her body instead of her
humanity, especially in the entertainment industry. ahmed (2016) stated in his study that women
in the selected entertainment industry are exploited as stereotypical and mostly portrayed as sex
objects or items for male gaze. there is also relation about objectification on the media towards
women that will provoke sexual violence.

The research work intends to examine the socio-religious response to curbing the menace of
sexual objectification of women

women in world religions

The equality of women to men when it comes to holding authoritative positions and doctrinal
and scriptural belief varies based on each religion. Some religions give more freedom to females,
while others are still largely patriarchal and male-centric in nature. This detailed infographic
from Christian Universities Online provides a succinct overview on the state of women in six
world religions today, including: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, religion is a significant part of
women’s lives: 86% of women in the United States are religiously affiliated, 63% say that a
religion is an important part of their lives, while 44% attend religious services at least on a
weekly basis. These numbers make it more imperative to delve into this relevant and sometimes
controversial subject.

The majority religion for women in the United States is Christianity, with 70.6% of the
population being a member of a Christian denomination. 31.5% of the entire female world
population is Christian, while 55% of the protestant Christian group are women. When it comes
to notable women in Christian teachings, we have Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated as the
Mother of God in Catholic doctrine, and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Of course there
are countless other women in the bible, but these are the most prominent. The gender equality
outlook also looks progressive when it comes to holding positions of power: there are plenty of
women in preaching, teaching and missionary roles. The main of responsibilities of women in
the Christian faith are to raise and teach children, maintain a Godly household, refer to husband
on familial and religious matters and maintain social groups in church. As one can see, there are
still what can be considered traditional responsibilities delegated to women in this religion.
An estimated 0.9% of the U.S. population is Muslim, with 23.2% of the world population being
women in Islam. While still largely male dominated, 35% of Muslims in the world are female.
The most notable women in Islamic scripture are Aisha, wife of Prophet Muhammad, and
Hawwa, the wife of Adam. The outlook also looks favorable when it comes to women holding
positions of power: they are active in politics and religious organizations like The Muslim
Brotherhood. The main responsibilities of women are care for children, pass on traditions to
them, serve the husband, follow gender-specific commandments, assist the husband and other
male family members in political and religious decisions and retain and care for familial assets. It
is evident that the authority of the husband is still largely recognized in Islam, and just like
Christianity, traditional responsibilities are still held by women in Islam.

Of the entire U.S. population, 1.9% are women in Judaism. 0.2% of the world’s population are
Jewish females, while 48% of the Jewish population are women. As for notable women in
Judaism, there is Miriam, sister of Moses, while 7 out of 55 prophets in the Bible are female.
Women have significant roles in the faith, with thirteen women having served as cabinet
ministers since the establishment of the State of Israel and four women in the 34th government
from a total of 26 ministers and deputy ministers. As far as female responsibilities are concerned,
interestingly, the Jewish places less emphasis on gender roles, as God is considered both male
and female. However, women are expected to perform more intellectual tasks, while men take
care of physical tasks.

Hindu women make up 0.7% of the U.S. population and 15% of the world population. Of the
entire religious group of Hinduism, 38% are female, relating to another interesting fact, that
women in positions of power in this faith is still not very typical, except in very rich, powerful
families. Women are not allowed to officiate ceremonies, and women are expected to raise and
care for children, be part of an arranged marriage, help husband perform traditional ceremonies,
care for elderly family members and maintain the household, tasks that can be considered largely
traditional. Notable women in Hindu scripture include: Shakti, the Universal Mother, and Sita,
part of the Godhead.

Like the female Hindu population, 0.7% of the U.S. population are female Buddhists, and 7.1%
of the world population. Almost half of Buddhists around the world are female. Notable women
in Buddhist teachings include: Abhirupananda, from the Order of the Buddha, and Jenti, a
follower of the Buddha. Women hold positions of power, and are generally expected to maintain
the household, help raise children, act as a stand-in for the husband in making decisions when he
is unavailable, and possibly co-exist peacefully with husband’s other wives, if in a polygamous
marriage.

