Simon Gwynn
Jan 18, 2017

Unilever calls on leaders to drive fight against stereotyping

This follows a study that surveyed more than 9,000 people across eight countries including India

Unilever calls on leaders to drive fight against stereotyping
Unilever's chief executive, Paul Polman, and chief marketing officer, Keith Weed, have called on political and business leaders to recognise the effect of stereotyping and take action to tackle it.
 
The FMCG giant unveiled, a study that surveyed more than 9,000 people in eight countries: Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, the UK and the US.
 
It found that gender stereotypes both remain highly pervasive, and have a significant impact on people’s lives.
 
Among the findings were that:
  • 60% of women and 49% of men say that stereotypes personally impact their career, personal life, or both
     
  • 77% of men and 55% of women believe that a man is the best choice to lead a high stakes project
     
  • Two thirds (67%) of women feel they are "pressured" to simply "get over" inappropriate behaviour
     
  • The majority of both men (55%) and women (64%) believe that men do not challenge each other when they witness such behaviour
     
  • A large majority, 70%, of respondents believe the world would be a better place if children were not exposed to gender stereotypes in media and marketing
  • 75% said it was the responsibility of senior leaders to take action
 
Weed said: "Stereotypes and social norms have a huge impact on gender equality issues globally. Whether consciously or unconsciously we are all subject to the biases in our mindsets."
 
The survey sample was a mix of Unilever employees and members of the general public, and was split roughly equally between men and women. Polman and Weed unveiled the research at a panel discussion at the 2017 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
 
Polman added: "Empowering women and girls offers the single biggest opportunity for human development and economic growth. It goes without saying, it’s crucial for business.
 
"The World Economic Forum’s latest Gender Gap Report notes that we may not achieve economic equality among men and women for another 170 years. That’s just not good enough. We need to lead the change in tackling unhelpful stereotypes that hold women – and men – back."
 
(This article first appeared on CampaignLive.co.uk)

 

Source:
Campaign India

Related Articles

Just Published

3 hours ago

Adobe’s APAC CMO: ‘There is a balance between ...

Duncan Egan weighs-in on how much AI should be relied upon and how much B2B marketing is changing, in his own role as a marketer to marketers.

4 hours ago

When the pavement becomes a cancer ward

A gut-punching film from St. Jude India spotlights how unsafe shelter, not treatment, threatens young cancer patients’ survival in metro cities.

4 hours ago

Theblurr bets big on AI to redraw agency rules

The newly-launched AI-native marketing agency promises faster pods, sharper outcomes and no more media-creative silos—or excuses.

5 hours ago

What makes a 'new-age agency' in 2025? Not hype

Speed, soul, and strategy now define creative partnerships—because in today’s feed-fuelled world, relevance fades faster than your next scroll, says Vamos Digital founder.