Careers and mentorship creative network for women and non-binary people, SheSays, has unveiled an honest social campaign to uncover the real reasons people are resigning from roles within the marketing industry.
Answering the question, ‘why has she gone?’, the visual campaign contains a series of six resignation letters created from insights shared by over 100 women and non-binary people within the advertising, marketing, and media industries.
According to SheSays, 55% of women and non-binary people have stated that they have left jobs due to the experiences increasing their mental health issues around stress, anxiety and depression.
The campaign employs dark humour to depict the lived experiences of many people, acting as a voice for many who cannot speak up. Each letter addresses core issues of sexism, sexual harassment, menopause and mental health.
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“We want people who identify as Women or non-binary to know they are seen and heard,” SheSays UK president Amy Dick said. “We want creative industry leaders and colleagues to use the campaign to get a better understanding of what’s happening in our industry. You have the power to stop resignations and negative experiences from happening daily.
“Yes, it’s great to see the IPA census figures show more women are in agencies but ask yourself, are they happy? And will they stay and progress? When you are marginalised, it’s incredibly hard to not only get to the top, but to stay there long-term. Why? Because the compounding effects of discrimination are huge obstacles to success. Most are pushed out prematurely or stagnate. That’s an enormous problem.”
Mental Health First Aid England chair Adah Parris added: “As a partnership between SheSays and MHFA England, we are proud to stand together in raising awareness, demystifying, and giving a voice to the many voiceless women and non-binary people who have been marginalised based on the lived experiences of gender. We cannot expect others to speak for us, it’s time to break the silence and share our truths.
“Let’s make mental health equality a reality and take individual and collective responsibility for the well-being of all. The pandemic was a wake-up call, and we must use this moment to create a butterfly effect in our communities. Together, we can make a difference.”
