donate some amount (?) and all ads will be removed. (so it says, haven't tried it)

It is an algorithm used by the ad servers which read the keywords on pages and serves up ads based on both your own surfing habits and the content of the page you're viewing. DU does not select which ads are displayed, and the ads you see are likely different than the ads many others see. As the other poster said, either hide ads or donate. That will stop them.

Your answer is basically 'too bad for you', if you don't like sexism splashed all over your screen - you can pay money and make it go away. Meanwhile - people who are fine with sexist ads can sit there and enjoy them - and it doesn't cost them anything.

The issue is that the ads are offensive to at least some women. This is the women's rights and issues section, after all - where we are discussing this.

The owners of DU could do something if they wanted.

Thank the gods. I mostly see political ads, or weight loss crap.

Even if DU does not 'select' for ads, there should be an anti-sexist / anti-porn (even if it is soft porn) ad blocker.

Over the past decade or so, we've lost a lot of ground. More and more, women are seen and treated like sex objects. Even my favorite shows on TV (e.g., Life) objectify and sexualize women. If a show has a female lead, she has to be shown bending over to reveal cleavage several times each episode. I can't go to the grocery store without seeing soft porn all over women's and men's magazines alike at the checkout. The general attitude is that if you're a woman and have a problem with the objectification of women, there is something wrong with you. And unfortunately, the vast majority of women seem to be fine with this state of affairs.

DU, in general, is male-dominated. If your handle is obviously feminine, that seems to be an open invitation for many DU men to bully you and argue with you (unless your post was acceptably feminine and indicated that you accept your place as a second-class human). The problem is that our society accepts such behavior in men. A man does not suffer in any way because he's a misogynist. On the contrary, some women flock to such men.

We feminists need to do much more consciousness-raising about this. I don't see anyone talking or writing about these issues any more. I'd like to know whether this is just my impression or whether other people feel the same way. Has activism on these issues died down, or have I just not been keeping up? I'd really like other feminists' opinions on this.

It's just that standing up and speaking out against these things is extremely unpopular.

Check this article out for some encouraging signs.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/fourth-wave-feminism-rebel-women