Britain's advertising watchdog is calling for tighter regulations on what it called harmful gender stereotyping.
The Advertising Standards Authority said Tuesday that ads depicting simple household tasks as beyond the capability of men, for example, restrict "the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults."
The regulator says a "tougher line" is needed on ads that feature stereotypical gender roles, including those which mock people for not conforming.
The watchdog, which has banned ads in the past for suggesting it was desirable for young women to be unhealthily thin, said it won't ban all stereotypes, such as women cleaning or men doing home improvement jobs.
But ads that depict scenarios such as a woman having responsibility for cleaning up the family's mess for example, could be banned.
