https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 228 Portrayal of Women in International Women’s Day Brand Messages in Nigerian Newspapers IfeKristi Ayo-Obiremi; Omowale Adelabu; Bernice Sanusi & Felix Olajide Talabi Department of Mass Communication Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria ifeyoobi14@gmail.com; adelabuo@run.edu.ng; sanusib@run.edu.ng; talabif@run.edu.ng Abstract Hinged on the liberal feminist theory, the researchers examined brand messages on International Women’s Day (IWD) in two purposively select Nigerian newspapers over four years. The appeals, prominence and portrayal of women were quantitatively and qualitatively content analysed using a researcher-manually prepared coding sheet. Based on the analysis, more rational than emotional appeals were used in the brand messages, women were projected as professional and balanced women in recent years, their achievements were celebrated and there is more support for gender equality in different spheres of life. The researchers concluded that Nigerian women are more recognised and celebrated by brands and organisations in recent times, than in previous years as balanced women whose voices are heard and who can contribute to society’s progress without neglecting the home front. It was recommended that brands and organisations who have not embraced the IWD celebrations should learn from others and celebrate women by placing rational and emotional appeal messages in newspapers and other media platforms. Keywords: African-Nigerian Women, International Women’s Day, Brand Messages, Advertising Appeals Introduction Women all over the world are primarily home keepers, home makers and the bedrock of birth and development in the society. This unique assignment and responsibility make her relevant and an important figure in education, growth, development and sustenance of humanity. Nwammuo, Asemah & Edegoh (2013) observed that women in Nigeria represent the majority of the rural poor (up to 70 percent) and they play a major role in the survival strategies of rural households. The traditional society assumed the female role and responsibility was inferior to the men’s roles, thus, cowed the women and consigned them to the background as the typical woman, particularly in the African society was expected “to behave well, be a good wife and remain quiet when the elders were speaking” (Jalloh, 2017). Her male counterparts, however, had freedom to live, speak and participate in societies’ activities. The traditional African woman is one who is not exposed to technology, has to rely on others for her survival, has to work her husband or brothers’ farms, probably a slave on a relatives’ land, a refugee in a developed country or one who needs some form of charity- basically, the “woman who is an object of pity” (Msafropolitan, 2012). Against these odds, some African and Nigerian women stood out mailto:ifeyoobi14@gmail.com mailto:adelabuo@run.edu.ng mailto:sanusib@run.edu.ng mailto:talabif@run.edu.ng GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 229 in the traditional times and were over the years recognised for their hard work, contribution and growth, despite oppositions in the society. The discrepancy and apparent gender inequality which is one of the greatest threats to Africa’s future (Egbetayo, 2019) has over the years been caused by uneven access to education, employment issues, job segregation, poor medical care, lack of/inadequate legal protections, lack of religious freedom, lack of political representation and societal mindsets among others (Soken-Huberty, n.d.). In modern times, there has been an important transformation in the way women are projected and recognised in society as women all over the world including Africa have performed active roles as a result of the fight for gender equality, entered important facets of the society and have become powerful within their households, the workforce and the society (Narula, 2018). The modern African woman is religious, has great parenting styles, is attractive, well-cultured, brilliant and respectful (Olowu, 2020). She is not one who disrespects the men in the society or lives her life without considering others, but one who dreams, takes care of her family and penetrates different aspects of life. With the transformation birthed by technology, awareness and a different societal mindset, the woman is seen in an entirely different light. Albeit, there is still a very long way to go, the change is apparent and is embraced in different parts of the world. There is, therefore, a shift in trends and projection of the African woman from one who was considered a ‘minor’ or ‘secondary citizen’ to one who has equal rights with the male gender in the African society. She is powerful at home and in society as she carefully and creatively balances home-keeping and her professional attainment. The balanced woman is celebrated internationally on March 8, each year and on other dates nationally and regionally. Individuals, groups, organisations, brands, institutions and the government have over the years recognised the importance and relevance of a balanced woman in the society and celebrates her strengths, encourages her to do more and creating opportunities for her in the society. Objectives of the Study The objectives of this were to: 1. Ascertain how Nigerian brands have projected the African-Nigerian woman in recent times as opposed to previous years 2. Determine the appeals adopted by brands to portray the African woman in her celebration advertisements and identify the brands that celebrated women