Women are truly gaining more momentum when it comes to equality with men in power,
responsibility, scriptural presence and role in the religious realm. This does not mean that the
female gender should be complacent; there is still much to be done when it comes to diversifying
women’s role and authority in religion.

Sexual objectification theory

Objectification theory posits that gender role socialization for women is predisposed toward
creating an unhealthy society for them, culminating in a variety of mental health problems that
are more common among women than men. Much of the interest in this area stems from research
dealing with the sexual objectification of women, which was the group in which researchers first
identified the phenomenon (see Fredrickson and Roberts 1997; Moradi and Yu-Ping 2008).
Researchers view women’s sexual objectification as a process, one which essentially defines and
represents women by their sexual functionality to the exclusion of other significant aspects of
their identities. Objectification can happen on a number of different levels, from objectifying
interactions on a personal level to broader social messages demanding high standards of
appearance. Objectification theory contends that these interactions and messages train girls and
women to judge themselves as sexual objects.

A theory often used by researchers to explain women’s sexual health and

functioning, is objectification theory. Bernard (2015) developed this theory as an explanation for
the higher prevalence of depression, eating disorders, and problems in sexual functioning in
women, as opposed to men. At the heart of the theory lays the pervasive act of Western society
to sexual objectify, mostly, women (Heflick 2011).

To objectify someone sexually, also called sexual objectification, occurs “whenever a

woman's body, body parts, or sexual functions are separated out from her person, reduced to the
status of mere instruments, or regarded as if they were capable of
representing her” (Bartky 35). Fredrickson and Roberts pointed out that sexual

objectification, in its most extreme and dehumanizing forms (e.g., sexual abuse, assault or
harassment), may negatively affect sexual functioning, pleasure, and satisfaction, which is also
supported by more recent studies.

History of women's objectification

The first set of written laws, Hammurabi’s code, states that a man can cheat on a woman but a
woman should be punished severely for cheating on a man. This is one of the first documents
that institutes a woman’s role as a man’s possession.

We no longer have these laws, but have maintained these ideals in almost every culture since.
Time and time again, women are displayed as objects which provide sex but are also expected to
be pure and virtuous. When a woman is sexually active, she is seen as having loose and flawed
character, a stigma that does not exist with men. By implanting in a woman’s mind that she is
only useful for sex and that her appearance is her only valuable trait, she is not only
dehumanized but a sense of competition is created and women are isolated from one another.

Starting in the 10th century and dying out in the early 20th century, upper class women in China
were encouraged to bind their feet in order to become more appealing. This is not only arbitrary,
but also harmful to their health. But nonetheless, the practice persisted. Women’s appearances
were valued over their well being for a millennium. This theme of mutilation would appear in
most parts of the world in one way or another, such as corsets in Europe and Chinookan head
flattening. These methods became popular because of the pressure put on woman to find and
keep a husband. Eventually, they get ingrained into society and women lose hope in other
options. Every gender has unreasonable and harmful expectations for appearances, but these
have been used to systematically strip women of power for thousands of years.

During the 19th century, the cult of domesticity was created. This movement claimed a woman’s
role was as a mother and a keeper of the house. This idea discouraged a woman’s independence
and encouraged the idea that a woman exists to serve a man and have his children. Additionally,
it solidified the idea that a woman is a source of emotional support. During World War II, men
were drafted and women were needed to fill their jobs, and they did so; but as the men returned,
women were forced to return to the kitchen.

In the late 1900s, a women’s rights movement formed and continues to this day. More and more
women are refusing silence and seeking out societal reform. While they are still judged for
sexual activity, they have begun the process of reclaiming their sexualities and refusing to
apologize for it.

As female confidence grows in the modern era, so does its opposition. The rise of feminism
movement have been calling attention to damaging societal standards that had been simply been
accepted. However, with advancement comes resistance. The definition of feminism according to
Merriam-Webster is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”
Feminism is reaching for equality. And yet, there are those who claim that feminism is
overpowering and unnecessary. These people oftentimes receive benefits from maintaining
female oppression, or do not understand the ramifications of their beliefs as they have never been
affected by female oppression.

