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Fueling The Diversity Flame
- Kathryn
- Jan 7, 2018
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 26, 2023
Before we get going, let me briefly acknowledge the 16 month hiatus from this blog. From my side there is little excuse beyond that of a very busy new job. From Dad’s perspective, he has been shifting from one new start-up venture to the next, something I have of course asked him to write about in his next post.
Nonetheless, the point is one can always resume where one left off. And there's a lot to talk about since September 2016. While invention does by definition look forwards, this first post will be a brief look back to time missed, plus a view on the future peppered with relevant context. On a theme of course: gender diversity.
Why Gender? Why Now?
It seems that gender has been, for want of a better phrase, a hot topic last year. Hotter than ever. There are a multitude of reasons: from Trump related misogyny making almost daily headlines; the rise of the female tech scene; ever increasing outspoken women at the very top of their game (from Cindy Gallop, Karen Blackett and Sheryl Sandberg to Emma Watson and Jennifer Lawrence); a surge in attention and action to tackle equal pay and sexual abuse, plus many others.
I predict this flame (not spark, it's more than that) will burn even hotter in 2018, starting not least with Iceland making equal pay law last week. Plus, there is the new UK law on gender pay gap reporting, decreeing that all organisations with 250 or more workers must annually publish various figures that will reveal various differences in pay between men and women. Some snapshots are already live. The first full cohort of figures is due before 6th April 2018. Let's watch that space.
Personally, I admit until the past year I have almost consciously avoided becoming too involved in gender debates, mainly because I do not identify with the feminist stereotype and in fact, actively recoil from the more extreme representations.
However in 2017 I devoted time and energy as a part of an internal gender equality driving force within the company I work for. From that I know the extreme feminist stereotype is on the whole not true, and that even if it was, championing gender diversity is an entirely different matter. In fact that stereotype is something I believe continually stands in the way of those not engaged. Of course, the counter to any stereotype is not to say it’s wrong, but to prove it by actively outweighing it. Create a new motivational force. That’s what I’ve been working on alongside some fantastic people at my company, advertising agency adam&eveDDB. We call it Eve.
With respect to this blog, gender diversity, and indeed diversity in general is important for innovation for one very simple reason: different minds result in a greater number of different ideas. More variation means there is a greater chance of reaching better, more efficient, more exciting solutions. Diversity will eventually lead to better ideas, quicker. It will accelerate invention. End of.
Some Barriers
Undeniably men and women are in some ways, biologically, physically different. However personalities are probably not, certainly when considered in two polaric groups. I won't go into the detail, however extensive psychological research has been able to point to overall, very similar brain structures. Indeed differences are seen between everyone. It means that cognitively, men and women are likely as similar as we are different and weight against any single perceived difference, gender or otherwise, is narrow minded in the broadest of ways. All of this is something most are probably already aware of, perhaps because we have already read about it. As I mentioned, 2017 seemed to be a year during which headlines promoting gender equality and diversity were more prevalent than ever before.
Some claim to be “bored” of it. Indeed it seemed Justin Tindall, CCO of ad agency M&C Saatchi, was not able to keep up with the pace of change this year. His outspoken view on diversity was remarkable: his words suggested that we are wasting time focusing on it, and that we should simply work to create better work - something that diversity, as well as various other extraordinary pieces of future facing tech have no role in. I can't imagine he'll be driving innovation in the industry any time soon.
One Example
Speaking of advertising, earlier I mentioned a gender equality promoting initiative called Eve within the agency I work at. It's just one example of progression, one I happen to be close to.
With eve we are actively delivering a number of initiatives to empower women and drive equality across the agency. From providing paid for tickets to inspirational speeches and conferences, to hosting assertiveness training and panel events; as as well as pushing to make sure the work we communicate out to the world with is gender equal in it’s production (DDB’s commitment to Free the Bid) and in it’s message (unconscious bias training is to be rolled out across all departments). We also actively look to write new, spontaneous briefs that promote gender equality.
It’s worth saying that probably the thing I love most about Eve is that people are involved from a huge range of backgrounds. From across seniorities and departments, plus men, because ultimately it's about equality. Eve is inclusive, easy to have your voice heard and above all, we get things done.
Eve has proven to me that anyone can make a difference, and that diversity is a huge amount more than campaigning for equal pay, that's just one part of it. Gender diversity is ultimately about attitude. From that, change will happen organically, it’s just hard work at the start.
Industry Responsibility
Beyond that of equal opportunities itself, progressing attitude change can be powerful in both positive and negative forms. Take the various responses to Justin Tindall’s “bored of diversity” comments, they were as encouraging as the initial article was shocking. In fact it demonstrated huge passion for diversity across the media industry. That sort of fire cannot be sat on, and indeed now it’s been spoken about the pressure for it to be channelled has been vastly increased.
The role of advertising agencies in promoting gender diversity is vast, because they don’t just communicate to their employees - through their clients they broadcast to the world. It’s something they have power over when, for example presenting a breadth of ideas to clients. That’s not to say agencies are ahead, in fact some clients are very good, if not better at championing diversity. It’s simply important to acknowledge that agencies must learn even faster so that they maximise the spread of equality driving attitudes, ensuring the sense of it being the norm grows.
Fuel For 2018
Trump has simultaneously impeded and accelerated the road to promoting gender equal attitudes. While he has set many negative initiatives in motion, he has also rilled the world to the danger of male dominance by utterly exaggerating it. The question of why and how it happened is complex, not least to do with the role of social media (there’s another whole post about that to come), but one thing it has done very quickly is to bring diversity issues to the forefront of global conversation. As with Tindall on a much smaller scale, once encountered it cannot be ignored.
There’s also the fact the new editor of Vogue is a black man, Edward Enninful. He is the driving force behind making the somewhat exclusive magazine “inviting and not so intimidating”. I'm excited to see what that translates to.
That’s not to forget #metoo, very accurately summarised by Claire Suddath: “this time it’s different. The ground is finally shaking”. In other words, regardless of the detail it is indisputable that finally,
gender issues are being talked about at scale. Almost to prove it, the upshot for 2018 is 'Times's Up Now', the action to follow the speaking out that #metoo encouraged. The website summarises best: "The clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace. It's time to do something about it." Along with passionate celebrity backing, (it is certainly that, not endorsement), from Cara Delevingne and Emma Watson among others, it will certainly not go quiet anytime soon.
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