Here at Genius, D&I is an area close to our hearts and this month we’re taking time to celebrate the brilliant women of Genius and give you a chance to get to know the faces behind the @’s. Click here to find out who inspires us, what IWD means to us and the changes we’d like to see to improve equality in the industry…

“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity. Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity. IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid.”

Emma – Original Genius

• Name 3 female role models who inspire you: So hard to limit this to 3!! Malala Yousafzai, Tarana Burke, Angela Merkel. There I’ve written it down, no changing my mind now.
• What does IWD mean to you? It’s a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come, how far we still have to go in many cases and all the incredible shoulders we stand on, both historically and among our present-day peers.
• Who makes you feel empowered? My family. I was very lucky to be raised as a valued equal and to have always had their unquestioning support.
• What specific changes would you like to see in our industry to improve equality? We’ve got to get a handle on balancing domestic life and work. I see so many women do amazing things, but then burn out because they’re still expected to do the lion’s share at home, as well as manage a high-pressure career.
• What does equality mean to us as an agency? It’s about providing equal and valuable opportunities for the finest minds, no matter who they are, where they’ve come from, or what their circumstances might be.
• What kinds of work do we do to improve and highlight equality at Genius? We choose to work with clients who share our values and in many cases those clients actively campaign around diversity, inclusion and equality issues. We also provide practical support through flexible working, which enables us to eliminate many of the potential barriers to a conventional 9-5.30 office-based career such as parenting, caring or religious practices.

Philippa – Organising Genius

• Name 3 female role models who inspire you: Very hard to choose just three, but these are recent randoms: Dame Judy Dench (I aspire to be as successful, fun and simply gorgeous as her in my late 80s), Dame Deborah James (short life, but how well she lived it, under terrible circumstances and still affecting great change), Prof. Sarah Gilbert (even though the AZ vaccine did make me a little poorly! 😊). 
• What does IWD mean to you? It makes me sad that we need a dedicated day to remind everyone that women are not regarded equally throughout the world.
• What makes you feel empowered? My own self-belief and the strength of a lot of wonderful ladies at work and at play.  Plus coffee.
• What specific changes would you like to see in our industry to improve equality? Gender pay-gap needs to close.

Laura – Digital Genius

• Name 3 female role models who inspire you: Cynthia Marshall, CEO of Dallas Mavericks, Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva and Ellen Degeneres.
• What does IWD mean to you? For me, IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and strength of women around the world, and to recognise the important role we play in shaping our communities. It’s also a reminder of the important work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality and the need to continue to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment.
• What makes you feel empowered? Autonomy in decision-making, being in an equal partnership with my spouse and being supported and also having the ability to influence the direction of my career.
• What specific changes would you like to see in our industry to improve equality? I would like to see more women involved in creative departments and for organisations to develop career planning and coaching tools to help women advance into leadership positions.

Louise – Marketing Genius

• Name 3 female role models who inspire you: My mother – Janet, Queen Elizabeth II and Miriam Margolyes.
• What does IWD mean to you? To me it means we can celebrate having our voices heard louder than any other day.  
• What/who makes you feel empowered? Three things. 1) My two daughters, as they are growing up to be independent, strong, compassionate and empathic women. 2) My nearest and dearest female friends – who are working, full time mothers, with amazing careers in senior positions, that have the ability to strive in their roles and juggle motherhood. 3) Knowing that the dial is ever so slowly moving for more equality for woman.  The narrative has changed and keeps changing for the better.
• What specific changes would you like to see in our industry to improve equality? More women in senior/stakeholder positions within the creative and marketing industry. 

Hannah – Digital Genius

• Name 3 female role models who inspire you: I’m inspired by anyone who tears up the rulebook and does things a bit differently/something they were told they couldn’t do. Dr Tara Swart, Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble CEO) and Jacinda Ardern all spring to mind.
• What does IWD mean to you? I love to read and hear people’s stories and get inspired by everyday women doing amazing things.
• Who makes you feel empowered? I like reading books with strong female lead characters. Some of my favourites are Liesel from The Book Thief and Adunni from The Girl with the Louding Voice.
• What specific changes would you like to see in our industry to improve equality? Even though marketing is generally quite evenly split in terms of gender, I’d like to see more women in leadership and management roles. Personally, I think I perform better in a woman-led company and have found there is generally better communication, better work-life balance and an overall improved culture.