#CANDID ON GENDER
Client:
Swedish Chamber of Commerce of Singapore
Work delivered:
Campaign conceptualisation and execution.
We developed an award-winning 360 campaign on gender equality for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The campaign reach and support from companies made this a truly ground breaking initiative in the region.
This included the conceptualization of the campaign as well as the design and production of a book, a website and social media assets to drive the campaign forward.
The strategy was: (1) #candid, a book and social media campaign designed to spark a broader conversation on gender equality with the general public and (2) the #DoubleUp Pledge aimed at engaging business leaders.
For the book, we aimed to uncover unconscious bias and that required discovering what people believe. We invited submissions from a diverse pool. The story collection process was instrumental in strengthening the campaign as these stories sparked conversations in some of the largest Swedish companies in the country. The e-book and digital campaign grew organically with the authors involved in the project posting conversation starters on social media.
To “walk the talk”, we circulated the idea of a pledge to double the currently mandated paternity leave from two weeks to four. This idea offered a shared vision for collective action. It resulted in positive media attention, and it encouraged more companies to join.
Impact
The book launched with nine companies pledging to double paternity leave. Within five months 28 corporations had pledged, impacting parental leave decisions for over 5000 employees and their spouses. Many of these organisations are in male dominated sectors like engineering, heavy electrical equipment, shipping and science.
One year later, the Singapore Government announced that it was doubling up paternity leave across the country. We were delighted to see that we sparked a relevant conversation at the right time, which gained traction beyond us and resulted in true change.
