APAC Ad Leaders Share Perspectives on International Women’s Day
With International Women's Day upon us, leaders in the APAC advertising industry have shared their perspectives on the ongoing journey towards gender equality and inclusivity.
IWD is not just about celebrating women's achievements, but also about recognising the ongoing challenges and systemic barriers that women face globally. It's a day to acknowledge the progress made towards gender equality, while also highlighting the work that still needs to be done to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all women - regardless of their background or circumstances.
We asked Gayle While, Havas Host CEO, Belinda Bradley, Film Construction executive producer, Maggie Wong, VML Hong Kong CEO, Jessica Thompson, The Hallway creative director, and Dani Basil, CEO of Clemenger BBDO how we can celebrate women every day of the year.
Gayle While, CEO, Havas Host
We can begin by amplifying female voices within our industry and beyond and continuously supporting the next wave of emerging female leaders. Female voices continue to be underrepresented in media, and if we don’t have women writing or reporting, then we won’t see issues framed in the way we need them to be.
We must continue the push to find pathways that enable more females to start, or return to, a career in the creative industry. Our work can only evolve if we have more female insights and influence on our thinking and ideas. The faster we can remove unconscious biases and stereotypes in our advertising, the sooner we will reflect the Australia we want to be part of.
Importantly don’t just use today or this week to tell a woman who inspires you that she’s amazing – find an everyday reason to acknowledge and celebrate them.
Belinda Bradley, executive producer, Film Construction
At Film Construction, we're all about championing our female directors, photographers, and producers. We see them as exceptionally talented individuals. That's it. Gender doesn't even come into the equation for us. We're all about breaking down barriers and embracing the unique experiences and perspectives that everyone brings to the table. Inclusion is key, and a strong sense of care and consideration for each other guides us. Our goal is to support our whanau (family) to be the best creatives they can be without any limits. Our environment is all about freedom of choice, wrapped in integrity, love, and understanding. We're here to uplift each other and let the human spirit soar!
Maggie Wong, CEO, VML Hong Kong
The pace of growth for women in the workplace hasn’t matched their ambition. Unfortunately, across many parts of APAC, there are societal factors that influence a woman’s ability to rise to her potential, and as an industry that can have influence over culture, it’s our job to make sure that we elevate that pace – that we shape mindsets to allow women to achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.
It's also important for that celebration and championing of women to begin at
home. At VML, we hired the first ever female copywriter and now continue that legacy with our Helen Lansdowne Resor (HLR) sponsorship to support women and non-binary students' entrance into the industry. I truly believe that initiatives like this have helped us progress so far as an agency.
We also offer mentoring programs across every level, covering soft skills and personal challenges. Flexible work arrangements support women during important life changes. Everyday we work towards a better future for women, and I believe we are making strides.
Jessica Thompson, creative director, The Hallway
This year’s IWD theme is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’. I believe ferociously in pay equality but also in the power of listening. Time and attention is an investment we can all make, starting now, for free. So I asked the women I know to tell me what they really think. I asked about their obstacles, for their advice to leaders, and for what they’re most proud of. The trends in their responses were unmissable.
Their obstacles are almost exclusively about how gender-based discrimination has caused them to lose confidence in themselves, so they speak up less, go for fewer opportunities, and recede more. So, they fit ever more neatly into the stereotype of how women should behave. And so the cycle cycles.
Their advice is for more leaders to walk the talk. Address your gender balance and bias, and actively help us break the glass ceiling. Gender equality is not a women’s issue.
Finally, what these women were all most proud of… was each other. There was no chest beating, no humble brags, just a lot of very powerful recognition.
This International Women’s Day, and forever, invest in women by paying them and by listening better. And if you feel you have been listening, I encourage you to act like it.
Dani Bassil, CEO, Clemenger BBDO
Hello Adland. Please do this today:
Create inclusive policies like:
Supporting women going on maternity leave. Create a return-to-work policy that guides them coming back into the agency in the right way.
Pay them properly and fairly, and NEVER EVER less than a man doing the same job.
Strive for fair female representation at every level so women understand they have a voice and are valued members of your business.
Give women the flexibility they need to work whilst raising children and still carrying the burden of running the household.
If you are a man with children, help run the household too, so the mental load is not all on women, so they can work and thrive and not drown in a brain full of things to do (I cannot emphasise how important this is).
Create a structure so you are checking up on your policies and continuously updating them. Hey – menopause is a thing, a real thing, that needs a policy too. Trust me I know first-hand.
Above all, listen to women. We are important and valuable and the ultimate creators. We made every single one of you after all.
