Building a More Balanced World 2019
Keelin MacGreevy, Partner, COO
Despite the large strides forward in recent years, there is still a great deal to do if we are to forge a more gender-balanced society. For me, a better balance in the workplace means fostering diversity of thought, enhancing our ability to solve problems and to generate great ideas... and great ideas are the lifeblood of any creative agency.
For International Women’s Day this year, we wanted to celebrate by asking colleagues around MerchantCantos what #BalanceforBetter means to them and how we all need to come together to help build a more gender-balanced world.
I thought I’d share some of their stories below.
Sophie Madigan, Project Manager
“As with all balancing acts, it’s not an effort undertaken alone. When we balance, we draw strength and stability from those around us. It’s undertaken together, reciprocally, unitedly. This is what #BalanceforBetter means to me. Everyone coming together to strike and maintain the right balance for a better society – for everyone.”
Akim Carter, Executive Producer
“I have a daughter, aged 20, at university, and I would like to think she has just as much opportunity as the next person to fulfil her potential and thrive in whatever career she chooses. The fact that she has a choice has been in no small part due to the campaigning of women over the years, and that campaigning goes on today.”
Chari Wilson, HR Advisor
“I believe aiming for gender-balance is so important - for both women and men. We can’t create balance by only focusing on one gender.”
Joe McLewin, Digital Consultant
“Intelligence, capability and value generation are not an exclusively male domain and the current exclusion of women across all levels of our society means that we're limiting our collective potential. ”
Jigna Parmar, Senior Production Manager
“Interestingly, the person who taught me that the ideal should never be an imbalance is my dad. He taught and showed me, from a young age, that men and women are equal and to never compromise your integrity because respecting each other is key. His legacy will live on through my boys.”
Ian Roe, Director, Sustainability
“The cold, hard business case for gender balance shouldn’t need to be written in 2019. The evidence has long been overwhelming that more diverse workforces (and more inclusive workplaces) drive value...But the bulletproof case is simple fairness. Do I want a society where I’m paid for all my work but my wife is working for zero pay throughout November and December?”
Wendy Choy, Director, Client Services
“To me, striving for balance is bigger than gender, it is about encouraging and respecting different perspectives, including those that are very much unlike your own. #BalanceForBetter is not just good for the community, it’s definitely good for business and creativity too.”
Similar thought