on their special day in two prominent Nigerian newspapers. The Traditional African Woman The traditional African woman is seen as ‘an adjunct to a man or her husband’ all the days of her life. From birth, she is subject and expected to submit to her father and brothers who tell her what to do and how to live her life. At a certain age, she is married off to her husband (one who most likely did not have a say in the choice of man) she is expected to look after his needs, cater for the house, brings forth and bring up children (Akinola, 2018; UNESC, 1963). The United Nations reported that African women in past years and till today in some African countries, are active participants in the agricultural process and https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 230 informal labour forces. They are mainly domestic workers and the major workers in the strenuous farm activities- they tilled the ground, processed diaries, cultivated crops, worked the farms, provided food, drew water from the river/a well, carried fire-wood and in addition to that, had to clean the house, provide nutrition, health care, children’s welfare, take on menial responsibilities in the society and balance that with keeping their home (Omer, 2017; UNESC, 1963). Despite the hard work on the farms, these women own no lands of their own as those lands belong to their husbands, they receive little or no pay for their work and thus, rely on their husbands, fathers or brothers for life and survival. The women are regarded as ‘properties’ under the ownership of the man and/or his family/clan and are not entitled to the man’s properties after his demise (Akinola, 2018; UNESC, 1963). While taking care of household responsibilities, these women are often excluded from participation in public life and community activities (Kapur, 2019). The few females who go to school because their parents have been encouraged, drop out at the end of the day due to financial constraints, traditional norms and marriage (United Nations University, n.d.). Relating to sex and sexuality, African men had control over women’s sexuality and the women had to submit to the sexual wills of their men (Omer, 2017) The responsibilities and expectations of the woman are in themselves not wrong, but the disadvantage is that these women are not expected to have dreams, they are not permitted to fully express their God-given qualities and characteristics. However, in a few West African countries in the traditional society, women had the privilege to trade and keep some money for themselves thus, giving them power/responsibility in the household and leverage against the dominance of the men (UNESC, 1963). In the mid-20th century, Nigerian Zaria women could afford to buy luxuries for their children and adornment for themselves because some money came into their hands. They played a major role in contributing to marriage gift payments for their sons thus giving them a sense of power, belonging and responsibility (UNESC, 1963). The effect of the society’s expectation of women led to emotional crisis, heavy burdens and forfeiture of the woman’s dreams. The Modern African Woman The world would be imperfect without the presence of the woman. The woman came out of man’s rib, not from the feet to be trampled on, not from his head to be superior but from the side to be equal, under the arm to be protected, next to the heart to be loved (William Shakespeare in Emy Blesio, 2014). The woman should be regarded as a partner who is accorded respect and love, not one to be weighed down, trampled on or subdued. “The 21st century woman is not just a super woman, she is the future” (Amadi in Guardian Editor, 2019). Modernisation, education, technology and some other factors led to the cry for better treatment and appreciation of women, especially, the African woman and recognition of the role they can play in national building, development and economic growth. These factors led to the agitation of women’s groups and organisations to call for equality and a fair hearing which will help African women access resources as well as have control over those resources (Wanyeki, 2010). GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 231 Different women groups call for the African woman to be free from discrimination in different spheres of life, equality in life and proper political representation (Wanyeki, 2010). A few African women like Queen Nanny of the Windward Maroons (a Jamaican politician), Yaa Asantewaa (who led the Ashanti war against British colonisation), Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (a Nigerian feminist and social activist), Miriam Makeba (an anti-apartheid South African activist and Wangari Maathai (Kenyan Nobel laureate and women’s rights activist) stood out against all odds in the traditional African society when women’s voices were not often heard (Makeda Njoroge-MJoroge, n.d.). As the years rolled by, women became better recognised in societies across the world after protests, campaigns and agitations for women’s rights. The cry and call for equality is not one that attempts to rule over the man or usurp the man’s authority but one where the man will use his physical strength to protect the sacredness of the woman and allow her to perform, to enjoy the privileges of being a recognised woman (Blesio, 2014). The international community since the early 20th century (1911) embraced women’s rights with the birth of International Women’s Day (IWD) and have since created awareness on the importance of equality and significance of women in the society. The fight against discrimination