By Rebecca Fennelly
Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.
I didn’t identify with being a feminist until quite recently. I’ll be the first person to admit that in the not-too-distant past there were times I thought Feminism (my depiction of it) was hindering gender equality as much as it was helping it.
What has changed for me?
Well, for one thing, I think I am a little less ignorant than I used to be…
What else has changed?
The conversation has changed. The people who are having the conversations have changed. Where these conversations are being had has changed. And most crucially, the action being taken off the back of these conversations is, in my opinion, more palpable, more influential.
With the birth of incredibly powerful movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, gender issues are at the forefront of the global political agenda, more than they have been for a very long time.
I was delighted to be invited along to ‘The Changing Face of Feminism’ event, created and hosted by Ogilvy & Mather and Women In Marketing.
It was a truly fantastic evening that aimed to bring generations and cultures together at this pivotal time to dissect how feminism has evolved and where it is headed. This provoked some hugely insightful and impeccably timed discussions.
I came away from the evening feeling enlightened and energised. Here are just some of my main take-aways:
1. Lisa Jedan, Global Head of Brand PR at Bacardi-Martini told us that traditional views of gender are moving faster in CULTURE than they are in ADVERTISING, and this is happening at a time when brands are trying to reach women more than ever.
2. Ella Dolpin, CEO of Shortlist Media, asked “Are we at risk of creating a dialogue that makes men afraid to have an opinion about women’s rights?”. She discussed how that was not a solution we needed.
3. Victoria Buchanan of The Future Laboratory revealed estimations say it is going to take 116 years until the global pay gap between men and women is closed. This gap exists everywhere, and it is WIDENING for the first time since records began.
4. Cindy Gallop’s presence at the event was felt as her ever-powerful and relevant words – directed squarely at the ad industry – were put on big screen during the panel session – “Stop Talking About It, Start Doing It. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”.
Throughout an evening of discussion and debate, opinions differed, disagreements were had, and conversations got heated. But one thing remained clear throughout: Unity amongst us all is crucial.
Whatever your definition of feminism is, whatever your skin colour, age, religion, sexual orientation, what we need now more than ever, is unity and collaboration in our efforts to bring about true gender equality.
In the words of Maya Angelou, “I’m a feminist, I’ve been female for a while now. It’s be stupid not to be on my own side”
Digital Mums has launched a brand-new training programme for all mums whether working full time, part time or on a career break. They’ve called it Digital Retox® because it’s all about immersing yourself in the world of digital and indulging in all the new workplace tools and trends out there. And because training only takes 3-6 hours a week, it’s ideal to do alongside work or parenting commitments…
Digital Mums has launched Digital Retox® in response to conversations with mums who felt like the digital revolution was passing them by, both inside and outside the workplace. The course is designed to fast-track student’s understanding of the key digital technologies and skills crucial to the modern workplace. This includes how to develop your personal online brand – your ‘Digital Me’ – so you can showcase your skills to the full and hustle for the roles – and pay – you deserve. Students will also get the lowdown on new communication and organisation technologies such as Slack, Trello and Touchcast and be introduced to in-demand skil ls like coding and programming, social media and data-driven decision making. To cement their learning, students will undergo weekly challenges to build new found digital skills, and crucially overall confidence.
Digital Mums has almost completed its first pilot of the Digital Retox® training. Only half way into their training and already 86% of their 72 students feel more digitally confident since taking part in Digital Retox® and 8 in 10 believe they’ve developed their skills set.
The second Digital Retox® pilot, starts on 14 May 2018 and the lovely people at Digital Mums are offering this fabulous community the chance to join their digital first army of mums for a special price of £270 inc VAT. For more details on how to build your digital skills and boost your confidence, and to claim your 10% discount, just go here.
WiM Founder and CEO, Ade Onilude, featured in Twitter’s powerful anthem to women #HereWeAre which made it’s TV debut during the 2018 Oscars.
The 60-second spot includes an original poem from poet Denice Frohman and features a multi-generational group of women from 20 to 82, including Hollywood filmmakers Issa Rae, Ava DuVerney, Julie Dash and Jennifer Brea.
The campaign builds on a similar campaign dubbed #Sheinspiresme, which also featured Frohman’s poem and several Hollywood stars, including Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari.
The ad, the first one that Twitter has run during the Oscars, capitalises on the hashtag that CMO Leslie Berland created in January to talk about the lack of women speakers at CES this year. Berland also organized an event at CES named #HereWeAre, with speakers including GE’s CMO Linda Boff, Recode co-executive editor and co-founder Kara Swisher and Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code.
Read the full article and watch the video on AdWeek.com
Women in Marketing (WiM) are pleased to announce the shortlisted entries for the 7th annual Women in Marketing Awards 2017. Taking place on the 16th November at The Ham Yard Hotel in London, the Women in Marketing Awards celebrates the successes and advances made by women in the marketing, advertising and communications fields, and their male supporters.
Having received a huge response and submissions from around the world, the shortlisted entries reflect the ground-breaking work being carried out, meeting the demands of the constantly evolving nature of the marketing and media landscapes.
The shortlisted entries consist of individuals and teams from a diverse range of organisations including Unilever, HP Inc, Nestle Brasil, Standard Life, Bizcommunity.com, Feel Communications, Campaign magazine and The Future Laboratory. The complete list of shortlisted entries can be found on the Women in Marketing website.
