Sive Buckley
Women in advertising aren't waiting to be given a seat at the table anymore, they’re pulling up their own chairs, according to Australian creatives.
While the majority of creative agencies are currently sitting at, or are striving for, a 50/50 gender split, gender diversity in the leadership ranks is an ongoing issue.
This year the United Nations theme for International Women's Day is ‘March Forward: For all women and girls’.
The Aunties, an industry body who advocate for gender equality, have shared their insights on how the industry is (or isn’t) making the industry more equitable for women.
Sive Buckley, general manager at The Aunties and managing partner at Born Creators, said this year's theme feels right for the times.
“No one’s waiting around to be given a seat at the table anymore, we’re pulling up our own chairs,” she told AdNews.
“‘March Forward’ is about momentum, showing up for each other and pushing the industry to finally reflect the world we live in.”
Buckley said she struggled early in her career with being perceived as the token woman rather than someone who could add value and that the biggest lesson she learnt was to back herself and not be afraid to take up space.
“There’s no shortage of talented women in the industry, but there’s a serious gap when it comes to nurturing and promoting female leadership,” she said.
“We need more women in decision-making roles, and that starts by giving women the opportunities before they’re 150% qualified, not waiting until they’ve ticked every box.”
Buckey said the advertising industry has historically been a challenging place for women to advance their careers but it’s not all doom and gloom.
“The biggest learning for me from The Aunties is that people will listen and help you grow,” she said.
“And if anyone makes you feel like you don’t belong... they’re probably just scared of how good you are.”
Dhivia Pillai, head of strategy at The Aunties and lead brand thinker at Thinkerbell, said being a Malaysian-Australian woman with a “weird” name had its challenges.
“Strategy is predominantly a boy's club (although that is changing). This meant I had to work a little harder to prove myself on a daily basis,” she said.
“Exceeding expectations and building trust sat at the core of everything I did day-to-day.”
Pillai said research by RMIT's Dr. Leonora Risse found that having a confident personality boosts men’s chances of job promotion by 3.3%, but women gain no sizeable benefit.
“Women receive 'lower benefit, or even suffer backlash, for demonstrating ambition, confidence and assertiveness' - all qualities you need in a CD role,” she said.
“This has to do with underlying biases about women who express these qualities; mainly that they're bossy or arrogant, versus seeing them as a demonstration of competence.
“So we can only make progress if we check our reactive biases at the door and interrogate them when they emerge.”
Robyn Bergmann, creative at The Aunties and creative director at TBWA, said there are women in senior positions across the industry but creative departments are still under-represented.
“It’s only through diverse creative departments that we can make work that is relevant to a diverse audience,” she said.
“Female creatives need to see women in senior creative positions so that they can imagine a future for themselves in this industry. We need to shape agency cultures that prioritise retaining and growing female talent.”
Bergmann said being a mother was something she had to learn to be loud and proud about.
“I had to learn to hold my own in a room full of men and find a way to make my voice heard. And do it without losing myself,” she said.
“Not having a lot of senior female creative mentors to learn from and to support me in my career choices meant that I was often working it out myself. And probably being more conservative in my decisions as a result.
“Gaining confidence from other women who support or inspire you is such a huge thing for women in advertising. I still feel like I am winging it most of the time. I need to remind myself that I am good at my job and have a unique way of seeing the world.
Bergmann said International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made and what it needs to protect.
“Don’t try and change yourself to fit in or to compete. Be your own unique self and allow others to do so too,” she said.
“Support other women at every opportunity and stick around because this industry needs you.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.