Let’s talk about a subject that’s near and dear to me, and all of us at AT&T. It’s the lack of gender equality in the images we see just about everywhere we look. It’s a deeply rooted issue that spans across industries. And it perpetuates regressive and discriminatory narratives.

It’s all around us. In the television we consume, the movies we watch and the advertisements directed to us. I say it’s about time we put an end to the global marginalization of women and address this long-standing gender-gap crisis.

Earlier today, I sat side-by-side with cultural leaders and industry innovators at the Women in the World Summit (WITW) in New York City to help get the conversation going. We focused on how influencers in the advertising and entertainment businesses are starting to reject out-of-touch gender narratives and replacing them with content that supports the advances of gender equality.

The panel, “Flipping the Script: The ceaseless objectification of women has become old and passé,” looked at how we can work together to change cultural perceptions about women and girls. It takes a village to inspire change – and it’s time we work together to address this.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen gender inequality from all angles. It’s fueled my passion for lifting women and girls up. We can take measured and calculated actions to publicly address gender equality in media, and that’s what I discussed with the panel.

Specifically, I talked about how we’re working with the Association of National Advertisers Alliance for Family Entertainment’s (ANA AFE) #SeeHer campaign. Together, we’re pushing for measurable improvement in the next 3 years on how girls and women are portrayed in the media. The goal is that by 2020, girls and women will see themselves reflected in media as they truly are. 

According to an ANA AFE study, 55% of adults believe that women are portrayed negatively in the media. That has to change. That same study also found consumers’ intent to purchase could jump more than 30% if women were portrayed more accurately.

We get it. We’re making changes at AT&T. And more brands are joining us to help change unfair perceptions of women, one ad at a time.

This conversation is far from over. We just scratched the surface during today’s panel. It will take brands, advertisers, celebrities and influencers collaborating—and you, too—to advance the accurate portrayal of women by stopping stereotypical narratives.

It’s no simple feat, but one I’m hopeful we can and will achieve together. Join us. Let’s keep the #SeeHer conversation going.

Fiona Carter - Chief Brand Officer, AT&T

Fiona Carter
Fiona Carter Chief Brand Officer