Want to get radical this IWD? Do this one thing...
This IWD, we ask everyone to #TakeAPause
International Women’s Day 2021 is particularly poignant this year, as March 8th marks the return to schools across the UK and the end of the impossible task of attempting homeschooling, while for many, simultaneously trying to hold down a full-time job.
As the Creative Equal’s CreativeComeback alumni (a returners programme, backed by Diageo and D&AD) of 2020 began exploring creative ideas for IWD2021, it was hard to ignore the bitter irony that March 8th will leave many working mothers across the industry equal parts exhausted and exhilarated. The radical act we want for IWD is... for women everywhere to just rest. We know you are tired. We see you. We feel you.
That's why this IWD, the CreativeComeback returners are asking the industry to #TakeAPause at 11am TODAY and consider the long-term impact of the pandemic on gender equality in their businesses and their gender pay gap.
Covid-19 has been tough on everyone, but recently, with 71% of furlough requests on the grounds of childcare refused by employers, mothers have been forced into an impossible situation of working and parenting. In a gender-regressive scenario in which no action is taken to counter these effects, we estimate that global GDP growth could be £1 trillion lower in 2030 than it would be if women’s unemployment simply tracked that of men in each sector.
The campaign is in collaboration women’s groups Bloom, DAWN, Working Girls Network, Futures Network, Conker, Let’s Reset, WACL and Digital Leading Ladies who are asking individuals and organisations across every industry to #TakeAPause and stop sleepwalking into the biggest threat to gender equality in our generation.
This campaign was made by a select group of hard-working returners from CreativeComeback2020, who have had their careers - you guess it - put on pause. Special thanks to Lizi Harmer, Group Creative Director at Octagon, and Nicola Kemp, Managing Editor at Creativebrief's BITE, for shaping this with us.
Want to join? Download the messaging kit. And put your OOO on (yes, all credit to Equal Pay Day campaign). Otherwise, just take a pause. That's OK with us.
WATCH THIS: The WACL gender pay gap know-how webinar
Like to find out how to close the gender pay gap? Five of the UK's most highly qualified experts will share actionable advice and debate the business and societal benefits of pay gap reporting with WACL at 2.45pm. Free to attend, register here.
Also: TOMORROW, it's 'Take Action Tuesday with an exciting announcement from us right here. Stay tuned!