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Men, If an AI Can Show Up for IWD – So Can You



In the lead up to International Women’s Day (IWD) this year, Mavens is joining our friends at Fck The Cupcakes and inviting men to show up for gender equality. If you’re a man and the idea of participating in an IWD sounds daunting, that’s okay! We’ve asked an AI chatbot, Chat GPT, to help you out with some more information on why your participation matters. Our prompt? ‘Write an open letter to all men about international women's day.’


Here’s Chat GPT’s response. It has not been edited.


Dear Men, As we approach International Women's Day, I would like to take a moment to address all of you. This day is not just about celebrating women, it's about recognizing the struggles and obstacles that they face every day. As men, we have a responsibility to listen and understand the experiences of the women in our lives. We must acknowledge that women face unique challenges that we do not, and that these challenges are often compounded by other factors like race, ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. We must also recognize that our own behavior can contribute to these challenges. It's not enough to simply say that we believe in gender equality, we must actively work to create a world where women are treated with respect and dignity. This means calling out sexism and misogyny when we see it, even if it's uncomfortable or inconvenient. It means recognizing that our words and actions have power, and that we must use that power to uplift and support the women around us. On International Women's Day, let us commit to being better allies and advocates for the women in our lives. Let us use this day to reflect on our own behavior and the ways in which we can do better. And let us work together to create a world where women can thrive and reach their full potential. Sincerely, ChatGPT

We couldn’t agree more. We need men in the communications industry to be part of IWD conversations for a multitude of reasons. Here’s a few.


  1. Even though the communications industry is 56% women (1), the number of women in senior management roles is akin to 1 in 3.

  2. 1 in 4 female middle managers say they’re likely to leave the industry specifically due to lack of inclusion (2).

  3. The comms industry is facing a gender pay gap of 33%. That’s the difference between the average earnings of men and women, and it’s much higher than the national gender pay gap of 14.1% (WGEA, 2022).

This is all before you add the compounding challenges of intersectionality, where women and non-binary people are marginalised due to age, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, parental status and other factors.

So – men! Show up for equality this International Women’s Day this year. Find out how here.


Learn more about this year’s UN Women IWD theme ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender Equal Future’ here.


Credits:

Words by Leah Morris and ChatGPT.

Art by Caro Latorraca and Midjourney.


References:

(1) 2021 Salary Survey, Advertising Council of Australia (ACA)

(2) Create Space 2021 Census Results & Report, Advertising Council Australia (ACA)



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