Feminists halt 'racist' skin-lightener advert

A leading brand of skin-lightening cream has been forced to change its television advertising campaign following a torrent of abuse from women's groups for being 'insulting to women' and 'racist'.

The cream, Fair and Lovely, is a product of Hindustan Lever, the Indian subsidiary of Unilever. Its recent advertisement sparked off a debate in India over why fairer skin is considered more beautiful.

The ad showed a young, dark-skinned girl's father lamenting that he had no son to provide for him because his daughter's salary was not high enough. The suggestion was that she could neither get a better job nor get married because of her dark skin. The girl then uses the cream, her skin miraculously becomes lighter and she gets a better-paid job as an air hostess. Dad beams.

Outraged feminists protested, forcing Hindustan Lever to remove the ads. 'It's a highly racist campaign,' said Brinda Karat, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association. 'How can they denigrate dark skin in a dark-skinned country? It's demeaning to women and also promotes the preference for a son.'

Whatever the indignation of women's groups, India has seen a phenomenal growth in the number of skin-lightening products. These creams are a US$140 million industry, with more than 30 brands.

Launched more than 30 years ago and bought by almost as many men as women, Fair and Lovely is the market leader. It claims to lighten the skin if used twice a day.