is a legally, nationally and internationally recognised human right that fights against unfair discrimination irrespective of gender. Nigeria, a traditionally patriarchal society embraced the dominance of males in every aspect of the society in which women’s rights were misunderstood as they were subject to the men’s control and cultural, customary and traditional beliefs encouraged the discrimination (Adejugbe & Adejugbe, 2018). The struggle to achieve economic quality, develop new social roles and renegotiate relationships has altered the world of work and career as there has been a massive entry of women into paid employment. This move has brought the emergence of a dual career model, replacing the male bread winner model. Policies and laws like the right against discrimination found in the Nigerian constitution and the Labour Act of 2004 make provisions for the protection of women’s rights (Adejugbe & Adejugbe, 2018). Nigerian women are better educated, aware of and included in workplace activities, decision making processes, political participation and advancement of women’s rights (Adejugbe & Adejugbe, 2018). With these factors in place, the African woman is seen more than a home-maker to one who can think, dream and pursue a career (Adaja, Talabi & Ogundeji, 2017). In different ways, the average African woman is more and more involved in Africa’s transformation and contribution to a global reset as there has been a reshaping in the political, social and cultural orientations. With the rise of global issues and the growth of social media, African women are driving emergency response to health issues, pandemics, diseases, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of citizens as health professionals, community volunteers and scientists. They have also delivered gender-responsive health systems, educating and empowering other women, getting involved in politics as well as holding positions in the tech space (Byanyima & Kende-Robb, 2021). More and more powerful African women emerge on a daily basis and they have penetrated different spheres of life. A few of them include Bonang Matheba from South Africa, Graca Machel in South Africa/Mozambique, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Nigeria, Aya Chebbi from https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 232 Tunisia, Lupita Nyong’o from Kenya, Winnie Byanyima from Uganda, Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria, Tara Fela-Durotoye, Folorunso Alakija from Nigeria and Bethlehem Tiahun Alemu from Ethiopia among others (Mogoatlhe, 2020). Celebrating the African-Nigerian Woman The African woman over the years is celebrated at different times in the year. The international women’s day, celebrated on March 8 annually is a global date reserved to celebrate the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women. The origin of this special date can be traced to the early 1900s and specifically 1908 when about 15,000 women marched through New York City to lend their voices and actively campaign for change, better pay, voting rights and shorter hours (IWD, n.d.). The United Nations celebrated IWD for the first time in 1975 and in 1996, announced their first theme ‘Celebrating the past, Planning the Future’ and since then, a special annual theme has been developed by a range of stakeholders and used for celebration in every country and these themes have provided a direction for celebrations while ensuring the call to action for gender parity is not lost (IWD, n.d.). Some of the campaign themes and slogans over the years have included #BalanceforBetter, #PressforProgress, #PledgeforParity, #MakeItHappen, #EachforEqual and #ChooseToChallenge (IWD, n.d.). Nigeria celebrates her women in grand style on IWD as brands, charities, women’s groups, the media, individuals and government organisations organise activities to celebrate the women in the society (Aderibigbe, 2018) and place messages in different mass media channels that women can easily access and see they are being celebrated. State governors, politicians and national leaders use the opportunity to celebrate the women around them and their contribution to family growth, society and national development (Vanguard, 2021); organisations celebrate their female employees, media houses disseminate messages and brands put in money, time and resources to appreciate women. Electronic, print as well as digital platforms bustle with IWD messages to honour the occasion. Newspaper advertisements/brand messages on March 8 annually has pages dedicated to Nigerian and African women and their impact in the society. Talks on women, their achievements, projected contribution to society, relevance at home and in their professions as well as their agitations and struggles fill the pages of media channels. Brands leverage on the opportunity to reach women, congratulate them and in the long run, make their brands known. They thus, employ different strategies, advertising appeals and creative processes to congratulate Nigerian women and celebrate their achievements. These strategies vary depending on the goal of the advertising/brand message and the aim of the advertiser. Advertising appeals are creative strategies advertisers use to capture attention or cause the audience to react (Sadeghi et al 2015). Generally, there are two broad categories of appeals advertisers use in disseminating brand messages-rational and emotional appeals. Rational appeals speak to an individual’s sense of reasoning and the rationale behind purchase. This appeal is often used for high-involvement products while emotional