It is immensely disappointing that we still need to have this discussion.
It has long been established that diversity and inclusion have been ongoing challenges for Australian advertising and if we are to ensure the long-term prosperity of the industry, we all have a role to create change. And that means everyone.
Over two years ago, ACA launched the Create Space DE&I program including immediate actions to address key issues of inequality, exclusion and underrepresentation. The findings highlighted deficiencies in ACA’s own governance which resulted in the development of Member Rules, a new Code of Conduct, a Code of Ethics and the introduction of an Accreditation program. This year’s Create Space update showed some progress in diversity metrics but confirmed how much work is yet to be done.
In light of this week’s discussions, it is worth stating that there is gender balance across ACA’s Board, AWARD Council, AWARD School applicants and winners, AWARD Creative Leadership delegates, AWARD Award and Effie Award judges, and almost every program that ACA runs. Not because we work hard to achieve parity but because the best candidates naturally emerge.
Our data shows that women in senior management have increased from 22% in 2017 to 42% in 2023. Although underrepresentation persists in senior creative positions, the balance is improving. To continue the momentum, we all have to celebrate and shine a light on the success stories of our incredibly diverse talent to inspire the next generation of leaders.
While we still have a long way to go, the only way to overcome discrimination and lack of inclusivity is to create an industry culture that simply does not tolerate it.
We are a better industry than this. If we are truly committed to equity, it is incumbent on individuals and businesses to only align with those who share and represent their values.
