For International Women’s Day, we spoke to five women from across our global agency. In APAC we spoke to Melissa Yik, Account Director in Singapore, and Neha Gupta, a Senior Manager on the Search & Social Team in Bangalore. In the US we talked to Adrienne Rice, a Supervisor on the LA Buying team, and Lauren Soviero, an Associate Director on our Business Development in New York. Finally, we interviewed our newest spokesperson, Vicky Ince, who is an Assistant Executive on our London buying team.
Why do you think International Women’s Day matters?
International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women from around the world but also serves as a reminder that not all women have achieved equal rights and that the fight for gender equality is not over yet – Neha
That fight for gender equality is about unlocking women’s potential. There is so much more we could achieve as a society if everyone was given equal opportunity to succeed – Adrienne
It’s important we don’t just focus on familiar experiences, International women’s day allows us to think about the intersectionality of gender with other social classifications so that we don’t fall into a ‘one size fits all’ approach to feminism – Vicky
Even in 2020, women are still passed over for promotions, paid less, discriminated against and face harassment. So, while we’ve come a long way, it is important to recognize there are still women out there that aren’t so lucky and need our support to help make a change – Lauren
What would you change about the world for women if you could?
Gender inequality is still a wide and persistent problem affecting women worldwide, both at home and in the workplace. It is important that we keep fighting for their rights. It’s our turn to pave the path for the next generation – Melissa
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that women around the world are still being denied basic human rights because of their gender. My dream would be that women everywhere, in every country, would be able to make their own decisions and not have to worry about mistreatment. This isn’t a gender issue; this is a human issue – Lauren
There are changes companies can start today which will have a measurable impact towards gender equality. By placing a greater value on caregiving, whether this is through better-paid family leave, more flexible work arrangements, or investments in affordable child and elder care, we can build an infrastructure that supports a better gender balance – Adrienne
Many universal issues facing women are learned from a young age without even realising. Even being asked to take part in this, I immediately asked myself ‘Why me?’. This is not surprising as many women struggle to ‘toot their own horn’ in the same way as their male counterparts. This is more than a confidence issue, I want to change how confident words and actions from women are perceived as well as how we encourage displays of confidence into young girls – Vicky
What are the challenges faced by women in business?
Even in 2020, women are still paid less than men for the same work, are not equally represented in leadership positions, and are forced to push their careers aside if they want to start a family. A woman should never have to choose between a career and starting a family – Lauren
It’s up to businesses to change this choice for women. Equally, by not giving men the same access to parental leave this is feeding into the problem. We need to destigmatise paternal leave just as much as we need to stop penalising mothers and help more fathers to take up the role of the primary caregiver if they so wish to – Vicky
Despite the huge steps forward in the fight for gender equality, the tech world remains largely male-dominated. I’m not alone in attending a conference or a business meeting and being one of the few women in the room. It’s important that women believe in themselves and their ideas to break into these spaces – Neha
Across my career, both in Singapore and New York, I’ve had female role models who inspire me to bring my best to the table in order to achieve my goals. However, many organizations still lack female leaders, and this makes it harder for other women to stand out and climb the ladder – Melissa
What advice would you give to a woman about to start her career in this industry?
Be confident in your point of view and know that you add value, even if your experience is limited. Always ask at least one question in every meeting – Adrienne
Dream big and don’t be afraid! Your journey may be exhausting, full of struggles but the rewards are totally worth it. Earn respect with your hard work and dedication. Don’t be scared to speak up, propose ideas, and challenge yourself to do better – Neha
Don’t be afraid to talk about it if you see a problem. It might feel like an uncomfortable and unwelcomed discussion in the workplace, but it is important to keep educating those around us and normalising the conversation – Vicky
Women have a reputation for believing you need to put other women down to get ahead in life and your career and that couldn’t be further from the truth. My best advice is to not give in to this behaviour, be kind to everyone you meet and support the women around you – Lauren
What future do you see for women in digital media?
Women tend to hold most of the entry to mid-level roles in this industry, while senior management is mostly men. I hope the future holds a more even gender split across all levels – Adrienne
I would love to see more inspiring women in tech sharing their journeys and giving advice on actionable steps for success. Hopefully, showing the next generation more female role models will motivate them to undertake a career in digital too. If they can see it, they can be it! – Melissa
Personally, I have noticed a positive shift in gender ratio and in the acceptance of women working in our Industry. Today, the number of inspiring female role models is growing quickly. Many women are the CEO of the Fortune 500 companies and you can be one of them! Make your quest endless – Neha
I see a bright future for women in digital media considering women influence or manage 85% of all consumer purchases (business insider). Therefore, it makes sense economically to have more women in leadership in our industry, so they are able to give insight on how to effectively reach these women. Diversity of thought and perspective benefits us all and helps build healthier companies that produce even better work – Lauren
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