The Great Backslide: Are These 28 Leaders Seeing Women Lose Ground?

​With LinkedIn feeds skewing male, DE&I budgets quietly shrinking, and return-to-office mandates squeezing working parents, there is a distinct whiff of disempowerment in the air across the creative industries. The data backs up the feeling: Kantar recently revealed that the proportion of ads featuring women in non-traditional roles halved to 4% last year. But is the industry genuinely experiencing a 'Great Backslide', or are we simply witnessing the stress-testing of fair-weather corporate principles?

To find out, we spoke to 28 leaders across adland. What emerged was a complex picture of exhaustion, intersectional hurdles, and AI-driven redundancy traps – but also a fierce, defiant pushback. While some point to the undeniable gains in flexible working and female leadership, the overwhelming consensus is that progress is fragile. Is it time to move beyond performative awareness and demand structural accountability, ensuring the fight for equality is not quietly rolled back?

The Reality of Systemic Fatigue

Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at Kantar, sets a sobering baseline for the current landscape. Recent Kantar data shows that last year the proportion of adverts featuring women in non-traditional roles halved to 4%. Furthermore, ads showing ‘authoritative’ women decreased from 13% to just 3%. Lynne comments, “Adland’s role in supporting women at work is hugely important, but the opportunity for positive impact extends far beyond creative careers. Advertising has the power to influence the way we think, how we feel about ourselves and how others see us, and the way women are portrayed on screen matters. The industry has done some great work to challenge harmful stereotypes, but it’s crucial they don’t take their foot off the gas when it comes to modern, progressive and diverse portrayals of women. Kantar data suggests we’re now at risk of slipping backwards.”

Recent LinkedIn research confirms that the global progression of women into top management has effectively stalled, as economic downturns cause employers to disproportionately shift leadership hiring decisions away from female candidates. In response to these compounding structural barriers, a rapidly growing number of women are bypassing the traditional corporate ladder to launch their own businesses.

This onscreen regression mirrors a palpable shift behind the scenes. Rachel Roberts, managing director at ZEAL, captures the insidious nature of this trend perfectly. “This International Women’s Day feels a bit more complicated than usual. There’s real pride in the progress our industry has made, but also a growing sense that the momentum isn’t as guaranteed as we once believed,” Rachel explains. “Not because anyone is openly arguing against progress, but because priorities are shifting. Budgets tighten. DE&I programmes suddenly become 'nice to have' and flexibility is re-examined. You don’t always see it in headlines. You feel it in rooms. The hesitation before speaking up. The quiet recalibration of who takes space and who steps back. Progress doesn’t collapse overnight. It slips backwards through small, sensible decisions made one at a time.”

This sentiment is echoed by Jennifer Black, chief executive officer at GAIN Creative Studios, who warns against the slow erosion of hard-won foundations. “Over the past decade, we’ve done meaningful work to build more equal workplaces, flexible working, stronger parental policies, greater pay transparency and better leadership representation,” Jennifer notes. “Yet we’re seeing signs of erosion: a softening of DE&I commitments, a gradual retreat from hybrid working that disproportionately impacts women, and a broader cultural noise that makes equality feel negotiable. The problem isn’t one dramatic reversal. It’s the cumulative effect. When pressure builds, progress can start to feel optional.”

The emotional toll of this creeping disempowerment is significant, leading to a dangerous systemic weariness. Randell Beckford, strategy director at RCP, points to a very real, unspoken threat. “I don't know if things are getting worse or if the challenges that have always been there, have simply become unignorable,” she says. “The big risk right now is fatigue. I think a lot of women in the industry are tired and, through exhaustion and justified self-preservation, the priority is holding on to what little gains have been made rather than pushing for more.”

Lucy Allen, communications director at Spin, notes that this fatigue is clashing with a generational shift. “There’s a definite hint of disempowerment in the air, and it’s not paranoia,” Lucy shares. “When DE&I budgets shrink and right-wing politics romanticise 'traditional' gender roles, women are the first to feel the impact. Women have long been cast as underdogs. Pushing to be heard in meetings, taken seriously, and paid equitably. 'Bro culture' still lingers... As a millennial woman, I’ve witnessed – and at times quietly absorbed – everyday sexism so normalised that it barely registered as wrong. But gen-z women are built differently: they refuse to accept what previous generations were told to endure, using their voices and expecting better.”

