Girltalk HQ Draws Attention to Gender Equality Issues

Whether it’s regarding the pay gap or promoting within, gender equality issues often arise for working women. With a pair of recent projects, GIRLTALK HQ, a website dedicated to sharing daily news about global female empowerment topics, has sought to bring to light the everyday practices by people and company alike that undermine equality for women.

First, GIRLTALK HQ highlited the Pink Tax – the fact that women pay on average 43 percent more for goods and services than men pay for comparable items. Working with BBDO Toronto, GIRLTALK HQ partnered with a Toronto coffee shop to starkly highlight such biased pricing policies by offering the same coffee at different prices for men and women.

Following the stunt last fall, the company decided to take the stunt a step further by conducting a case study. GIRLTALK HQ launched a petition asking Canadians to support a ban of the Pink Tax. With the goal of 2,000 supporters reached, they presented a formal appeal to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Status of Women, Patty Hajdu asking for the Pink Tax be banned.

Now, the organization is calling attention to the fact that men interrupt women three times more than they do other men with a new radio spot.

“Uninterrupted,” which was also created by BBDO Toronto, features a woman breathlessly relating all the ways in which women’s voices go unheard, like statistics citing that men dominate 75% of the conversation during business meetings and that patients interrupt female doctors twice as often.

DIVERGE talked to BBDO Toronto’s SVP, Chief Creative Office Denise Rossetto to find out more:

Why was tackling the Pink Tax important to the team?

We see the benefit and the importance of not only supporting but promoting equality at every level.  The reason we felt it was important to shine a light on the pink tax, was most women had no idea they were paying this “gender tax”.   The idea that women make less and are expected to pay more for the exact same product, is inconceivable.”

Did you learn anything interesting from the shoot? Did anything surprise you?

What was amazing to see was how many men really stood up against the ‘pink tax’.   It somehow seemed even more offensive to them then many of the women we encountered over the course of the day.  It was incredibly encouraging.

How does it feel to be possibly creating change with the appeal that was presented to the Prime Minister?

Acknowledgement by the PM that the ‘pink tax’ not only exists but will not be tolerated is just another reason for the world to look to Canada as an example of what true equality.

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