WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN: In the creative departments of Asian advertising agencies, one crucial group is under-represented - women

David Johnson looks at why, and finds that the shortage is surprisingly more pronounced in the region's developed advertising markets of Hong Kong and Japan than it is in Taiwan or India. The advertising industry as a whole has never really stood out as one that favours either sex. Men and women appear to be pretty much in equal supply across the board, and the gender balance appears politically and practically correct. But a closer look at creative departments within some of the larger, regional agencies, reveals quite a different picture. In the majority of cases, there are twice as many men as women. At Grey Worldwide's offices in Asia, women constitute between 25 and 56 per cent of all creative departments, with Japan (25 per cent), Hong Kong (29 per cent) and Thailand (30 per cent) having a lower ratio compared to Malaysia (56 per cent), Australia (52 per cent) and Taiwan (51 per cent). At Leo Burnett, out of a total creative workforce of 305 as of July this year, 215 were male and only 90 female. In the West, this often causes an uproar from "women who are really into the victim thing", observes one of the female stars in Burnett's creative camp, Malaysia ECD Yasmin Ahmad. The situation is no different in European capitals such as London and Madrid. However, Burnett regional head of creative Linda Locke argues that there's nothing sinister going on in Asia. "If you look at our creative departments across the region, they differ in their composition. At one point in Singapore it was 50:50." One of the main reasons given for the overall disproportionate number of men in creative is simply the nature of the job. Locke says: "It is a very tough business and it is quite aggressive. It is highly stressful and you need to keep a positive attitude because you are constantly getting knocked down. Creative women tend to be more interested in fashion or journalism. I don't think that there is a glass ceiling situation. There's nothing mysterious. You're either good or you're not." The typical scenario in most countries is that women look for a creative outlet and frequently choose commercial art. But there is a tendency to drift away as marriage and children enter the picture. The result is that many do return to the creative world, but in a freelance capacity, which in turn allows them to juggle family and professional commitments. Locke says: "Women have more pressure than men do that pulls them away. I have to believe that because of the amount of portfolios I receive." Recruitment consultants in Hong Kong echo her comments, citing a considerable lack of female interest in creative positions in advertising agencies. In a straw poll conducted by media among leading advertising agencies, the ratio of women employed at creative departments was lowest in Hong Kong. "Female applicants are far less than male for creative positions. The reasons are cultural," says Gemma Sze, who handles creative hiring at TMP Worldwide. "When women are educated in Hong Kong they are not introduced to creative fields in the same way, but more towards service professions, such as being a nurse, secretary or working for an airline." TMP Worldwide recently conducted an informal survey of ECDs in Hong Kong and gained some interesting insights. It found that ECDs did not want to have female staff, based on a belief that women need to finish the day on time because of family responsibilities. There was also the matter of maternity leave and the topics that women choose to talk about in the office. "This still happens and it is wrong. Women are very career-minded and want to face up to the challenge. They are not dumb blondes. They are concerned as much about their appearance, family and children as they are about their career," says Sze. "Creatives are detail-minded, cool, non-emotional and think out of the box. This is fine for women. The problem is to change the male perception." Michele Crew, who heads recruitment agency The Crew Partnership, agrees. "It's not a women's issue, it is a male ECDs' issue. The onus is on them. It's a matter of opening up.Women are not generally found in management positions, and that needs to be addressed. There are even interviewing procedures that ask a woman if she plans to have a family." As far as Hong Kong's female creatives are concerned, there are barriers to entry and advancement as a result of what one described as an "old boys network". Crew says: "There is an inherent sexism and many women in Hong Kong feel excluded. It is not a question of women not being able to cope. All research points to the fact that women are far better at multi-tasking than men. "The situation couldn't be more different in Taiwan. There, the ratio of men to women is equal. Not only that, many of the senior creative positions are held by women. "In Taiwan, there are many female creative directors because women are outstanding in Taiwan," says Violet Wang, ECD at Burnett. "I guess it is because women need to do a lot of things without men. They need to be able to rely on themselves and not on men, so they are well educated. They need to be a daughter, mother and wife, and a good boss. So there's a lot of pressure." Wang has worked in advertising for 13 years and was formerly ECD at Ogilvy & Mather Taiwan for eight years. Another top female ECD in Taiwan is Ideology's Shuenn-Ing Hsu. "Taiwan is a society which gives equal rights for both sexes," says Wang. She adds that women in Taiwan study harder and possess tenacity, stamina, care and sensitivity that "give them an advantage in the advertising field". Wang adds: "There were some 'quotas' for women in some fields in Taiwan. But with more and more women making themselves conspicuous, we may need to set quotas for men instead. The challenges we face are from cultural differences, worldwide campaigns, and the changing market. It's not from our sex." Even Kuala Lumpur appears to offer a more fertile ground for female creatives to flourish. Many of the senior creative positions are held by women. "In the UK, women are fighting for equal opportunities, but in Malaysia there are no such problems because Malaysia is a matriarchal society. At some point women just got better. In fact we need more men," says Ahmad. Leo Burnett Malaysia handles the Procter & Gamble account and was asked by the US to localise a version of its campaign for Rejoice shampoo. The US campaign emphasised the empowerment of women. "It just didn't gel for Malaysia," says Ahmad. "In Asia a woman caring for her body and the softness of her skin is a strength, not a weakness. I don't know who is right, but there's a difference." To a large extent, the progress of women creatives in Asia remains a mixed one. In some markets, they helm departments; in others they're rising stars. Ogilvy & Mather regional head of creative, Tham Khai Meng, said that the strength of women in India was leading to a marked increase in the numbers of women in O&M creative departments. In Thailand, Tham cited Jureeporn Thaidumrong, creative director of O&M's fully-owned subsidiary, Results Advertising, as "one of the stars of the network". Under Jureeporn's leadership, Results has taken home a slew of international creative awards, including a Gold Lion at Cannes last year for the Tabasco print ad, "Cigarette", the most prestigious award ever won by a Thai agency. Jureeporn's success in a market where female creatives are a rare breed has been an inspiration to many. But while it is easy to wave banners and search for deep-rooted discriminatory factors, the fact remains that markets are different in Asia. They are at different stages of development and they have very different cultural and religious values. Which makes it difficult to paint the regional industry with the same brush. Even a review on a country-by-country basis can throw up exceptions. But those exceptions are usually examples of outstanding drive and talent, as is the case of Jureeporn in Bangkok. Just what does it take for a woman to thrive and succeed as a creative? O&M Singapore art director, Ng Pei Pei, puts it down to a hunger to do so. "When I decided to pursue a career in art, it was either advertising or painting on easels on the street to sell postcards," she says of the choices available to her in the Lion City. Ng, who has been with O&M for eight years, adds: "I'm single so I have no problem with late nights and relationships. But this for me is not the issue at all. If you're hungry enough for it, you just do it." "I've never been concerned with gender issues. If you really want something, you just go for it. It all comes down to building relationships and creating good work. I choose art direction, and it is tough, but it totally excites me."

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