While entry-level representation has improved, the upper echelons of the industry tell a different story. Director of 4creative Miketta Lane points to the sobering reality of the corporate ladder. “When political discourse hardens, and economic conditions tighten, leadership tables once again look familiar – and overwhelmingly male,” she states. “Boards are close to gender balance, with 43.4% of roles held by women, and over 70% of FTSE 350 companies meeting or exceeding the 40% target. Yet only 19 FTSE 350 CEOs are women – around 7% of the total. That drop-off is where the system still fails. In pressured environments, organisations often revert to default settings: longer hours, louder voices, narrower definitions of leadership. When senior women quietly disappear because the model becomes unsustainable, the damage is structural.”

Michelle Marais, creative director at Dentsu Creative Cape Town, offers a blunt assessment of this stalled momentum and the toll it takes. “Are things worse than five years ago? Yes. But worse than 50 years ago? Absolutely not,” Michelle argues. “Working in an industry that wasn’t made with us in mind often feels like one promotion forward, two agency restructures back.” She points out the exhausting reality for women “who earn, on average, 20% less than their male colleagues while doing the double shift… and knowing exactly what the double shift refers to. Women who report a sexual harasser, and report to a sexual harasser, at least once in their careers.”

However, it is vital to recognise that the baseline for equality was never level. Lisa Bent, HR director at Captivate Group, introduces a crucial intersectional lens that challenges the entire premise. “Are things getting worse for women in our industry? In some ways, yes. But if I’m honest, they were never equally good for all women to begin with,” Lisa asks. “When we talk about a 'backslide', my question is back from where, and for whom? As a Black woman, there's always been hurdles and shifting goal posts that have impacted me across my career, far more than algorithms. History has always shown when the economic pressure tightens, it is not women in general who feel it first, it is women at the intersections.”

And despite the broader gloom, not everyone agrees that the industry is retreating. Steph Hobart, MD at Brothers & Sisters, challenges the prevailing narrative entirely. “If these questions bubble up in feeds, they start to shape opinions and reality... So no – I disagree. There has never been more opportunity for women in this industry,” Steph asserts. “Look at the number of female MDs and CEOs and you’ll see real progress in leadership diversity. IPA data shows the proportion of female MDs/CEOs in agencies has roughly doubled over the past 20 years. Today, an estimated 30-40% of chair/CEO/MD roles in UK advertising and media agencies are held by women... The flexibility of the post-covid workplace has been transformative for women with parental or caring responsibilities. Speaking personally, 10 years ago I couldn’t have done my current job with two kids. Today, flexible hours make it possible – and enjoyable.”

Budgets, Bias, and Office Mandates

If the industry is indeed experiencing a backslide, it is crucial to examine the specific mechanisms driving it. For many leaders, the erosion begins when corporate commitments clash with economic reality. Rania Robinson, CEO and partner at Quiet Storm, feels this tension acutely. “There are moments when it feels like the ground is shifting,” Rania observes. “DE&I budgets under pressure, flexibility reframed as indulgence rather than infrastructure, and a political climate that can feel inhospitable. When economic uncertainty hits, it’s often women who feel it first – especially those balancing working with caregiving.”

Sarah Collinson, CEO at Havas New York, echoes this observation, pointing to how quickly priorities can change behind closed doors. “There’s no question the tone around female empowerment has shifted,” Sarah states. “When budgets tighten and DE&I gets recast as a discretionary line item instead of a business imperative, momentum can stall. We’re seeing it across the industry with less transparency, deprioritised initiatives, women exiting the workforce at higher rates, and shrinking structural support for working parents.”

A key part of this shrinking support is the aggressive rollback of remote working. Darren Burroughs, managing director at Media Futures Market UK, articulates the hidden tax of these mandates. “Across our sector, DE&I budgets are being pared back, political rhetoric is hardening, and some of the most powerful businesses in our industry are tightening hybrid policies,” Darren explains. “A move to four days a week in the office may be framed as cultural cohesion, but reduced flexibility does not land evenly. When maternity leave often coincides with the years women step into senior leadership, the path to progression can quietly narrow.”

This raises a difficult question about the industry’s genuine commitment to equality. Andrew Barnard, managing partner at 20(Something), challenges the very premise of the 'backslide'. “Did we ever truly solve the problem in the first place? Probably not,” Andrew suggests. “It’s easy to frame this moment as a 'backslide', but that assumes equality was structurally embedded rather than temporarily prioritised. When economic and political pressure builds, principles are tested. And principles are only real when they cost you something. The question isn’t whether the climate has shifted. It’s whether businesses are willing to absorb that pressure, or do they quietly pass it back to individuals.”

Often, that pressure is quietly absorbed by women taking on unrecognised burdens. Emily Crabtree, director of growth at IMA, highlights the insidious nature of this dynamic. “It’s difficult to separate what’s newly regressive from what has always been there, just better disguised,” Emily notes. “Women disproportionately carry the emotional and operational load of the employee lifecycle, while men disproportionately benefit from it... It would track in today's world that men feel more emboldened than ever to reject it as a valuable use of their time. The implication is that women's time is less valuable.”

