Insights and Inspiration at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024
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Unstereotype Alliance flag flying alongside Cannes Lions flag
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As the advertising world gathered in Cannes in June 2024, the Unstereotype Alliance presented throughout the week at the industry’s largest global gathering. Celebrating its 7th anniversary at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the Alliance launched the initial findings of an industry-first report and hosted a record number of sessions on topics of critical importance to using advertising as a force for good.
Unstereotype Alliance at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024
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The Unstereotype Alliance will be attending this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Join us for a wide range of activations including our annual Unstereotype Alliance member event, main stage appearance, and a host of other fantastic sessions.
7 Key Takeaways from the Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit 2024
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The Unstereotype Alliance brought together a record 306 attendees from 16 countries for its Global Member Summit, united under the theme of ‘Collective action, powering forward’. Content and conversations were centered around the growing criticality of our global mandate and how, as a collective, we can and must continue to drive progress.
Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit 2024
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yellow banner with logo and event theme
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On Wednesday 14th February and Thursday 15th February, world-class panelists and inspiring keynote speakers will come together for the Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit at the United Nations Headquarters. Join us as we explore the theme of ‘Collective Impact, Powering Forward’.
IWD 2023- DigitALL- Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality
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The  official theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023 (IWD 2023) is, “ DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality ” .  This year, the Unstereotype Alliance joined efforts with its members and allies  to highlight initiatives aligned with the theme and the intentional efforts to close the digital gender gap.    Read on to find out more.        H&M GROUP    ...
Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit 2022
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Global Member Summit 2022
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Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit 2022:  Open Plenary Session Thursday, 17 November     The Unstereotype Alliance Global Member Summit 2022 is a signature event that brings together our membership of major advertisers, creative agencies and media platforms to hear leading voices from a broad spectrum of industries including film, advertising, business, and government on how they are tackling systemic stereotyping. This year’s summit at UN Headquarters in...
Unstereotype Alliance celebrates 5th Anniversary
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Unstereotype Alliance celebrates 5th Anniversary at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Monday 20th June On the opening day of the festival we marked a momentous occasion at the WPP Beach - our fifth anniversary! Having launched at Cannes in 2017 with 24 members, we celebrated our +867% growth, the launch of 12 national chapters across 5 continents and the continuous improvement of Unstereotype Metric scores among Unstereotype Alliance members.  ...
Unstereotype Alliance at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022
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Join the Unstereotype Alliance at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity with an exciting line-up of events, panel discussions and inspirational guest speakers on the main stage. This year marks our 5th anniversary; a time to celebrate the collective achievements of all 232 members focused on one mission - to eradicate harmful stereotypes.
UK National Chapter presents 'Conversations for Change'
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The Unstereotype Alliance United Kingdom National Chapter is committed to advancing progressive and intersectional portrayals of marginalised groups. To help accelerate the pace of change its members and allies have come together to create a new content series, Conversations for Change . The aim of th is series is to offer audiences an informal, inspiring, and personal set of learnings into progressive and unstereotypical storytelling. The series features brand leaders, inclusion activists...
IWD 2022: UNSTEREOTYPE ALLIANCE CELEBRATES THE WOMEN WORKING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
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To commemorate IWD, the Unstereotype Alliance is highlighting women across the Alliance who are contributing to a sustainable future through their work.
Unstereotype Alliance convenes roundtable to challenge harmful gender stereotypes and harassment in the Nordic online gaming industry
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On 25 March 2021, the Unstereotype Alliance held a virtual roundtable discussion on eliminating harmful gender stereotypes and harassment in online gaming including eSports. The event took place as part of the official program of the 2021 Winter Assembly, a gaming event organized bi-annually in Finland by Assembly Organizing Oy.
IWD2021: Meet the women in leadership across the Unstereotype Alliance
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To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021, the Unstereotype Alliance is celebrating UN Women’s official theme, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” by showcasing the women leaders across the Unstereotype Alliance.
