The Advertising Council Australia (ACA) today announced a new webinar series to support industry action on diversity and inclusion, as laid out in the first phase of the Create Space Action Plan.
The webinars will focus on how to implement recommended actions aligned to the three initial focus areas: gender inequity, mental health and microaggressions. Further actions will be announced in 2023 with the census to be repeated at the end of next year.
The first webinar on Tuesday, October 18, will deliver practical advice on designing and implementing gender-neutral parental leave policies, measuring and addressing gender pay gaps, and becoming an employer of choice for female talent.
The second webinar on Thursday, October 27, will focus on de-stigmatising mental health conversations at work and the importance of training people in mental health first aid. Subsequent webinars addressing sexual harassment and microaggressions will be announced soon.
Hannah Sturrock, ACA’s national head of engagement and D&I lead, said: “We know it can feel overwhelming when embarking on any long-term culture change program but we encourage all businesses to download the Create Space Report and Action Plan and take one step at a time, one action at a time, to help create an industry where everyone feels that they belong.”
“Our new webinar series will make those first steps a little easier.”
Create Space census data found that, despite Australian advertising being a majority female industry, 1 in 4 female middle managers are likely to leave the profession due to a lack of inclusion, while almost one-third of respondents said they grapple with a mental health condition, which exceeds Australia’s average of 15%.
The action webinars are free to attend and open to both members and non-members. ACA members will be able to access recordings afterwards. Additional resources and training are available via the Create Space Hub.
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