appeals connect with the audience on a psychological level and are distinctively adopted by brands GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 233 whose goods and/or services are purchased based on emotions (Dix & Marchegiani, 2013; Saurav, 2020). Asides employing the above-named appeals in projecting brands and services, these appeals are creatively used by advertisers and organisations to honour special occasions and felicitate with different groups of people. Beyond seeing the date as an opportunity for brands to jump on and creatively promote their goods and/or services; brand messages/advertisements on the annual women’s celebration are opportunities for brands to be involved in conversations, seminars and awareness activities that will project the essence of the IWD which includes building a gender-equal world, including women in politics, raising awareness against bias, celebrating women’s achievements and raising awareness against bias (Agada, n.d; Guardian Editor, 2017). Lafarge Africa Plc, the largest building and concrete solutions company in the world ensures that asides celebrating her women on IWD, the interests of these female employees are protected at all times (Ojoye, 2018; Adaja, Talabi & Eze, 2018). Engaging with industry stakeholders and getting involved in external partnerships, Access bank, one of Africa’s leading banks has successfully and intentionally championed women’s rights. Advertising agencies, hair brands, non-governmental organisations, foundations and other household goods use the IWD to promote and create awareness on women and what the IWD stands for (Ojoye, 2018). Adidas, a sports brand pushed for equality in sports to commemorate the 2019 IWD by increasing visibility for female athletes. This showed their commitment to ensuring women are well represented in the field of sports. In 2021, Knorr and Lipton, fast-moving consumer goods under the Unilever brand in Nigeria celebrated the IWD by making the March the month of long conversations on two Nigeria’s biggest television networks (Ogunwusi, 2021). This brand has over the years steadily maintained a 50-50 men-to-women ratio in her workforce therefore giving women a fair share of opportunities (Ngwube, cited in Ogunwusi, 2021). Lipton brand celebrated women who were taxi drivers, cobblers, carpenters and mechanic among others who have boldly entered the ‘male professions’ (Ogunwusi, 2021). Furthermore, in 2021, Amstel Malta celebrated IWD by campaigning and releasing a docu-series spotlighting three trailblasing women, excelling in male-dominated industries- a painter, a mechanic and a talented barber. The challenges of these women were brought to light and the brand on this day, used their voice to amplify the voices of other women, encouraging them to grow and contribute to society’s development (Nnah, 2021). In addition to brands celebrating women on IWD and sending messages via various channels, Nigerian organisations and companies take time to celebrate outstanding women in their field by organising dinners for them, hosting them to events and recognising their diligence to work (Ojoye, 2018). Theoretical Framework Liberal Feminist Theory The liberal feminist theory was defined in 1983 by Alison Jaggar, alongside three other theories which are Marxism, radical and socialist feminism. In her writings, liberal feminism theory assumes that equality in the workplace, education and political rights should be embraced (Lewis, 2019). Giddens (2001), cited in Bimer & Alemeneh (2018) https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 234 says the feminist approach to the liberal theory believes gender inequality is created by “lowering access for women and girls to civil rights and allocation of social resources such as education and employment.” The theory further believes “female subordination is rooted in a set of customary and legal constraints that block women’s entrance to success in the public sphere” (Bimer & Alemeneh, 2018). This theory pushes for equality of men and women before the law as there are inherent differences between men and women but women are not inferior to men (Nienaber & Moraka, 2016 in Bimer & Alemeneh, 2018). Unlike the socialist feminist theory which believes the democratic process should be changed, liberal feminists strive to organise women into groups to give them a voice, lobby legislators in women’s favour, raise awareness on women issues and use available resources and tools to advocate for change. This theory is adopted in this study as it adequately explains that women’s issues all over the world be raised and properly attended to, women should not be relegated to the background when national issues are raised. Furthermore, the theory, like the study, supports that equality should be the bedrock of any progressive society and women should not be treated less than the men in their societies. Methodology To accurately ascertain the portrayal of women in Nigerian newspaper brand messages/advertisements on International Women’s Day, the qualitative and quantitative content analysis were adopted. This method deciphers the frequency (quantity) of IWD brand messages/advertisements in the select newspapers, ascertain the appeals adopted by Nigerian brands, identify the prominence of the advertising messages in the newspapers and qualify the content of these messages. The total population of the study is the 248 editions of the newspapers for the month of March alone for four years, published on March 8, 2000, 2010, 2019 and 2020. These years were selected to ascertain women’s recognition