With the Women in Media Awards just one sleep away, B&T chewed the fat with Jayne Ferguson, general manager of women’s lifestyle and entertainment at Bauer Media, about why the publisher has come on board as principal sponsor for the event once again, and how it is encouraging gender diversity in the industry.
It’s the second year in a row (and third time overall) that Bauer has supported the Women in Media Awards. Why has it decided to come on board once again?
No other media company understands women more than Bauer. Through our portfolio of trusted and influential brands, we create customers by connecting our audiences with advertisers across platforms. As a business which has women at its core, Women in Media is an obvious event for Bauer to be associated with so we can champion the role and impact women play in our industry.
Why are events like the Women in Media Awards important for the industry?
While happily there is movement towards closing the gender gap in the workplace, we are not there yet and there is still work to do. Acknowledging the significant contribution women make in media is important, and it also recognises the depth of talent and experience that exists.
What are you looking forward to most about the Women in Media Awards?
I’m looking forward to celebrating the exceptional women working in our industry and catching up with colleagues from across the media industry.
What’s the most important thing to focus on when it comes to the role of women in the industry?
The ultimate measure of success is how many women we have in senior leadership roles, and we’re not making progress fast enough. For real change to take place, organisations need to find new strategies to keep women in the workforce, remove the barriers to their progress and start promoting them to senior leadership roles.
How does Bauer encourage gender diversity in the industry and among its staff?
We ensure all our key policies factor in gender diversity and equality such as recruitment, retention, performance management and promotion. We also provide a supportive environment with flexible working options as appropriate.