Cultural perspective of sexual objectification of women

In their foundational paper on sexual objectification, Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) began by
observing that women’s bodies are culturally constructed: “Bodies exist within social and
cultural contexts, and hence are also constructed through sociocultural practices and discourses”.
This claim is made in part to distinguish their approach from biological approaches to gender and
the body, and it lays the foundation upon which objectification theory and research was built. In
acknowledging that the body is a sociocultural construct, Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) go on
to caution that: “Although our goal is to theorize about sexual objectification as it applies to all
women, we recognize that much of the empirical literature that we use to buttress our theorizing
has overlooked diversity among women, focusing7almost exclusively on White, middle-class
girls and women… Some caution is warranted when extracting from this uneven empirical base
to understand how sexual objectification factors into the lives of diverse subgroups of women”
(Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997).
In this manner, we can see that culture is central to sexual objectification. Further, since the
inception of the field there was awareness that relying on an uneven empirical base when making
conclusions about diverse groups of women is problematic. It is precisely to this problem that we
speak: to what extent may culture alter people’s tendency to objectify the self and others?

Sexual objectification of women in our contemporary societies

Having examine the historical encounter of women sexual Objectification, it was discussed that
some of those encounter were brought into our modern age but has undergone a more advanced
process to make it blend with the cultural setting of this age. One perfect example of this is the
problem of illicit videos overtaking the media known as pornography. The underlying idea of
pornography was derived from the ancient Greek culture, according to Research, it was reported
that the way women were perceived in ancient Greek culture who were seeing as tools for
sexuality which were celebrated worldwide within the Greek culture was adapted into
pornographic contents. In pornography, the female person is the central focus the male are not
that significant as compared to the female, many males were made to cover their faces, being
blindfolded or even get their faces blurred while everything about the female is being exposed.
Pornography has done nothing good but to reduce female being to a complete object rather than
humans. The female body is not being respected, many female got paid handsomely to shoot
pornography while they exchange their bodies for money. Seeing this act one will conclude that
the female body has become an object that could be bargain for, many sees the female body as
an object of trade while reducing it object of seduction commercial business. The disrespect
towards female body is on the rise on daily basis.

In our current society, the value for women body is declining on the high, aside
pornography, media has contributed a lot of damage to womanhood. Going on social media one
can hardly scroll two minutes without seeing any semi pornographic images or contents on social
media, the way women sexuality is being paraded on media is reducing the value for women
body. Several advertising companies make use of women as their adverts on their big bill board
and even on television, a jewelries company in a bid to advertise her chain will have a beautiful
model take some sexual appealing posture with the chain around their necks. The question is
with the manner they portrayed such image, are they advertising the model or the chain because
what first appeal to the masses is not the chain because it's a small object around her neck but
rather the female body curves and natural endowment. Several other advertising companies’
makes use of women to advertise their products but the problem is that many of these contents
are too sexual in appearance compared to the message they intend to depict to the public.
Women are being used as a tool of attraction.

Another area women are being objectified is the issue of beauty pageant, this event as
beautiful as it is rather than revealing the most beautiful woman as the name implied have seen
the abuse of women bodies. Several reports have been gather across from several ladies that got
themselves involved in that contest as many revealed that because they could have a shot at the
contest, many of their sponsors demand for sex and even some of the organizers will demand for
sex with a promise to make them crown as the winner (Cikara, 2011). Many ladies have
lamented on the sexual abuse they faced in that competition as many ended up being used and
later not emerging as the winner even after selling their body to win the competition.