Helen James, CEO at The Gate, believes this points to a deeper, internal hypocrisy within agency culture. “Here's what nobody wants to say: our industry is part of the problem. We are the people who build the stories culture runs on,” Helen states. “There's a structural irony at the heart of our industry: we build brands on authenticity, warmth, and human connection – and then ask women leaders to suppress those same qualities to be taken seriously... The most powerful backslide happens inside our own agencies, in the briefs we write and the work we approve and the talent we promote.”

This dynamic is equally pronounced in production, where squeezed budgets often reinforce old boys' clubs. Celia Hodgson, founder of Tiny Studios, sees the impact directly on set. “Turnarounds are getting quicker, asks are getting bigger and budgets are being crushed,” Celia observes. “In that environment, people fall back on their trusted teams, and in film production and branded content those networks have historically, and statistically, been white men. The challenge is that fewer opportunities to get onto jobs means fewer chances for new voices to become 'trusted'.”

Beyond human bias, the industry is also grappling with the rise of algorithmic inequality. Sachini Imbuldeniya, co-founder and CEO at House of Oddities, is unsurprised by the male-dominated echo chambers online. “It's true that if you’re looking at LinkedIn comment sections, deflating DE&I budgets, and panels that still look like a ‘00s media agency Christmas party – then yes, it can feel like the tide’s turning backward,” she says. “And as for algorithms skewing male? That's okay. At least it's saying the usually quiet part out loud. It's only reflecting what the bias is (which we knew), and where the power is (which we also knew).”

Alice Robson, UK group operations director at OLIVER, agrees that this narrowing digital feedback loop is a serious threat. “The platforms we spend our downtime on increasingly determine whose voices we see,” Alice explains. “That narrowing feedback loop can easily become male-skewed, reinforcing the sense that women’s leadership and perspectives are fading from view.” Melanie O'Hagan, community, impact and change manager at OLIVER, warns that the shape of the battlefield has fundamentally changed. “It’s now algorithmic,” Melanie notes. “In an AI-first world, bias doesn’t just sit in culture – it can be automated into hiring tools, performance systems and the prompts that shape creative work.”

The threat of technology, however, goes far beyond social media feeds. Cheryl Ryan, global head of impact and inclusion at WPP Production, provides stark data on the artificial intelligence divide. “The stark reality for anyone who is paying attention is that reversing gender inequality in today's turbulent global climate demands deliberate intention,” Cheryl warns. “Just look at the recent UN Women report which highlights how generative AI disproportionately threatens women’s roles, raising concerns about algorithmic biases... This disempowerment is real; even if not fully conscious-led, women lag in AI skill adoption (1% vs 2% for men) and often work in sectors at risk of becoming obsolete.”

Kat Thomas, founder at Knock Three Times, reveals how this technological shift is being weaponised to mask structural redundancies. “A visible, worrying pattern is emerging across the industry right now,” Kat explains. “Senior women are being caught in redundancy rounds just as AI gives businesses 'permission' to rebuild departments with fewer, more junior hires supported by technology. On a spreadsheet, experience looks expensive, even though the strategic judgement behind it has never mattered more. At best it's a blind spot, at worst a massive regression.”

How the Industry Pushes Back

If the pressures facing women are structural, then the pushback must be too. Rachel Brandt, managing partner and co-founder of Corner Table Creative, argues that fighting back requires concrete, systemic protection over mere awareness. “Policies like leave and flexibility are how you stop biased systems from 'reasserting themselves' through attrition,” Rachel explains. “They reduce the hidden tax women often pay in career momentum, and they make it easier for women to stay, grow, and lead, rather than opting out when the cost gets too high. The most effective pushback I see is women organising together: sharing intel, opening doors, and advocating in rooms where decisions get made.”

Bertille Calinaud, regional DE&I director at McCANN UK & Europe, provides a tangible example of this structural approach in action. “At McCANN we developed a pain policy in collaboration with Nurofen,” Bertille shares. “The policy means employees with endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS can all manage working with pain conditions... 'Pushing back' looks like driving forward with inclusion at the heart of the organisation.”

This structural pushback also requires a radical reframing of the commercial conversation. Sachini stresses that equality must be viewed as a business imperative, not a charitable endeavour. “If DE&I is being 'defunded,' then fine,” she declares. “We stop treating it like a side budget and start treating it like what it actually is: a performance advantage. Different lived experiences don’t make the industry friendlier. They make the work better. More culturally fluent. More effective. That’s not some 'woke' or performative ideology. That’s a competitive edge.”

