Creative industry to defy gender stereotypes

Creative communication can have a special impact on people’s moods and attitudes, giving the creative industry the power to shape public opinion on various issues, including gender equality, in a particular direction. At the same time, big influence also gives rise to big challenges: The content produced by creative agencies sometimes reinforces stereotypes and inadvertently contributes to deeper gender inequalities.

Sharing practical knowledge, important findings and noteworthy recommendations is one way to help the creative industry understand how harmful it is to reinforce prejudices in advertising communications, how to avoid such practices and how to promote equality instead.

UN Women, in collaboration with the Ad Black Sea Festival, has been implementing various initiatives to raise the awareness of the creative industry in Georgia since 2022. To serve this goal, a workshop was held in Tbilisi on 13 June for representatives of the creative sector.

International experts shared practical knowledge and recommendations with about 60 guests on the impact of gender bias on creativity and innovation, employee retention and satisfaction, and how the business sector, including the creative industry, may benefit from reducing this bias. The meeting began with a masterclass led by Bi Universe representatives Yan De Simone and Camila Pardo. They informed the participants about practical recommendations that are based on the principles of the Unstereotype Alliance, an industry-led coalition convened by UN Women, to help the creative sector eradicate stereotypes in its messaging and make everyday activities more inclusive.

“Creative agencies work with brands that have extensive communication resources and influence,” noted Nuka Shevardnadze, Managing Partner of Playmakers, during the discussion. “In such times, it is especially important to make the communication responsible. Today, many brands choose to combat social problems or stereotypes, but in this process, it is necessary to do so carefully, and to develop the topic the right way, so that a creative idea does not contribute to discrimination against any group. However, it is also important to make distinctions between targeting one’s audience and taking a stereotypical approach, between clichés and reality; and to definitely take into account the local context to avoid demotivating the brands that are taking their first steps in raising awareness on social issues.”

In the second part of the meeting, international gender expert Adriana Leigh spoke about the impact of gender bias on creative teams and work culture, as well as how inclusive management brings positive results to business companies. It is noteworthy that the participants were introduced to UN Women’s 2024 Gender Equality Attitudes Study (GEAS) and learned about the findings related to various stereotypes in Georgia. Pavle Gabritchidze, a Freelance Creative Director, highlighted this issue after the meeting.

“In commercials, it is usually a man behind the wheel. It is always a girl playing with a pink doll and a boy driving a blue car. We see men in contexts about finances and investments, and women in the kitchen,” Mr. Gabritchidze noted. “Such stereotypes have become so commonplace that we don’t even realize how harmful they are and how we contribute to gender discrimination. It is necessary to approach each message responsibly, to check ideas and scenarios, to create content in which we show the world free from stereotypes. I believe that such small or large steps will bring about significant changes.”

While summing up the meeting, it was noted that UN Women continues to support the creative industry in Georgia so that it can contribute to the development of public life by showcasing inspiring examples.

The workshop was part of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia regional programme “Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies”, generously funded by the Government of Denmark.