Another area to look at is the problem of fashion and modernity, in African community
like Nigeria, modernization and civilization is gradually taking over the culture and traditions of
the people. Morality is on the decline, Respect for human body is becoming a forgotten story.
Fashion in Nigeria is taking another form and is being targeted against the female body. One
beautiful example of this is the current trend of the Aso-Ebi being made for women in wedding
celebration which has emerged as a current trend in the country. Someone made a post on social
media recently that why do women have enough material to sew clothes that will cover their
whole body and feet but not enough to cover their breast. This became a trending engaging post
on social media. Women are now sewing clothes that revealed their private part of social media
with all sort of captions. This has got people to ask if breast is still part of private part according
to our custom because it looks as though many ladies do not care about protecting their private
part anymore. Movies industry is also contributing to women objectification, many ladies are
being screened and accepted based on their sexual appeals, there are certain roles in movies
industry that demands certain features, those who do not match such features will be neglected
no matter their talents and this make some of those ladies feels dejected and lead to self-
objectification. In our society, some women are self-objectifying themselves to meet up with
some certain standards the world system have created, we see ladies going for surgery, breast
enlargement, hip enlargement, facing surgery, nose surgery and all kinds of surgery to be among
classic people that can fit into the media. What this is causing is the rationality behind such act as
many ladies do not see the being in them but are overwhelmed by the judgment of beauty the
world has set.

Sexual objectification of women, a national concern

The viewing of another person as an instrument to be used for sexual goals is known as
objectification. Recent evidence shows that the learned automatic response to objectify women
has become culturally ingrained to such a great extent that choosing not to objectify women
depletes self-regulatory resources and decreases performance in cognitive tasks. In support of
this notion, study on a sample of 81 women found that over one week, each woman reported
being targeted for objectification between 3 to 4 times on average and witnessing sexual
objectification of other women 9 to 10 times on average. Objectification becomes especially
harmful if women internalize these judgments and self-objectify, or consider themselves first as
bodies over other personal characteristics. This can lead to negative consequences including
heightened body-shame and greater unwillingness to speak in social interactions.

Women who are objectified are viewed as less than fully human, perceived to have less
of a mind for thoughts or decisions and viewed as less deserving of moral treatment by others.
This denial of mental capacity and moral status has been found to have negative repercussions
for objectified women, including increasing men’s willingness to commit sexually aggressive
actions towards them, and decreasing perceived suffering in cases of sexual assault. Furthermore,
some women are objectified more than others: Women who appear sexualized (e.g., more
tightly-fitted, revealing or provocative clothing, greater application of cosmetics), in particular,
are objectified more than non-sexualized women. Although there is a consensus that sexualized
appearance can increase objectification, it is still unclear which judgments based on a woman’s
appearance (and in many cases a sexualized appearance) influence the degree to which she is
objectified by others. In the current study, we investigate how appearance-based interpersonal
perceptions of women affect objectification.

Self-objectification is one of the problem facing the society, female are becoming more
concerned about their outward appearance and this is making many ladies to feel inferiors
outwardly compared to some of their mates, thus they make attempt to become more sexually
attractive by wearing some sexually revealing clothes thus this has led to several cases of women
abuse in the society.

Some of the Solutions to these Challenges

Having examine the concept of sexual objectification against women in our contemporary
society and outlining the problems associated with them, it is essential that few possible
suggestions be made.
1. There should be more intensify symposium that will teach female child on their
sexuality and how to protect themselves from becoming a social target by males
counterparts through their dressings and the kind of company they keep.
2. The need for more feminist activist to protect fight against women sexual
objectification rather than trying to fight for equal right between men and women. There
should be people who will stand up to defend women sexuality and speak for them so that
the society will not view most women as an object of sexual related activities alone.
3. Parents, schools and other social gatherings should intensify their teaching on
morality. The continuous decline in morality in our society is responsible for some of the
cases of sexual objectification directed towards women, ladies should be taught on the
importance of decency, many ladies that face objectification are actually responsible for
it, research shows that ladies that dress half naked on campus faces more sexual assaults
compared to those who covered themselves properly.
4. The government should expand their security checks on many activities on media
that depicts sexual objectification of woman.

Conclusion
Sexual objectification of women has been an issue from ages and not what started in our
contemporary world, as day passes by so is modernization. Thus, people are modernizing their
attempt to objectified women in the society, many men marries and turned their wives to sexual
objects and even go as far as beating their wives provide she deprived them of sex in certain
occasions. Women values needs to be communicated beyond just offering sex to the society.
There are several potentials in these women that needs to be unlocked with a collective effort of
the society, women needs to be protected more.
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