The inaugural WiM Africa event takes place during the prestigious Loeries Creative Week in Durban, South Africa with a focus on the role the marketing and advertising industry has to play in stereotypical representations of women in society and culture.

The stereotypical portrayal of women in the media and on our TV screens is nothing new. But with issues around equal pay, gender equality and global movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, isn’t it time to look at the role the advertising and marketing industries have to play and which areas of the sector can effect the most change?

Globally only 3% of creative directors are female and out of the top 50 most influential CMOs only 18 are women (2017). Given these disparities in female representation and influence at the highest levels, what is the impact on the dynamics of marketing departments and advertising agencies across the continent? How does this influence the brand strategies and the creative produced; the portrayal of women in the media and resulting impact on society? This event will focus on the impact this under representation of senior female executives at the very top of our organisations has on the portrayal of women in the media, and the effects on our society and culture.

Female Representation and the Media – Who controls the narrative? An exclusive gathering that will not only introduce a new network, resource and voice for women in marketing, advertising and communications, but will also seek to address some of the specific challenges faced by those in the sector across the continent.

Key topics to be addressed include:

• Is the lack of female representation at the most senior levels in agencies and brand organisations impacting not only the internal dynamics and the creative produced but also the portrayal of women in media?
• What role does advertising plays in socialisation and in either perpetrating or challenging stereotypes?
• With women making the majority of purchasing decisions in a household, are agencies and brands missing a trick in not demanding more women in the creative and pitching processes?
• Are women the problem? Do more women need to ‘LeanIn’ and demand a seat at the table?
• Does the business case for diversity and inclusion differ on the continent?
• Diversity and inclusion: is the continent ready for quotas and scorecards?
• A look to the regions – South, West, East, Central and North Africa – same issues, different solutions?

Find out who is presenting and book tickets