“Stereotypical” UK Government ad withdrawn following widespread backlash
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An advertisement published by the UK Government on social media has been withdrawn after receiving widespread criticism for perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes.
Unstereotype Alliance and WFA call on the ad industry to fight racism and inequality
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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, and Stephan Loerke, CEO, WFA, issue a joint statement and call for action.
COVID-19 and Gender
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The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health issue. It is a profound shock to our societies and economies, and women are at the heart of care and response efforts underway. As frontline responders, health professionals, community volunteers, transport and logistics managers, scientists and more, women are making critical contributions to address the outbreak every day. The majority of caregivers, at home and in our communities, are also women. Additionally, they are at increased risk of...
Unstereotype Alliance South Africa Chapter launches in Johannesburg
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UN Women launches South Africa Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office launched the South African National Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance in Johannesburg on 11 February 2020. The Unstereotype Alliance, a thought and action platform, seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. Convened by UN Women, the Unstereotype Alliance contributes to empowering women in all their diversity and addressing harmful...
Womens rights to take centre stage in 2020
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World leaders, civil society and the private sector are preparing to make 2020 the biggest year yet for the advancement of women’s rights.Over the course of the year, thousands of people are expected to attend high-level UN events and forums in Mexico City and Paris to mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing platform for action, a landmark agreement to end gender inequality.More than 160 countries have already submitted reports outlining the progress made and the obstacles faced in achieving the Beijing agreement. In January, the UN secretary general is expected to publish an assessment of global efforts, and member states are already negotiating ways to accelerate action.
A Giant Step for Turkey's Progressive Advertising
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Eşitlikçi Reklamlar İçin Türkiye’den Dev Adım Reklamlardaki zararlı toplumsal cinsiyet kalıp yargılarını dönüştürmeyi amaçlayan Unstereotype Alliance Türkiye platformu kuruldu. Platform, reklam verenlerin, markaların ve reklamcıların ortaklaşa çalışmasıyla reklam ve medya içeriğini eşitlikten yana değiştirerek dünyaya örnek olmayı hedefliyor. Kaynak: Eşitlikçi Reklamlar İçin Türkiye’den Dev...
Turkey launches Unstereotype Alliance Chapter
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On December 13 th , the  Unstereotype Alliance , UN Women’s flagship partnership with the marketing industry, announced the launch of a local chapter in Turkey at an event in Istanbul, with support from the Gender Equality in Advertising Board (RTCEK) rel="noopener noreferrer" initiated by the  Association of Turkish Advertisers  (RVD). This would be the second local chapter established to date, with the first one launched  in Brazil  in early 2019. Unstereotype...
Volkswagen ad banned in South Africa for comparing women to wild animals
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The  Advertising Regulatory Board has ruled  that a Volkswagen radio ad stereotypes women and ordered it to be withdrawn. The ad depicts a man in a mall who is accompanying his shoe-shopping female partner. The voiceover reports from the scene: “It’s dusk and you’re in unfamiliar territory, surrounded by predators hunting for fresh prey. And they found it. 50% off all shoes. They attack, lunging mercilessly. As you guard the 12 shopping bags, seated on a bench alongside the other men, you watch the feeding frenzy take place. This is Shoe Sale Country and you don't belong here, man. This is not your habitat, so go where you belong in the V6 Amarok... Visit your Volkswagen dealership for great Amarok V6 offers today, man.
Dubai Lynx 2020 and the Unstereotype Judging Criteria
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Dubai Lynx has now launched for 2020. The festival, taking place from 8th – 11th March 2020, celebrates the creativity and innovation that drives commercial growth for brands and businesses across the Middle East and North Africa. The Lynx Awards, which are judged during the festival, are the benchmark for creative excellence in the MENA region. The Creative Strategy Lynx Award is new for 2020 and honours how strategic planning can redefine a brand, reinvent a business or influence...
