Changing The Ratio: Why We Still Have a Long Way to Go in Achieving Gender Equality
In 2016, as ever, the lack of gender equality in the work place highlights the ridiculousness of what we have normalised in society.
And although equal opportunities have become part of the contemporary lexicon, there is still a long way to go to ensure that both sexes are fairly represented in all facets of society.
Through establishing training, audits, and industry charters for agencies, Creative Equals, founded by creative director Ali Hanan, aims to go someway to address inequality in the ad industry.
Recent research by the Young Creative Council and Creative Equals identifies several worrying statistics that paint the ad industry in an antiquated light, highlighting the need for proactive steps towards gender equality:
1) 88% of young female creatives say they lack role models
2) 70% of young female creatives say they have never worked with a female creative director or executive creative director
3) 70% of young female creatives are working in a 75% male-dominated department
4) 60% of young females say they believe advertising is a career that doesn’t support young families
5) 10% of young male creatives are working in an all-male department
Ali Hanan addressed the findings in a recent article in the Guardian, with the admission that with 15-years' industry experience she can count the number of female executive creative directors she knows on one hand.
Towards the end of 2015, Creative Equals partner Becky McOwen-Banks (FCB Inferno) and Hanan spoke to the Creative Circle about Creative Equals and how they hope to instigate change from within the industry, stating that it not only makes cultural and moral sense but business sense.
50% of the UK population are women, and 85% of all purchasing decisions are made by women, yet 91% of women feel advertisers don’t understand them, and 70% feel alienated by advertising. Gender diverse companies outperform those who aren’t by 19%, yet only 14% of UK Creative Directors are female. And with Getty Images’ database of pictures of women growing 65% year on year, there is a clear demand for modern, contemporary portraits of women.
Creative Equals want to change the ratio, creating more pathways to success for female talent. From hiring, to mentoring within agencies, Creative Equals are encouraging the industry to be proactive about making change and engage with their charter, in the hope that affiliated companies will become the industry standard for fairness and equality.
Creative Circle CEO Jeremy Green recently stated that it’s time for the industry to nurture and invest in the next generation. We need to identify talent and ensure that the correct pathways are in place to allow for potential to be fulfilled as people rise up through the industry. Let’s start with changing the ratio.
You can find out more about Creative Equals here.
