Seven West Media has announced it has joined the Unstereotype Alliance’s Australian chapter to help end harmful stereotypes.
Unstereotype Alliance is an industry-led initiative convened by UN Women that unites media, advertisers and advertising agencies to affect positive cultural change by using the power of advertising to help shape perceptions.
The members of the alliance collaborate to help create a world without stereotypes, empowering people in all their diversity, be it gender, race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, language or education. The Australian chapter was set up in November 2021.
Seven West Media chief people and culture officer, Katie McGrath, said: “Seven takes its role as a positive and progressive force in society seriously. We recognise our important responsibility to work with brand partners to lead positive social change.
“It’s clear that harmful stereotypes contribute to inequality in society and limit people’s potential. As an industry, we must continue to work with our peers to encourage diverse, inclusive and non-stereotypical representations of all people on-screen.”
As one of Australia’s leading media companies, Seven West Media says it’s committed to its responsibility to work with the industry and encourage the end of harmful stereotypes, including gender stereotypes, to lead positive social change.
Whether it’s depictions of men struggling with household chores or changing a nappy, to girls being less academic and women unable to park a car, campaigns that reinforce negative stereotypes can cause offence, resentment and restrict people’s aspirations and opportunities.
Founding members and allies of the Australian chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance include Accenture, Bayer Australia, Coles, Diageo Australia, Facebook Australia, Google Australia, IKEA, IPG, Ipsos Australia, Mars Australia, Mastercard Australia, Omnicom, Optus, Publicis Groupe, Salesforce, Snap Inc., Suncorp, Unilever ANZ, WPP AUNZ, Westpac and the Australian Association of National Advertisers.
Last month Seven West Media was the first media company in Australia to be named an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.