No matter what we choose, we’re sacrificing something we want or could want later. If agencies truly care about equity, they must stop promoting balance alone and shift focus to helping women buy more time.
Advertising is behind
Right now, the tech industry is leading the pack in closing the gender gap by rolling out robust healthcare plans encompassing the many facets of women’s health, from infertility to menopause.
Adobe is doing it right, offering adoption and surrogacy reimbursements with lifetime maximums of $50,000 for each event and fertility benefits including coverage for artificial insemination, ovulation induction, egg freezing and storing, IVF and much more.
Within the ad industry, Mekanism is helping drive awareness around the impact a woman’s biology has on her job with “The Menoclause,” a movement to make workplaces more menopause-friendly. But that’s just a starting point.
If advertising wants to attract and retain female talent, grow female leaders and set the workplace’s wellness standard, it must step up and provide comprehensive care for all routes to motherhood. It’s not enough to recognize that we’re built differently than men and that our biology does indeed impact our livelihood. We have to do something about it.
Decision-makers, hold your agencies accountable when it comes to investing in benefit portfolios that give women the same personal and professional opportunities as men; benefits that overwrite the traditional system by helping extend women’s fertility, giving us the time we need to fully engage at work while still planning for and starting families beyond 35.
Egg-freezing, egg-storing, IVF support, genetic testing and expanded coverage (including surrogacy) for geriatric pregnancies and LGBTQ+ talent shouldn’t be considered perks that some progressive companies offer; they should be promises. Across the board. Especially in the ad industry, where better representation internally leads to more effective campaigns, campaigns that successfully reflect the voices of the audiences so many brands are trying to reach.
How the ad industry can reflect today’s world
Women drive around 80% of purchasing decisions but account for less than 40% of C-suite positions in advertising. Ensuring women have the chance to work without sacrificing the desire to become mothers means alleviating the pressure we’re under. It means sustained career growth. It means opening the door for more women at the top.
