As part of an event to mark International Women’s Day, IAPI launched details of its Female Futures Fund for 2024 at a special event this week.
The event also featured presentations by Ipsos B&A directors, Samira Brophy and Clare Kavanagh who shared some of the latest Ipsos data showing the commercial benefits of challenging gender norms in advertising as well as unveiling some key insights into the prevailing emotions within Ireland on gender equality.
“The concept of gender equality is more complex than we might think,” Luke Reaper, CEO of Ipsos B&A told attendees. “The trend of thinking that things have gone far enough on gender equality is something that has been on the rise for the last 5 years in our global study. And in fact, when we look at Britain, we’ve seen an increase of 9ppts in just the last year on the statement ‘When it comes to giving women equal rights with men, things have gone far enough in my country’ which now stands at 47%. With nearly 4 in 10 women believing this and for the first time in Britain, public sentiment in favour of this has overtaken the US. In Ireland just over one quarter (28%) of women believe this and half (48%) of men,” he said.
He added that “the negativity emerging amongst young males in Ireland and globally further illustrates the complexities. Much like other troubling trends across the world we need to delve deeper to understand the drivers of such negativity. A holistic approach is undoubtedly required to enable us to show the benefits of equality for all. So, plenty of food for thought within our study.”
Aoife McCleary, senior copywriter with F&B Huskies, and IAPI board member, then announced the launch of the IAPI 2024 Female Futures Fund, supported by Baileys and Guinness. The programme, which is open to IAPI members, will fund a group leadership coaching programme that encompasses three workshop sessions facilitated by Danica Murphy, PRISM Leadership.
“Despite steps towards gender parity being made in Ireland, it remains a big issue. One that inspired IAPI to create the Female Futures Fund in 2019. Sponsored by Diageo, this initiative empowers women in advertising, media, and communications to ascend into leadership roles,” said McCleary.
“Now in its fifth year, it has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most well-established and respected professional development programmes in the industry. It addresses gender disparity by providing tools and strategies for female talent to excel in senior positions, fostering inclusivity and diversity within the industry,” she added.
Linda Bradley, head of planning and Insights, Diageo Ireland, expressed the company’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, highlighting the importance of programmes like the Female Futures Fund in driving gender equality within our industry.
“Diageo is incredibly proud to sponsor the Female Futures Fund in its 5th year. As we’ve seen from the data, making change with regards to equality and supporting women in leadership takes time and Diageo is committed to that,” she said.
“Championing I&D is at the heart of everything we do – in terms of creating an inclusive and diverse culture, shaping market-leading policies and practices, right through to progressive marketing. The principles and ambition behind the Female Futures Fund align very closely with our Society 2030 Spirit of Progress ambition and action plan. As one of the world’s largest advertisers globally, we want to support and accelerate women into senior roles within the creative industry.”
Both Bradley and McCleary then took part in a panel discussion that also included Samira Brophy and Clare Kavanagh as well as Bairbre McGlade, BBDO Dublin (soon to be TBWA\Dublin) and Ciara O’Connor, Mindshare Ireland.
The panellists emphasised the fund’s mission to help women realize their full potential and bridge the gender gap in leadership roles. They shared their experience as Female Futures Fund recipients, highlighting the professional and personal impact of the programme.
The Female Futures Fund programme is now officially open to applicants. For more information visit www.iapi.ie or contact shreesha@iapi.com