Buenos Aires Declaration
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The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and its associations of advertisers in Latin America have pledged to take action on harmful stereotypes in marketing, during the meetings held this week in Buenos Aires.The Declaration of Buenos Aires has been presented by the WFA and the national associations of advertisers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay at the annual regional meeting of the WFA.
After a multinational launch, the UN begins courting local brands for the Unstereotype Alliance
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By  Katie Deighton -08 October 2019 13:09pm It’s been just over two years since UN Women unveiled its  gender stereotype-busting advertising alliance  alongside Unilever and a host of multnationals. Now, the organization’s executive director plans to turn up the message by making room at the table for smaller, local brands. UN Women unveiled the Unstereotype Alliance at Cannes Lions  back in 2017 . The program’s aim is to wipe out stereotypes in...
Spikes Asia partners with Unstereotype Alliance to issue new jury guidelines
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Award jurors given new criteria to combat negative stereotypes. Spikes Asia today announced it has revised its judging process for all Spikes Awards this year, in collaboration with UN Women’s Unstereotype Alliance.  The festival has issued new jury guidelines for jurors reviewing entries to ensure they consider whether the work perpetuates negative stereotypes and inequalities regarding gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability or other biases. The change is line with Spikes...
The Holmes Report
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As executive director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is a leading advocate of gender equality, working since 2013 globally to combat critical issues like domestic violence, childhood marriage and inequitable laws that deny women the same rights as men. Mlambo-Ngcuka was actively involved in the struggle to end apartheid in her home country of South Africa. From 2005 to 2008, she served as the country’s deputy president, overseeing programs to combat poverty and bring the advantages of a growing economy to the poor, with a particular focus on women. She was a member of parliament from 1994 to 1996 as part of South Africa’s first democratic government.
First ads banned for contravening UK gender stereotyping rules
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Two television ads, one featuring new dads bungling comically while looking after their babies and the other a woman sitting next to a pram, have become the first to be banned under new rules designed to reduce gender stereotyping. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned the ads for Philadelphia cream cheese and Volkswagen, following complaints from the public that they perpetuated harmful stereotypes. The new rules, introduced at the beginning of the year, ban the depiction of...
Cannes Lions expands Jury guidelines to champion equal representation and confront inequality
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Cannes Lions continues its mission to celebrate creativity that changes the world for the better with the introduction of updated jury guidelines for the judging process. The new criteria urge the jury members reviewing entries submitted into the Awards, to consider whether the work perpetuates negative stereotypes and inequalities.
Marketers Not Doing Enough To Eliminate Gender-Biased Ad Targeting
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Marketers feel the need to move away from gender-based stereotypes when it comes to targeting strategies, but many are confused about how to do it.
Some Marketers Moving Away From Dated Gender Targeting, Study Shows
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Some marketers are starting to edge away from dated gender-based strategies—such as exclusively targeting household cleaning products at women, or entirely overlooking men who buy diapers—but others haven’t changed at all, according to a study due to be published this week.
Gillette has it right, advertisers can’t just celebrate masculinity & ignore #MeToo
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Some marketers are starting to edge away from dated gender-based strategies—such as exclusively targeting household cleaning products at women, or entirely overlooking men who buy diapers—but others haven’t changed at all, according to a study due to be published this week.
Limiting women in the workplace is costing us trillions
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The World Economic Forum (WEF) reported that progress on gender equality is stagnating as women’s participation in the workforce and politics has stalled. As global leaders prepare for the next WEF Annual Meeting, it’s time to flip this script.
Brands can be a force for good and for growth. Here’s how
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Equality and sustainability are pervasive problems, created over generations, and must be solved through both individual and collective action. So, what if brands – arguably the most pervasive forces in the world for business growth – could also be used as a force for good? Brands are ubiquitous. They touch people every day, often multiple times. Imagine the impact if all brands stepped up to be both a force for good AND a force for growth.
