By Jalaja Ramanunni
The Marketing Society launched a gender equality campaign, ‘Think Equal,’ in the UAE and MENA region earlier this year in partnership with Weber Shandwick MENAT and TikTok. Campaign spoke to The Marketing Society’s CEO, Sophie Devonshire, to learn more about it.
When asked if there is a need to discuss gender equality in marketing today, Devonshire was quick to answer, “Yes, more than ever.”
The barriers for women have remained the same for generations. Devonshire shares that parental leave for both genders and a lack of flexibility is often cited as an issue for women across the world. One of the industry’s main challenges is the need for more female role models at a senior level. “The gender representation of speakers at events is often massively disproportionate globally, particularly in the UAE. The voices need to be heard around women leading the way in business. Something has to be done, and we want to help ensure equal opportunities for those who want to progress,” Devonshire states.
So when the question came up about what could be done to support an initiative to make a change, the answer was the ‘Think Equal’ campaign. The Marketing Society understands that storytelling and sharing examples of women who lead can make a difference to people. They have planned free events to start conversations with online masterclasses, training sessions, mentoring, policy change discussions, book clubs, and content. “We want to make sure that we’re giving people those connections as well,” she says.
When UN Chief Antonio Guterres spoke in Doha last month, he warned that gender equality would take 300 years to achieve. Globally, the pace of change around gender equality is slow compared with what’s been happening in technology and the industry at large. “To change centuries of challenges, particularly at workplaces, takes longer than you think. But I think there has been a change in understanding that male allyship is important and that it isn’t a battle women are fighting alone. If you want to build a better working world and your business to be stronger, agile, and creative, it is essential to ensure that you have access to all the best talent. Several studies show that it’s better for everybody when women have more opportunities to progress. You won’t have access to them in a world where there are barriers for women to progress in their careers,” she explained.
Devonshire adds that the UAE is one of the world’s most dynamic, creative, forward-thinking, and innovative regions that will continue to lead in this area. She says, “What we really love to do is help marketers do well in their careers and do good in the economy, their organisations, and society as a whole.”
