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GEA: Keep the doors open
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GEA - Gender Equality Alliance
Gender Equality Alliance (GEA) is an organization that stands for an inclusive culture, equality, and unlocking the powerful synergy between digitalization, e-commerce, and woman. Even though GEA is an initiative of the well-established Macedonian E-commerce Association, the organization itself was new and as such, needed to raise awareness about its existence, as well as about the matters it stands for – primarily, gender equality in the workplace.
The biggest challenge we were facing, which we knew from the beginning, was that the topic historically, in any form and on any media, generated widely polarizing comments and reactions.
Achieving virality while avoiding controversy.
We based our communication on research relevant to gender inequity in the workplace, focusing on positions supported by clear, empirical facts. Most findings were related to digital professions like programming and IT, where data is abundant. A notable discovery was the significant pay gap between men and women in IT, exacerbated by women often working additional freelance hours beyond their regular jobs.
However, we anticipated public skepticism, as the pay gap in IT might seem less severe compared to disparities in other industries, like textiles.
Consequently, we shifted our focus from empirical data to more relatable aspects of gender relations, aiming to draw parallels with similar workplace situations to foster a broader consensus.
We focused on examining the typically fair and supportive relationships between men and women, particularly the father-daughter dynamic, which we found relevant to workplace scenarios. Our aim was to create messages that highlighted fathers addressing unequal treatment of their daughters, mirroring similar situations in professional settings.
The key was to find workplace examples that clearly reflected these family relationships, emphasizing inequality without ambiguity. We chose to depict the father as a decision-maker in his workplace, making him relatable to our target audience: men in managerial roles who can influence women's careers. This approach was intended to encourage these men to reevaluate their own workplace behavior by seeing a positive example in the father's actions. Avoiding a negative portrayal of the father was crucial to prevent resistance and ensure our message was effectively communicated.
The project culminated in a story about a father, also a company decision-maker, balancing morning interactions with his daughter and his busy work life. While he advocates for his daughter's equality, he unknowingly perpetuates stereotypes at work.
This story was turned into a short film, adapted for various media platforms, and quickly went viral with over 300,000 views, receiving positive feedback, particularly from decision-makers who saw their own behaviors reflected in it.
The film gained further recognition by being featured in gender equality events and even at a reception organized by the First Lady in the Presidential Palace.
