IWD 2022: ‘Be more gentle – I would love to hear from a man who has received that advice.’
For International Women’s Day 2022, Mumbrella’s Anna Macdonald spoke to several women about how they felt in the industry, their experiences, and what ought to be done to help women achieve parity.
It’s complicated to address how women feel in this industry. Some feel things have improved for women, others feel things are going backwards.
For example, TBWA Sydney chief growth officer Nitsa Lotus says: “I feel like there’ve been some pretty fundamental changes. If you’d asked me this question maybe 20 years ago, I would have a very, very different. I kind of feel like there’ve been some fundamental changes in the industry since I started, it was slow and steady change for quite a long time. And it was super frustrating if I’m honest.
“But it’s significantly changed. And I think the rate of change in the last, I reckon, five years has been more exponential change than incremental change, at least culturally. There’s this zero tolerance for sexism now, whereas it was always jokey, jokey when I first started. What people used to get away with was just abhorrent really, but I mean, it’s so different now.”
I’m astounded that someone read this article, contemplated the general discourse on gender equality the workplace, and then came to the conclusion that their best contribution was: ‘If only these ladies would smile so we’d all feel a bit more welcome!’
I might look serious in this photo, Pete, but I can tell you that right now I am LAUGHING. This is just what my face looks like, you condescending, pseudo-intellectual bottom-feeder. Not a criticism, just an observation xo
Hey Peter Middleton,
I look like this in all my photos. If this photo was of a man, it would be seen as confident and powerful. Your criticism disguised as “observations “don’t help any woman in this industry.
This is just an observation, not a criticism. I find it intriguing that in an article where removing barriers appears a key part of the communication, the body language of crossed arms in 2 of the photos chosen suggests barring communication and the third (featuring a “be gentle” message) shows an overly-serious, unwelcoming expression. Maybe this is the ‘Grace Tame statement’ (which I heartily endorse in her reaction to the PM): don’t indicate ANY contentment about a situation when it is still far from resolved?
This another observation – it’s about yesterdays men, judging women by using a metaphorical “book of rules and etiquette for the workplace” written by them for them. They are confounded because their values and rules no longer have potency and impact to those who demand equality. How very dare us call them out on it.
Then they either get angry & shouty or smarmy & condescending, like bad Mr Men caricatures, the Mr Status-Quo-Bro’s – they’re everywhere- work, home, sport in the club at the bar. Spot them by the stuff they say in a sentence that exposes their benevolent sexism.
Have you seen one in the wild? Be sure to tag them #StatusQuoBro