Today, March 8, along with the rest of the world, our team at Studio Eight is celebrating International Women's Day. Since 1908, women and men around the world have used this day to give gender equality a very public platform. March 8 is also a day to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.
Women have come a long way over the past 100 years. We have been inspired to become more vocal and active in our communities. We’ve achieved such freedoms as women’s voting rights and shorter working hours. But even today, women are still fighting for equal pay and gender equality in male-dominated fields such as politics, executive roles, and advertising.
This year, the International Women’s Day theme, #PressForProgress, is motivating and uniting communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. At Studio Eight, we’re working with ‘press’ in an exciting way. As an all-female creative team, these passions extend to our support of how women and girls are portrayed in children’s books.
A 2011 study found a significant gender imbalance in children’s literature. The study looked at almost 6,000 children's books published between 1900 and 2000. The research indicated that males are central characters in 57 percent of children's books published each year. Just 31 percent have female central characters. Male animals are central characters in 23 percent of books per year, the study found, while female animals appear in a mere 7.5 percent.
It’s also important to consider how women and girls are represented when they do appear in children’s literature. Women and girls are often characterized using stereotypical references and given out-of-date roles 1.
Studio Eight is proud to help expand girls’ presence in children’s books by working with Minnesota author Shelly Boyum-Breen on her latest book, The Brave Swim. Her Shelly Bean the Sports Queen series celebrates girls in sports by teaching a “can-do” attitude. The series also includes characters of various races and abilities to inspire all children to do their best. In a nod to Title IX and women’s sports, Shelly Bean wears a jersey number 09. The series is self-published through Level Field Press, a women-owned publishing company.
The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.
We didn’t set out to be a team made up of all women. Rather, we simply searched for the most talented and intelligent people to join our team, and the result happened to be all women. We have an empowered group dynamic. Our creative director has shaped an environment where every team member has a spot at the table and has the opportunity to share her thoughts and voice her opinions. This open communication style gives us an unsurpassed attention to detail.
We’re well aware that our all-female creative team is in a unique position. According to a 2013 Fast Company article, “Despite the fact that women control 80 percent of consumer spending, only 3 percent of creative directors […] are female 2.”
Luckily, women within the advertising industry are taking bold steps to create change such as those involved in The 3 Percent Movement. This group aims to “change the ratio because the more varied the people who come up with ideas, the better the ideas will be.” Through events, mentorship, and certification opportunities, The 3 Percent Movement helps more women build creative careers and rise to the top of their fields 3.
While few in number, our team of women is not alone. For example, The Program, an agency in Portland, Oregon, has an all-female brand team working with Nike 4. Hopefully, in the future, with awareness campaigns and days like International Women’s Day, new opportunities for women will continue to grow in number and influence. Ladies, if you want to make a difference, it’s time to think globally and act locally.
