DUBAI: The Advertising Business Group has announced its support for the second edition of the global diversity, equity and inclusion census.
The main goal of the second edition is to measure the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the marketing and advertising industry, to monitor progress of the results of the inaugural 2021 census — which was launched by the World Federation of Advertisers — and identify key areas where change is needed.
The first census found that one in seven people would consider leaving their company or the industry due to a lack of diversity and inclusion. The figure went up to one in four in some markets.
The WFA published a Charter for Change in the wake of the census.
Leyal Eskin, ABG chair, said: “While we have all been focusing on digital innovations and technologies which will make the industry more productive and efficient, it’s important that we don’t take our eyes off the human side, because it’s only by building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce [that] we will be able to attract new talent, and ensure a sustainable industry for years to come.”
The Global DEI Census is a collaboration between the WFA, VoxComm, Campaign, Kantar, Advertising Week, Cannes Lions, Effie Worldwide, the International Advertising Association, the European Association of Communication Agencies, the Global Web Index, and the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation.
More than 150 organizations have come together to run the research and make it one of the biggest collaborations in the history of the global marketing industry.
People from across the industry — including brands, agencies, the media, tech, consultancies, and marketing services providers — can fill in the survey here.
The findings will be presented in June at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
KEY FINDINGS OF THE FIRST EDITION
- 40 percent of women said family status can hinder careers.
- 36 percent said age can hinder careers at their company.
- Nearly half (47 percent) of women with children under 16 agreed that their family status hindered their careers, compared to 22 percent of men with children under 16.
- Only 35 percent said their company provided equal pay for equal work.
- 43 percent said that the best opportunities go to the most deserving employees.
- 30 percent agreed with the statement “I have observed inappropriate behavior within my company.”
