Women in Signs

Although gaining momentum in research, the issue of gender representations in the Linguistic Landscape demands more attention. Hence, this study aims to explore the issue of language and gender in the LL of the red-light district (RLD) of Ermita-Malate, Manila, using frameworks from semiotics, multimodality, and feminist stylistics. Particularly, it seeks to answer questions on verbal and non-verbal choices in sign production, and the role of women in the process of interpretation, production, and function of these signs in the RLD. The linguistic and multimodal analysis reveals that the RLD Ermita-Malate, Manila, features linguistic diversity, and that language and image choice support the highly consumerist activities observed in the area. A more in-depth feminist reading of the texts also reveals that women’s role in sign production is limited to the commodification of their images whose function is highly symbolical and imaginative.