An open letter to the men of advertising: Your seven-step plan to end sexual harassment

I've been speaking out publicly about sexual harassment in the advertising industry for many years—long before #MeToo. I spoke up because so many others wouldn't—especially the men in our industry.

I'm fed up. Fed up with the systemic, pervasive sexual harassment in our industry worldwide. Fed up with the inaction following my own #MeToo callout in October 2017 (watch the first 15 minutes of my 3Percent Conference keynote that year to hear what I uncovered about our industry). Fed up with the sexual harassment that continues at Cannes Lions every year—that happened to me many years ago, for which I proposed actionable solutions that were never implemented. This persists to this day, as highlighted in this horrific account by two young marketing students who had the courage to file a complaint with the Cannes police in June.

I'm especially fed up with the men in our industry who have the power to end this but don't. Fed up with male industry leaders who don't care.

So, men, I've made it easy for you to end sexual harassment in our industry once and for all. Here are seven simple actions you can take:

1. Stop doing it

Just stop. NOW. It's really that simple.

2. Stop other men from doing it

Step in and intervene. As the New York subway messaging says: If you see something, say something. This could be as simple as saying, "That comment was inappropriate," or as direct as, "Cut that out RIGHT NOW, mate."

Rescue us from sexual harassment. Find a way to remove the harasser or get us out of the situation. Try saying: “There's something I need to talk to you about right now,” or “Oh, there you are, I've been looking for you!”

To intervene, you need to...

3. See when other men are doing it

In my 3Percent Conference keynote, I share a story from a female creative. She was in an agency meeting with two powerful male leaders—two of the most well-known names in our industry. In this professional setting, the only woman in the room and surrounded by male peers, one of these men said to her, “You look like you really need to get f*****".

When you say that to us, you dehumanise us, strip us of professional credibility, reduce us to sexual objects, and damage our career paths. That's sexual harassment. 'Inappropriate comments' doesn’t capture the severity of this. Challenge these comments immediately.

Recognise the difference between male colleagues/agency leaders who genuinely mentor women and those who target them under the guise of mentorship. Notice the difference between a fun industry event and inappropriate behaviour by men towards young women (read the horrifying details of that Cannes police report for what happens everywhere, under the noses of so-called 'good guys').

Intervene when you see it. You need to see when young women are being offered up to potentially predatory clients, and nip that in the bud, pronto.

You'll learn just how often this happens when you...

4. Listen to women

Right now, you don't. We’re maninterrupted, mansplained to, talked over, and ignored. Listen to us, especially when we tell you we've been harassed.

5. Believe women

When we speak up, believe us. Don’t dismiss us with, “I’m sure he was just being...” nonsense. We know when someone is being inappropriate. Trust what we say. We’re not making this s*** up.

6. Report men who do it

Report him to HR. Report him to leadership. Offer yourself up as a witness. Be the one to go to HR and leadership if your female colleague is struggling.

Report, report, report.

7. Fire men who do it

Every holding company and large global agency claims to have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for sexual harassment. Prove it. Fire those who harass, immediately. If you truly fired everyone who had ever harassed in the industry, the workforce would significantly reduce. A 2016 4As study revealed that over 50% of women in advertising had been sexually harassed, and a 2018 WACL/AA study put that figure at 70% in the UK. So yes, the ranks would shrink considerably.

And that would be a good thing. A better future for our industry isn't just about bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion IN. It's about kicking the sexists, misogynists, racists, homophobes, ableists, and harassers OUT.

That's it—seven easy actions to end sexual harassment in our industry. Please take them.