That’s something that Sarah at has clearly taken to hear. “I don’t believe we’re in an irreversible backslide,” she says. “At Havas New York, 75% of our executive leadership team is female and our global network is led by a female CEO – representation that would have been rare a decade ago. That matters. It changes decision-making, culture and what’s possible when women have an equal seat at the table.”

Nicole Golloso-Kazemi, director of HR & corporate communications and regional DE&I lead at McCann Singapore, believes this competitive edge requires decisive action over lip service. “If we truly want to push back, we have to be more intentional,” she states. “We need sponsors as well as allies. We need leaders who genuinely trust women’s judgement and give them real authority to lead... And we need to equip more women to be comfortable with self-promotion, while creating environments where speaking up is encouraged and supported.”

A major part of this modern pushback involves taking control of the very tools currently threatening women's roles. Kat urges women to actively weaponise technology in their favour. “The priority for women must now be to aggressively focus on getting to the front of the upskilling queue and treat AI tools as personal career enhancers,” the Knock Three Times founder advises. “Used well, these tools sharpen thinking, strengthen salary negotiations, help articulate value clearly, and create leverage in moments that used to feel a lot more intimidating... Confidence is becoming a practical skill rather than just a mindset and by mastering AI, people can unlock a new type of influence that is impossible to ignore.”

Cheryl at WPP Production agrees, noting that women are actually uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. “Importantly, women possess a significant 'soft skills' advantage – 13.6% of their skills versus 7.7% for men, including emotional intelligence and strategic communication,” she explains. “These strengths are ideally suited for orchestrating AI on a human level, rather than merely executing tasks. Women’s proven ability to navigate change and transformation is an undeniable superpower.”

To ensure these tools do not simply reinforce old barriers, Melanie at OLIVER stresses the need to treat inclusion as product quality. “If gen AI tools aren’t designed and tested with diverse perspectives in the room, bias becomes a product flaw, not just a cultural issue,” she says, advocating for a shift from performative moments to structural mechanisms. Her colleague Alice adds that women must actively fight back against digital erasure. “Visibility means actively challenging the algorithm,” Alice urges. “If platforms narrow the view, we widen it - by posting, amplifying and engaging with women’s voices so they remain part of the conversation.”

Beyond mastering technology, many women are increasingly bypassing broken systems entirely to build their own tables. Catherine Peacock, co-founder at 05:37, finds immense hope and energy in this disruption. “That said, in disruption lies our opportunity and hearteningly, many formidable women are taking matters into their own hands,” she says. “I often say courage prefers company, and since starting 05:37 I’ve found myself in energising rooms with newly female-founded media companies, creative studios, intermediaries, podcasts and consultancies. There is a growing community of leaders ripping things up, rebuilding and reimagining our industry at this very moment.”

This inherent resilience and ability to navigate hostility is a common thread. Amburr Farls, managing partner at Cut+Run Los Angeles, points out that women are already adept at reading the room and thriving in difficult circumstances. “I tell my kids that being able to walk into a room and understand it quickly is a superpower,” she says. “When it comes to work, I’ve found that tough times are where I tend to thrive, where new ideas and directions are born, and I kinda like it... The issue isn’t whether women know how to adapt. We do. The more interesting question is: When will the environments we work in evolve at the same pace?”

Becks Montgomery, executive creative director at all things, believes that thriving in these environments requires a radical, emotionally intelligent approach. “My 41 years as a friend, sister, mother, daughter, and as a leader, have taught me that my strength lies in my vulnerability,” Becks shares. “Therefore, we can push back by collectively being vulnerable at work and on LinkedIn, supporting each other in posts, and being open about decision making and results, which will foster trust.”

But the burden of this evolution cannot fall solely on women's shoulders. Emily issues a direct, rigorous challenge to the industry's male leaders. “This is why now is the time for rigorous and active advocacy from male leadership: endorse loudly, engage wholly, interrogate bias and recognise when impulse might be reinforcing a system that is working against your female colleagues and employees,” Emily urges. Helen from The Gate reinforces this absolute necessity. “The push back has to start there,” Helen states. “And it can't just be a women's conversation. Working with Beyond Equality taught me that the most effective gender work actively brings men in – as participants, not observers. That's not soft politics, it's smart strategy. You don't shift culture by talking to half the room.”

The final word on this fight belongs to Nina Matzat, co-founder & general manager at Plan.Net Studios, who delivers a blistering, uncompromising call to action. “The only way I see how we can push back is at the very top,” she declares. “Vote. Demand salary transparency. Change jobs. Make conscious consumer decisions. Speak up. Stand up. Make a few people really, really uncomfortable. And I don’t mean women. All of us. This is not a women’s job. It’s a societal and political responsibility.”