WHERE DO ALL THE WOMEN GO?
Amy Mercer
Driving Transformative People & Talent Strategy | Expertise in Creative Tech Industries | Global Growth Catalyst | Exploring the social forces that shape our careers
This month has been an odd one. The school holidays had descended upon us, and we plummeted into weeks of logistic wizardry for a sizable amount of the working population. Sadly, a large chunk of the creative industry is also in flux, and many people we are speaking to feel uneasy or find themselves looking for jobs. Luckily, this will likely be temporary, but it doesn't make this any less difficult for those affected.
Our community grows every week, and Christina Graham and I are always happy to help by connecting people and providing career resources. Since the last newsletter, we gathered some feedback from our event and community, and it feels like starting UpliftHER is needed and welcomed.
Where do all the women go?
During my time, I've seen many initiatives to get women to study and enter the creative tech industry.
It's great......but something isn't sticking.
While many companies struggle to attract and recruit talent, the work with early careers is being undone by women’s (and other minorities') negative experiences in the workplace. The price of motherhood is a factor, but women's experiences also range from being overlooked for their contribution, roles being diminished, isolation due to being outnumbered, double standards, benevolent sexism, discrimination, and non-inclusive work environments. And it seems the further in your career, the worse it gets. Even in sectors like HR which are more women-dominated, we see dwindling numbers at the leadership level.
But guess what? Greater gender equality and more inclusive workplaces are a win-win for everyone and are good for men. In male-dominated companies, there is higher gender stereotyping. This negatively affects everyone, and men also pay the price with their physical and mental health.
Men now also expect and want to balance work and family, be involved as fathers, be more fulfilled in and out of the workplace and not sacrifice relationships for career advancement.
It is easy to look at the price tag that comes with improving company policies, practices and cultures.......but we should all be asking how much does inequality cost everyone?
We know mentoring is proven to help reduce inequality and build better workplaces……check how we collaborate with companies.
Our latest Pod!
Recommended by LinkedIn
Our podcast this month was with the inspiring Anelia Asparuhova aka Nellie. Nellie is one of the 2.9% of women (Not enough women in visual effects, says study - Variety) in the top creative roles in VFX.
In the first of this 2-part series, we found out how her artistic, rebellious streak has shaped her life, and her hope for more women becoming VFX Supervisors in the future. If you haven't already, it’s well worth a listen.
Look out for the second episode, where we dive into how she approaches new challenges, her passion for VFX, and how she manages stress and well-being.
Career Development
We have been continuing with breaking career development into manageable bite-size chunks with our weekly Me Moments.
If you head to our LinkedIn group or Instagram, you can find Christina Graham and me making these more interactive, but, encase you missed them, this month's focus was on energy and influence.
DONT FORGET