by Niña Terol, McCann Worldgroup Philippines
Here’s the honest truth: women around the world—especially in Asia—have changed much over the past decade, and especially over the past few years. They are even more multi-faceted than the generations of women who have come before them, and they are a lot more overt about expressing the diverse—sometimes contradictory, oftentimes complementary—elements of their identity.
However, an even more brutal truth is that fact that outdated gender stereotypes still prevail in advertising and media. They fail to communicate the changing truth about women today, and negate the many leaps that have been made around the world in advancing equal opportunity, empowerment, and leadership of and for women.
How do we know if we’re still sharing messages that advance the truth about women? Here, we share highlights of McCann Worldgroup’sTruth About Asian Women study—plus work from around the world that get a thumbs-up from the women in our team.
Truth #1: She is at the point of ‘becoming’.
‘Becoming,’ for today’s woman, means taking care of her personal development, independence, and self-expression. It is important for her to be seen as making their own decisions. Moreover, today’s woman is clear about what she wants—and she is strategic about the steps to take in order to get there.
Women-worthy work
“Imagine the possibilities,” Barbie:
#PALFlyFriday:
Who says driving planes are just for boys? Maybe, you haven’t met our beautiful pilot @leayosalinaaa yet. ☺ #PALFlyFriday
Posted by Philippine Airlines on Thursday, December 3, 2015
Truth #2: She will not be constrained by any one (more so, traditional) definitions of “womanhood.”
In no other role is this more evident than in today’s moms. She is not “just a mom,” and she is not necessarily just the homemaker or the authority figure in the family. Moms also want to be seen as friends and partners, and they don’t necessarily agree that they are “moms first.”
Women-worthy work
“Buddy,” Nestlé Chuckie:
“First Moon Party,” HelloFlo
Truth #3: She feels good about having the freedom to define herself any way she wants to (even if society thinks otherwise).
Today’s woman can accomplish things that were not traditionally considered “for women”—or even for women who don’t appear a certain way. Sometimes, women will push boundaries simply because they know they can.
Women-worthy work
“Whatever Your Mountain,” Coors:
“This Girl Can,” Sport England
With special thanks to Theresse dela Cruz, Geia Macatangay-Lopez, Vicky Malong, Peach Natividad, and Karen Sangalang of McCann Worldgroup Philippines. To learn more about McCann Truth Central’s Truth Studies, visit Truth Central.
Niña Terol (@ninaterol) is AVP/Director for Corporate Affairs at McCann Worldgroup Philippines, a freelance lifestyle journalist and blogger, a part-time lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, and a runner—among her many other identities.