years ago, ten years after, during the COVID-19 lockdown and the year after. The sample size of two of these newspapers is purposively selected based on their circulation figures of at least 100,000 copies daily according to the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN)’s survey in 2009 (Aliagan, 2015; Olaniyan, 2019). These newspapers are also located in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and they are predominantly distributed in Southern part of Nigeria which has the highest number of literate women in the country (National Bureau of Statistics, 2018). The newspapers selected are the Punch and Guardian on IWD (March 8), 2000, 2010, 2019 and 2020. To analyse the content and gather information for the study, a coding sheet which includes the following content categories: advertising appeal adopted, the brand, the message prominence, frequency of messages and portrayal of women in each of the newspapers was manually designed by the researcher. The unit of analysis is the rational and emotional advertising appeal. The results from the analysis were presented in tables and the discussion. Data Presentation, Analysis and Discussion of Findings None of the select newspapers had messages nor advertisements for IWD on March 8, 2000. That year, news stories involving women were those that showed women as GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 235 survivors of incidents and a few exploits of other African women invading different spheres of life. In 2010, there were no IWD messages either, but women-related stories, their challenges in Africa and how they were surviving in the society. Other stories with reference to women were general-interest societal stories. An advertisement in The Guardian newspaper on March 8, 2010 was not an IWD message, but an advertisement for a professional development seminar scheduled to hold the following day. The advertisement/invitation however had the face of a professional woman, probably ready to attend the seminar. This shows that as at the year 2010, Nigerian women were openly, via the media recognised as professionals and career women, not just family people who should be relegated to the background. By 2019, brands, organisations, individuals and the government placed IWD messages and advertisements in Nigerian newspapers as well as other mass media platforms. The trend continued in 2020 as there were also brand messages placed in the select newspapers. Table 1: Prominence, Appeals and Frequency of IWD Advertising Messages Newspaper Prominence Appeals Total Frequency Front Page Inside Page Rational Appeals Emotional Appeals 2019 13 7 (53.8%) 6 (46.2%) 13 (100%) 2020 7 4 (57.1%) 3 (42.9%) 7 (100%) Total 20 11 (55%) 9 (45%) 20 (100%) Twenty International Women’s Day (IWD) brand messages were placed in the select newspapers in 2019 and 2020 on the inside pages of the newspapers. None of them was placed on the front pages. A few news stories on the exploits of Nigerian women and goodwill messages from individuals and the government were, however, found on the front and preliminary pages of the select newspapers. In 2019, 13 advertising messages by different brands were placed in the newspapers- 5 in Guardian and 8 in Punch. In these messages, 53.8% of them were expressed in rational appeals while 46.2% in emotional appeals. By the following year, the number of brand messages on IWD declined to 7 which could have been caused by different factors like the outbreak of the pandemic, economic recession or organisational issues. Of the 7 messages, 2 brands placed theirs in the Guardian newspaper and 5 in the Punch newspaper. Similar to the percentage of appeals used in 2019, more rational appeals (57.1%) than emotional (42.9%) were used to disseminate the IWD brand messages. Like the liberal feminist theory assumes, women recognition and women issues were embraced by brands and organisations in 2019 and 2020, as opposed to previous years. This recognition has begun to open doors for women to lend their voices in the society and enjoy the equality they have been hoping for. https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 236 Table 2: Brand Messages/ Advertisements on IWD Newspaper Brand Total Frequency Network Service Providers Banks/ Financial Institutions Gadget Companies Tech Companies Food/Beverage Company 2019 1 (7.7%) 5 (38.5%) 2 (15.4%) 3 (23.1%) 2 (15.4%) 13 (100%) 2020 7 (100%) 3 (42.9%) 7 (100%) Total 1 (5%) 12 (60%) 2 (10%) 3 (15%) 2 (10%) 20 (100%) Different brands took time to celebrate the women in their organisations and by extension, women in the society. In 2019, a blend of brands put messages in the Guardian and Punch newspapers to celebrate the IWD. MTN (a network service provider), 5 financial institutions, 2 technology companies and 1 gadget company (Techno) had messages in the newspapers. These messages celebrated women as well as put the brand in the mind of the readers. By the following year, only banks in both newspapers disseminated IWD messages in the select newspapers. No other brand put up messages. This might have been as a result of the sudden pandemic lockdown or other unwanted incidents. Similar to Aderibigbe (2018); Ogunwusi (2021) and Ojoye (2018)’s articles, Nigerian women are celebrated and recognised by different brand categories and their achievements are highlighted. Like the brand categories identified above, different groups, organisations and companies recognise and continue to recognise the significance of women on their teams and in their workplaces. Table 3: Portrayal of Women in Nigerian Newspapers Newspaper