“Every single year we are amazed by the quality of the entries, and this year is no exception. We’ve been absolutely delighted by not only the high standard but also by the range of entries and the judges have had an immensely difficult job in whittling down the nominations to the shortlisted number. We’re looking forward to what will be a fantastic awards night; clinking our glasses and celebrating the strides made by women in the industry and their advocates from around the world.”
Ade Onilude, Founder & CEO of Women in Marketing CIC.
A huge thank you to those who’ve supported the WiM Awards over the years and to the 2017 Awards sponsors including Weber Shandwick, IPG and AXIM.
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Note to Editors
The 2017 Women in Marketing Awards will take place on the 16th November 2017 at the Ham Yard Hotel in London.
NEWS RELEASE
A full list of shortlisted entries can be found on the Women in Marketing website:
About the Women In Marketing Network
Founded by Ade Onilude, in 2004, Women in Marketing (WiM) is established to empower women to fulfill their potential within the marketing profession. Ade was inspired to launch the WiM network as a forum to educate, inspire, connect, share and recognise women in the marketing profession. The first WiM event was held in March 2004, to coincide with the ‘International Women’s Day’ celebration.
WiM Talks have varied from ‘work-life’ balance, branding, ethical marketing to global marketing. In 2010, the Women in Marketing Awards were launched and are established to recognise the economic, social influence and impact of women to millions. This year, the WiM Awards will be held on 16 November 2017 at the Ham Yard, London. WiM is grateful, over the years, for the support of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM),The Marketing Academy and to the WiM Awards past headline sponsors ITV, Mondelez, Vodafone and Havas Worldwide. Special thanks to Gail Gallie, co-founder of Project Everyone, Sarah Speake, Daryl Fielding and Rita Clifton.
The WiM forum has evolved over the past decade, to become a community interest company and we continue our journey through the support of our team, our global ambassadors and our advisory council.
For more information about Women In Marketing, the 2017 WiM Awards, the shortlisted candidates, a list of the judges and previous awards and events visit womeninmarketing.org.uk
For media enquiries email hello@womeninmarketing.org.uk
We recently gathered a group of amazing women from around the world. Poet @denicefrohman took the mic. Here’s what happened. #SheInspiresMe pic.twitter.com/dvKBbUGr91
— Twitter (@Twitter) July 13, 2017
The film is part of Twitter’s #SheInspiresMe initiative, which aims to lift and empower female voices.
We are thrilled to see that among the female leaders and creatives from around the world featured in the video, are our very own WiM leaders, Ade Onilude and Joanne Nye.
In the film, Denice Frohman reads her poem over images and videos of female leaders and creatives from around the world, stars included are Alicia Silverstone and Mena Suvari; former Under Secretary of State Charlotte Beers; Sinmisola Hughes-Obisesan, the first female creative director for Insight Publicis, Nigeria; and Twitter employees.
In a blog post about the video, Twitter CMO Leslie Berland explained that it was created at an event at Twitter Beach, Cannes Lions, France, held by the social network that brought together a group of “inspiring and aspiring” female leaders and creatives from around the world to celebrate their collective impact.
“The gathering resulted in a unique collaboration that highlights an exquisite mix of innovators, storytellers, students, artists, actors, and activists,” wrote Berland. “Poet Denice Frohman crafted an original work that she recited at the event which encapsulates the spirit of the experience.”
The video was created by Twitter’s Brand and Creative Studio.
Read more at PR Week
First Brand to Become Corporate Member
LONDON, UK, APRIL 30, 2017 – Women in Marketing (WiM) is pleased to announce that HP is its first corporate member. HP will help drive positive change across the industry by supporting WiM’s diversity and inclusion initiatives in the marketing industry, including the development and implementation of the ‘Diversity and Equal Opportunities Audit.’
‘Diversity and inclusion are a business imperative and a values issue for our industry. Organizations like WiM will help us move a more inclusive agenda forward,’ said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at HP. ‘We believe the time for words and conferences has passed. It is time to move towards focused, sustained and measurable action plans.’
WiM CEO and founder, Ade Onilude, added that, ‘We’re so proud to be in a position to have the input and support of leading global brands like HP, to help move our industry towards a fairer, more inclusive profession, where equal opportunities become the norm, a profession that touches the lives of millions of people worldwide.’
WiM initiatives include their annual WiM Awards, which sees high achievers celebrated and companies nominated for the coveted industry accolades. Ade Onilude said, ‘This year will see our seventh annual awards and be the first time we will be accepting entrants from across the Globe; it promises to be a great night – full of inspiration and aspiration.’ This year the WiM Awards will take place on Thursday, 16th November 2017 at the Ham Yard Hotel in London, UK.
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About WiM:
Founded by Ade Onilude, in 2004, Women in Marketing (WiM) empowers women to fulfill their potential within the marketing profession. Ade was inspired to launch the WiM network as a forum to educate, inspire, connect, share and recognize women in the marketing profession. The WiM forum has evolved over the past decade, to become a community interest company and we continue our journey through the support of our team, our global ambassadors and our advisory council. More information about WiM is available at womeninmarketing.org.uk
Editorial Contacts:
Women in Marketing
email: hello@womeninmarketing.org.uk
© Women in Marketing CIC 2017. WiM shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.