WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN THE NIGERIAN

ADVERTISING INDUSTRY

BY

ARAFAT BADMUS

MATRIC NO: 180902023

SUPERVISOR: PROF. ABIGAIL OGWEZZY

SEPTEMBER 2024
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

This chapter analyzes the interviews conducted with women professionals in the Nigerian
advertising industry and it also presents the discussion of findings in relation to the research
questions and existing literature. The researcher interviewed 9 women professionals who are
registered members of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria. The study utilized a
narrative mode of analysis, as stated in the previous chapter.

The objectives of this study are:

1. To determine the women's representation in the Nigerian Advertising Industry

2. To assess the representation of women in the Nigeria advertising industry
3. To identify the factors influencing women's representation in Nigerian advertising
industry
The objectives were translated to research questions that guided the collection of data
which are:

1. What is the level of women’s representation in the Nigerian Advertising Industry?

2. How effective is the representation of women in the Nigerian Advertising Industry?
3. What are the factors influencing women’s representation in the Nigerian Advertising
Industry?

Research Question 1: What is the level of women’s representation in the Nigerian Advertising
Industry?

Interview question 1: What do you understand by women's representation in Nigerian

Advertising industry?

Respondent 1: Basically, it is just a split between men and women in the advertising industry.
And when we look at the advertising industry, you have to look at it from the context of
integrated marketing communications, which advertising sort of is a subset of it. Okay, my
understanding basically will be the split of women versus men. Well, it is not versus, but the
number of women vis a vis the number of men in the advertising industry.

Respondent 2: For me, women's representation in the industry is representation across every
level. Right? From the bottom level to leadership, and the c suite. In times past, in terms of
leadership, you know, we had the kind of, I'll say, an underrepresentation. In fact, I recall going
for media independent practitioner of Nigeria meeting to represent my MD at the time and no
woman was sitting on the table. I was the only woman, and I was not even an MD. Right? I was
representing my MD, so every other person was male. You know? And then maybe they had
about 20 agencies as members of MiPan at that time. So maybe there are 1 or 2, but they didn't
show.

Respondent 3: My understanding of women’s representation in the industry is how women are

represented in the industry, not in the advertisement. I think the representation of females is on
the increase, there are, like, 50-something or 60-something agency members of AAAN, which is
the Advertisers Association of Nigeria.

Respondent 4: It is basically having more women actively participate in the industry, not only in
leadership positions but also across all levels.

Respondent 5: I would say women’s representation in the advertising industry is the presence of
women in the industry. Not just presence alone, are they well represented across all levels, from
the bottom level to the top level.

Respondent 6: To me, women’s representation in the industry is basically the women and the
roles they take up in the industry.

Respondent 7: What I understand by women's representation in the Nigerian advertising

industry would just mean how many women are literally in the industry taking acquisitions,
taking charge, and making a difference.

Respondent 8: So, women's representation in the advertising industry refers to the roles, the
visibility as well as the influence that women have in shaping advertising content and decision-
making. That's advertising content, strategy, and decision-making within the industry. It also
refers to their presence in leadership position within the advertising industry as well as their
contribution to the creative and business aspects of, you know, advertising.

Respondent 9: What I understand by women’s representation in the advertising industry is the

proactiveness of women in the industry. That is basically what they do, their presence in the
industry.

Interview question 2: How well do you think women are represented in Nigeria's advertising
industry?

Respondent 1: In my days when I started work, which was about over 20 years ago, I will say
the representation as of that time would have been maybe like 10:90. 10% for women and 90%
for men. So, you're correct if you say before now, that it was male-dominated. But you found that
recently in the last time 5 to 10 years, women have started emerging and very, very strongly too.
And you find that, I would say now it is not like it is an equal split, we are not there yet. But I
will probably give you, like, 60, 40%. Or let's say 65, 35%, right, in terms of, how well women
are now represented in the advertising industry.

Respondent 2: I think the balance is showing today. In fact, our exco this year, we are more
women than men. So, in terms of how well, I think a lot has happened over the past, 10 years.
Over the past 10 to 12 years, there has been a lot of revolution, and I think people understand
that in every industry, just as the demographics of our country, we have almost a balance of
males and females. Therefore, in an industry like advertising where products and services are
targeted at the populace, then you should have a good representation of that same populace.
Right? So that decision-making and insights are drawn with the correct users. So, if it's a woman,
looking at a product or service, they know how a woman would think and what a woman's
motivations would be. So, it's very important that women are properly represented, and it should
be half-half.

Respondent 3: I think we're better well represented now than before because even with the
AAAN, with EXMAN, and all the others, you're having places where they are calling, for
splinter groups like women in as women in advertising, women in experiential, and 1, which is
women in outdoor. And when you check the general landscape and look at the various segments
within marketing communication, the number of female-owned agencies is actually on the
increase. So, it might not be where we want to be, but it actually is on the increase. And if you
are looking at it in terms of percentage, for now, I'll probably be looking at 40-60 because, like I
said, it is on an increase.

Respondent 4: I think we are doing well in being represented. Are we there yet? Absolutely not.
Because it's a tasking industry, I will not even joke about it.

Respondent 5: They are now like 50-50. Like I said, you see female here, you see male here. So,
in my department too as a GM marketing, I have a guy that is supporting me. Then I have in the
buying department, the head of the buying department a woman, then she has somebody beside
her. That's her assistant, so nobody wants to even take that for granted. Now if you have the lead
as a male, a female should be the assistant. Then if you have a female as the lead, the male will
be the assistant.