Useful and practical media predictions from Kantar
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Kantar has published their “2019 Media Predictions” from their experts around the globe, focusing “not on grand, airy-fairy concepts, but useful, practical ideas that will help marketers and their agencies to tackle media and effectiveness measurement challenges head on, without fear.”Between the amazing speakers of TEDWomen, there’s a carefully programmed mini film festival — brilliant short films, curated by Jonathan Wells and Anyssa Samari, that set (or re-set) the mood in the theater, and celebrate the creativity of women and men around the world.
TEDWomen 2018 Film Festival: Our program of conference shorts
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Between the amazing speakers of TEDWomen, there’s a carefully programmed mini film festival — brilliant short films, curated by Jonathan Wells and Anyssa Samari, that set (or re-set) the mood in the theater, and celebrate the creativity of women and men around the world.
Ad watchdog cements rules against ‘harmful' gender stereotypes ahead of 2019 launch
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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has confirmed that, from June, ads must not include gender tropes that are likely to cause harm, or serious widespread offence.
Brands are losing out on £774bn by failing to bridge the ‘self-esteem gap’
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By promoting gender balanced marketing and understanding the importance of self-esteem plays in female empowerment brands could tap into £774bn of value, according to new research.
İkinci günün ana sahnesine sığmayanlar
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Coverage of the second day of Brand Week where the focus was gender equality
The end of advertising stereotypes:
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Initiatives such as #metoo #timesup and #balancetonporc or Argentina #NiUnaMenos - which aims to combat aggression and sexual harassment, gender violence and femicide - are an obvious sign of a global movement to achieve greater gender equality around the world.
Guide for a better representation of Men and Women in Advertising
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UN Women and a number of leaders in the marketing and advertising sector founded the Unstereotype Alliance. As part of the commitment, the WFA (a member of the Alliance) created a brief guide to get this movement across.
International Girls Day In The Marketing Community
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International Girls Day gives pause to reflect on what has been so far a momentous year for women generally, and specifically in the marketing community.
ARTIGO: Promovendo uma cultura sem estereótipos para um legado de igualdade de gênero
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Em artigo publicado na imprensa norte-americana, a chefe da ONU Mulheres, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, defende que a publicidade combata estereótipos sobre o que é ser mulher e o que é ser homem
La publicidad y sus anuncios siguen sin saber representar el mundo moderno
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Los estereotipos y clichés sobre mujeres y hombres siguen siendo muy habituales y los consumidores siguen sin verse en la publicidad
UN's Unstereotype Alliance explores adland's part in erasing harmful stereotypes
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“To fight gender inequality we have to work with people across the spectrum. As the UN, we don’t have the reach that the brands have. We are working with companies that care about their bottom line and care about the world – and those are not mutually exclusive,”
Unstereotype Alliance: The Problem Is Not Seeing The Problem – Advertising Week
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Unconscious bias is pervasive. And this morning, a panel of leaders from Unilever, IPG, A&T, the United Nations, and TFQ (The Female Quotient) gathered at The Girls Lounge to discuss the importance of unstereotyping within the advertising industry.
There are still way too many women doing laundry in advertisements
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A new survey by The Female Quotient and Ipsos finds marketers aren’t doing a good enough job in reflecting the diversity of real life.
'Unstereotyping' Adland still a work in progress
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A year ago UN Women convened the Unstereotype Alliance to rally the global advertising industry to eradicate harmful stereotypes and use advertising as a force to impact social norms. A Monday morning Advertising New York session provided an Alliance progress report.
Google, Ogilvy and the Unstereotype Alliance Create ‘Lioness’ App to Unite Ad Women Worldwide
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Ogilvy, Google and the UN Women’s Unstereotype Alliance have joined forces to show how technology can be used to unite advertising’s female professionals worldwide, with the hopes that it will then empower them in their careers and drive change across the industry.
Unstereotype Alliance - A year on
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How far have adverts and the marketing industry come in addressing equality, diversity and inclusion over the the past year? Not far enough according to Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Diversity in Marketing, how far has the industry come?
