The theme of this year's International Women's Day is summed up in the slogan "Accelerate Action". Accelerating action for women's equality is needed because, as the IWD points out, at the current pace it would be achieved in 2158.
Take a look at a selection of projects that are trying to accelerate progress in many areas, whether it's entitlement, recognition of merit, or even combating domestic violence and harassment.
The Fee Speech
Many companies hold conferences to celebrate women on International Women's Day. At the same time, they often ask them to give their speeches for free. So the Clemenger BBDO Sydney agency and Less than 10% F*ck That created The Fee Speech project to help women "educate" companies like this - or as the face of the project, journalist and commentator Jane Caro, puts it, "the idiots who want you to work for free".
The Final Copy of Ilon Specht
There are many women in the advertising industry whose merits are not widely known. Is there anyone who doesn't know the slogan "Because I'm worth it"? The iconic phrase has been used by L'Oréal Paris for more than 50 years. It revolutionised the 'beauty business' and, despite the atmosphere of the early 1970s, represented a succinct self-determination of the value of women. It was created by Ilon Specht of the McCann agency. She is featured in a short documentary by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, his company Breakwater Studios and Traverse 32 Productions. It can be viewed in its entirety here.
The Monster Who Came to Tea
A campaign by the non-profit Women's Aid and agency House 337 develops the theme of domesticity. The chillingly compelling story of "the monster who came to tea" begins with a bedtime story read by a mother to her daughter, but the turning point at the end underscores the urgency with which domestic violence should be tackled. And this is not just the case for the British government, which the campaign and the petition call on to take more action.
When Silence Is Not Gold
When Silence Is Not Gold is also answered by the annual campaign of the jewellery brand Pomellato from the Kerig Group. With the help of celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Mariska Hargitay, Laura Harrier, America Ferrera or Gianvito Martino, it calls on us to become guardians of a society that does not allow domestic violence, which is something that one in three women in the world will encounter.
No red flag is too small
The British NGO Refuge also responds to the fact that one in four British women will face domestic violence in her lifetime. Together with AMV BBDO and Pixel Artworks, Refuge decided to materialise the so-called "red flags", signals that warn of unsafe behaviour by partners, in an exhibition called "Sea of Red" in the London space Outernet.
Over a hundred flags highlighting the many forms of abuse are accompanied by the voices of women who have faced it, portrayed by celebrities such as Olivia Colman, Bella Ramsay and Adjoa Andoh. The exhibition is a continuation of the long-running 'Make the World a Refuge' campaign.
Tailing
Our Streets Now has teamed up with award-winning advertising director Lauren Midwinter to draw attention to the sexual harassment that women face in broad daylight. According to Our Streets Now research, one in two women in the UK aged 16 to 24 regularly experience it, although the previous #CrimeNotCompliment campaign has also made sexual harassment a criminal offence in the country. The five-minute film shows how harassment can look very different for each party and the traumatic effects it can have. The full film can be viewed on the project's website.
Source: mam.cz