How female leaders are driving inclusion this International Women’s Day 2024

Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion – that’s the message for International Women’s Day 2024, which falls today, 8 March.

The IWD movement wants us to imagine a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

So we asked some of the most inspiring women from the media and marketing world how they were forging equality and inclusion in their workplaces…

Julia Linehan, Founder and CEO, The Digital Voice

“Diversity in the industry is all about individuals. The way we embrace it is to focus on what everyone as an individual can bring to the table – you’re not going to see your company thrive when everyone thinks and talks the same across the board.

“Gender equality is a mammoth topic and it’s easy to feel hopeless looking at it with a wide lens.

“But diversity has come a long way already: just look at the McKinsey reports, which have found that the business case for gender diversity at board level has more than doubled in the last decade.

“Back in 2015, companies with greater diversity amongst executives were 15% more likely to perform above the financial industry average, and by last year, that number jumped to 39%.

“But financial incentive aside, there’s still a lot of work to be done to make women feel included and valued across the digital ad industry. As leaders, it’s about reframing the fight into simple steps all of us can take to rectify inclusion and representation for all genders and intersections.

“To start, look right at the bottom of the funnel with recruitment processes that don’t just provide opportunities, but encourage women to apply for roles based on talent and potential, not a diversity quota.

“After hiring, policies that help women feel welcome at all levels of their careers and allyship or mentorship programmes provide support and community.

“Both of these things foster inclusion with space to share experiences and learn the value of advocating for each other.

“And look to overcome sticking points that hold women back – for example, tackle the gender pay gap by finding ways new mothers can return to work without financial penalties, and encouraging shared parental leave.

“There’s no silver bullet for the inherent imbalance women still experience in our industry. But inspiring inclusion is the key to not only a more diverse workplace where everyone is equal, but to business success as well. It’s a win-win.”

Lena Buyan, Chief Product Officer, Verasity

“The pursuit of gender equality knows no borders, and is a global undertaking. My own journey, enriched by various, diverse cultural experiences, has deepened my insight into gender inequality.

“Whether witnessing the strength of women in war-torn countries like Ukraine, or addressing bias in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, the challenges are diverse yet intrinsically linked.

“The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality emphasises the need for countries to work together. It shows how crucial it is to understand and solve the specific problems women face in various contexts.

“Take Silicon Valley, for instance, where the push might be towards increasing the presence of women in STEM fields and tech leadership.

“Yet, in other regions the struggle can be as basic as securing the right to education.

“This vast range of challenges women face highlights the importance of crafting strategies that both acknowledge, embrace and leverage the cultural differences that shape our world, all while building a sense of global unity.

“Achieving gender equality is a collective effort that benefits from shared wisdom and joint action.

“By aligning ourselves with global initiatives like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we’re working towards a world where gender equality is a reality, not an aspiration.”

Michelle Hulst, President, GumGum

“Being a woman in this industry empowers me by providing a platform to influence the development of more inclusive and ethical advertising technologies.

“It allows me to mentor and elevate other women, creating a more diverse leadership landscape.

“The challenge lies in overcoming the industry’s gender biases and ensuring equal representation and opportunity.

“However, these challenges also serve as a catalyst for advocating for change and demonstrating the invaluable contributions women can make to adtech.”

Suzanna Chaplin, CEO, esbconnect

“This year’s IWD #InspireInclusion hashtag is particularly pertinent for us at esbconnect, because we’re in the process of a recruitment drive into the sales team, and of 30 candidates that made the first round of interviews, only two are women. Two!

“There’s a huge quantity of empirical research that suggests women demonstrate high emotional intelligence, have great people skills and value transparency in their working relationships – all of which are hugely valuable traits in today’s sales landscape.

“So, why are we finding so few women applying for jobs?

“It is true that, traditionally, sales teams are perceived to be quite laddish, with deals done over pints at the pub or down the members club, and this could well put women off applying for such roles.

“Women might also feel they have to go above and beyond in male-dominated teams to prove their worth.

“Whatever the reason, the industry needs to shine a light on this issue by continuing the conversation, acknowledging the various gender gaps, and in particular reinforcing that there is nothing inherently ‘male’ about being a successful sales person.

“Where resources and scale allow, targeted and structured initiatives have proven effective in driving greater gender balance in commercial leadership positions.”

Anette Hallgren, Partner & Chief Customer Officer, Brand Metrics

“International Women’s Day always offers a great opportunity to step back and take stock of where the industry stands in its bid for better gender diversity.

“A quick Google of the subject can reveal depressing news and statistics. For example, the pandemic was particularly bad for women in tech, with gender diversity in US adtech leadership sinking from 86% in 2020 to 59% in 2021 (BCG.com) – perhaps because caregiving became a significant issue for many families during this time, and women shouldered the majority of that burden.

“So recent history hasn’t been on the side of progress, and numbers like these really ought to galvanise the industry to do better.

“A diverse workforce is a more productive workforce, so it’s time to redouble our efforts and look at ways to encourage female inclusion in our industry.”

Annitta Musendo, Client Services Operations, Multilocal

“For me, International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress we’ve made in advancing gender equality, while also acknowledging the work that still lies ahead.

“It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of women around the world, honour those who have paved the way for future generations, and recommit to breaking down barriers and biases that continue to hinder true inclusivity.

“Inspiring inclusion, to me, means creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

“It means recognising and embracing the diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents that each individual brings to the table, regardless of gender or any other identity marker.

Also published in: Mediashotz