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It's been a year since brands, marketers, tech companies and UN Women got together to launch Unstereotype Alliance at Cannes Lions. How much has been achieved and how much still needs to change?
Pink or Blue
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Shattering gender stereotypes and teaching girls that they can be heroes too. The commentary on how we stereotype between a male and female child is a global debate. From #MeToo to equal pay, to underrepresentation in STEM fields and opportunities for women in tech, they are the thorns by your side that you have learned to live with.
Everyone Deserves To Be Cast As A Hero, Not As A Stereotype
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The Unstereotype Alliance and U.N. Women — with a goal of "[ending] the stereotypes that hold people back" — has released an ad that, though it only runs for a little over two minutes, perfectly shows that typecasting is still an issue.
Best Production Directors and Editors
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The best advertisements of the top directors and production companies worldwide.
UN Women highlights Stereotyping in ads in this eye-opening short 'casting call' film
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The tagline of the film, now running on social media following its premiere in Cannes, is "the problem is not seeing the problem." It was directed by Joanna Bailey of Snapper Films and created by MullenLowe London on behalf of its client Unilever for UN Women's industry-led Unstereotype Alliance movement
Actors Grudgingly Entered a Stereotypical Casting Call, Then Learned Why They Were Really There
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MullenLowe London film shows advertising's baked-in biases
The Gender and Diversity Agenda Dominates Cannes Once Again, But To What End?
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Everyone was talking about women, equality, gender, diversity and inclusion at Cannes, from brands, agencies and creatives to journalists, sociologists, actors, musicians and sports stars, but will the festival conversation really change anything?
The Unstereotype Alliance Celebrates a Year of Fighting Discrimination in Media
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The UN-driven group pushes for equal representation for women and other marginalized groups in advertising
UNICEF joins the Unstereotype Alliance
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UNICEF joined the Unstereotype Alliance to challenge harmful gender stereotypes in marketing and to promote progressive portrayals of women, men, girls and boys, as part of UNICEF’s commitment to achieving gender equality, becoming a more gender balanced organization and bringing up girls and boys as equals. UNICEF, UN Women and Cannes Lion also announce the winner of the 2018 Young Lions Health Award
All you need to know to unstereotype advertising
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The topic of unsterotyping advertising and using lazy gender troped keeps popping up where creativity is celebrated, but it's sadly not mainstream just yet. Perhaps the fact that the Unsterotype Alliance has finally joined Twitter will sway the movement over social media.
Gender stereotypes holding back tomorrows science solutions
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It is difficult for girls to believe in themselves as scientists, explorers, innovators, engineers and invenotrs when the images they see on social media, in textbooks and in advertising reflect narrow and limiting gender roles. This is why UN Women is leading the "Unstereotype Alliance" initaitive, which encourages advertisers, tech companies and influencers to banish old-fashioned, stereotypical portrayals of gender in advertising that could diminish or limit the role of women in society.
The UN believes ads can turn the tide in long-losing war for gender equality
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In a world of doubters, someone still believes in the power of advertising: The United Nations.The UN Women organization came to Cannes this week to convene a sort of Security Council of the ad industry, including many of its biggest-spending marketers, three of the biggest agency holding companies, digital duopolists Facebook and Google, Alibaba, and more. The idea is that advertising can do what more than two decades of UN proclamations, local laws and good intentions haven't -- spur real progress on gender issues.
Advertisers Are Actually Teaming Up To Fight Sexism. For Real.
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Several major companies announce a new push to remove gender stereotypes from commercials.
Facebook, Google and global advertising giants join forces to end gender stereotypes in ads around the world
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Some of the world’s biggest advertisers have joined forces with the United Nations to banish gender stereotypes from ads across the globe. The group, which includes Facebook, Google, Mars, Microsoft and advertising giant WPP, launched the Unstereotype Alliance on Wednesday to combat “the widespread prevalence of stereotypes that are often perpetuated through advertising”.