Portrayal of women in the newspaper brand messages Brand Advertisement Total Frequency & Percentage In line with annual theme Traditional woman Professional woman Traditional & Professional woman 2019 8 (61.5%) 2 (15.4%) 3 (23.1%) 13 (100%) 8 (100%) 2020 3 (42.9%) 3 (42.9%) 1 (14.2%) 7 (100%) 5 (100%) Total 11 (55%) 5 (25%) 4 (20%) 20 (100%) From table 3, the IWD brand advertisements/messages did not project women as traditional whose voices should not be heard. Women are celebrated as professionals or strong women balancing their professional and traditional roles of caring for the family, the home and raising children. In 2019, both newspapers had eight (61.5%) brand messages projecting the woman as professional, one who is recognised at her place of work and as an important part of the society. Two (15.4%) of the messages depicted the woman as being able to balance her professional and her traditional roles. This depiction did not subdue the woman nor relegate her but celebrated her strengths. Three of the messages (23.1%), however, did not focus particularly on the woman, but the brands leveraged on the celebration to promote GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 237 their goods and influence readers to purchase. By the following year, the decrease in the total number of brand messages affected the percentage difference in the portrayal of women as 42.9% presented the women as professionals, the same percentage presented them as both professionals and traditional role players while 14.2% promoted their brands. In total, 55% projected women as professional, 25% depicted them as traditional and professional women while 20% rode on the wings of the occasion to promote their brands. The analysis presented shows the positive result of the fights and agitations for women equality and inclusion as seen in Adejugbe & Adejugbe (2018) and Wanyeki (2010) which led to the birth of IWD. Each year, the themes differed in line with the focus of IWD- making women’s voices heard in the society. In 2019, the theme #BalanceforBetter was used and the brands creatively depicted this in their messages. The focus on balancing projected a gender-equal society, awareness against discrimination and a time to reflect on women’s progress (Pitofsky, 2019). By 2020 the theme #EachforEqual emphasised equality in the workplace, in the society and encouraged women to press for equality in their various spheres of life by talking about it, having conversations, changing mindsets and acting as ‘an equal world is an enabled world’ (Teekay, 2020). In line with the themes each year, brands creatively carved their messages to reflect the themes. Thirteen out of the twenty brand messages specifically referred to the themes and their messages brought to light the meaning of IWD. The other eight messages simply congratulated the women and celebrated them without specific reference to the annual theme. Conclusion and Recommendations The average African-Nigerian woman, a talented and hardworking woman, once relegated to the background and subject to the men in the society dared not dream and if she did, those dreams more often than not, did not see the light of day. The modern African- Nigerian woman stood against the woman-stereotype as she alongside other women, fought for mutual love and respect from the men and rejected being weighed down, shut up and subdued. This stance is in line with the liberal feminist theory that embraces equality in the workplace, society, political sphere and male-female equality before the law. Celebrating women along with others in the international community; brands, government, individuals and organisations air and place messages in different media channels on March 8. In the Guardian and Punch newspapers selected for this study, no IWD brand message was published in 2000. In 2010, the day was not specifically celebrated but women-related stories that year projected women as relevant in the society. By 2019, both newspapers had brand messages that appeared on inside pages and used more of rational than emotional appeals. Thus, the advertisers and brand managers have over the years seen women as beings whose decisions are not solely emotional but who make rational decisions and can be appealed to rationally. Similarly, in the following year, there were more rational brand messages than emotional. A decline in the total number of brand messages in 2020 could have been because of the pandemic lockdown, lack of funds or other sudden global incidents. None of the analysed messages portrayed the African-Nigerian woman as solely traditional but as professionals and as balanced women (a blend of traditional and https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas GVU Journal of Management and Social Sciences (ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 7, Number 3, September, 2022 238 professional). Relating the brand messages to the annual theme reflect brands commitment to fulfilling the mandate of women all over the world and giving them an equal voice like the men in the society. The researchers recommend that brands and organisations that do not take particular interest in IWD should learn from those currently placing messages in newspapers and other platforms for women on IWD. More so, women should be celebrated from time to time and particularly on occasions specially designated for them. Both rational and emotional appeals can be combined in brand messages; however, the trend of rational being more than emotional appeals can be sustained. 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