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WOMEN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Consumerism
One role where women are not underestimated is in their role as consumers. The responsibility of shopping for a family is usually the woman's. In the consumer societies of the more wealthy countries, there are markets such as beauty that are specifically directed to women. This means that a lot of advertising is created to influence women. Rather than helping women to feel better about themselves, this advertising is directed at creating a market for the product. This is done by convincing women that they are not feminine or not worthwhile unless they own a particular product. At present, the role of woman as consumer is probably one of her most powerful roles. By using their economic strength as consumers, groups of women have been able to demand changes from very large and powerful corporations.