Respondent 6: Women are actually well-represented in the industry now. In terms of percentage,
I believe women are like 60%. Based on my experience, women have taken more roles in the
industry, especially leadership roles.

Respondent 7: I think women are very well represented. I think it is about lots of women really
just putting themselves out there a lot of times and just being so good at what they do. So, I think
women are duly represented in the Nigerian advertising industry, at least to a certain extent.
Although, the advertising industry is large. But, yes, I would say I feel like we're duly
represented.

Respondent 8: I would say to a large extent, women are well represented. However, if you look
at major advertising agencies or the advertising industry as a whole, you'd see that even though
women are dominating the workforce, the leadership strategic leadership positions are usually
occupied by the male gender. So, there is a lack of inclusion, especially with respect to strategic
leadership positions within the industry. So, yeah, I would say to an extent, women are well
represented, but it is usually in the administrative aspect. But for the strategic leadership
positions, I think the male gender dominates that.

Respondent 9: I think women are now well represented in the industry, especially in leadership
positions, unlike before when it was dominated by men.
Research Question 2: How effective is the representation of women in the Nigerian Advertising
Industry?

Interview question 3: What impact do you think the effective representation of women has or
will have on the advertising industry?

Respondent 1: Well, women are builders. Women are manufacturers. They are homemakers.
They are industry builders. I do not want to be partial when I say this, but actually, the world
revolves around women. Right? Without women in the world, there will be no world because
women are the carriers of every good thing. So, I would say yes. The impact it would have and it
is already having is very positive. You find that the women bosses, women leaders are more
understanding because, by nature, they are nurturers. So, they are made to nurture and, it is in
their DNA. So why the man, the male counterpart would look at things logically and objectively,
and there is nothing wrong with that because women were also logical and objective. But you
find that we are able to put in a bit of emotion into how we deal. And so, we are able to strike a
balance, you know, and that gives us a positive impact, you know, both in the short and in the
long term.

Respondent 2: If I am talking about drawing insights from consumers, if you have a woman
involved in decision-making, it will reflect positively on the organizational performance. Women
try to understand the consumer needs, and also in the process of trying to understand, you know,
what the populace wants, they do need a proper representation.

Respondent 3: The representation of women in the industry has had positive impacts on the
industry. Women are creative and innovative. When women are visible in leadership and
decision-making roles within the industry, it inspires more women to pursue careers in
advertising and related fields. The inclusion of more women in creative roles can lead to the
development of more authentic, relatable, and innovative advertising campaigns. When women
are involved in the creation and execution of advertising campaigns, the resulting content is more
likely to resonate with female audiences. The result in turn would obviously lead to huge brand
loyalty and increased sales.
Respondent 4: A major impact I would say the effective representation of women has on the
advertising industry is creativity. Women are nurturers, they care and can multitask. These soft
skills have brought positive impacts to the industry.

Respondent 5: Like I said, women know how to multitask very well. When it comes to
delivering a task, women know how to deliver. Women know how to manage their time and
deliver effectively. Because I am talking from experience, so I have all of them working with me.
Yes, I can, but I know their strengths. When you give the women work to do, as I mentioned
earlier, time management, they will ensure that they meet up with the deadline.

Respondent 6: I am just going to say that women are very important to the advertising industry
because we are more in tune with our emotions based on our persona as a woman. So, I would
say that there are a lot of things in the advertising industry that require almost some things that
require personal attention that women, that only women can actually give the right amount to.
Because men, I am not saying they do not have that, but like it is not in the same range of
feelings that a woman is going to do. So, women are very important because we are more into it,
the way we need to make our content speak, our content makes people feel, and images make
people feel. And I believe that a woman or women in general are crucial to the success and
progress of the advertising industry.

Respondent 7: Let me first say that well, not on the industry itself, but to people in general. I
feel like this large representation or this large number of women that are really pushing in this
advertising industry will encourage more people to know that they can too. You know, before,
things like marketing and tech used to feel like roles reserved for men. Yeah. It just always felt
like I mean it is marketing, so the men will take the stress or something. But with how much
women are really coming out doing good stuff, it is really encouraging other people too. Then I
think the effect on the advertising industry itself will be that it will be improved in a way. If you
do if you do something good, if you do good stuff, the results will clinically be good. They turn
to affect the general ecosystem kind of. So, the better these multiple women in the industry do,
the better the industry gets. And then you create a kind of safe space and community to groom all
people that most likely did not feel like they could, but now have a willingness to do because
others are, you know, progressing and making an impact in that field.
Respondent 8: I think the effective representation will have a great impact, actually, because if
we are able to include more women into the industry and make it less of that of a stereotype kind
of thing. Like I said before, the strategic leadership aspect is going to be left for the male and all
of that. If they are able to scrap that out, it's going to have a significant impact in the industry
because women can now bring forth innovative ideas and campaigns that can help pull the
female audience more and more to whatever company it is that they're in. So, when a female sits
in a certain position within that industry, they can be able to bring forth innovative ideas that
would specifically address the needs of the female audience. So that way, they would also even
boost revenue within that industry.

Respondent 9: The effective representation of women in the industry will serve as motivation
for young women who are aspiring to join the industry. When they see women occupying
leadership positions, they will be willing to also develop their careers in the industry.

Interview question 4: How can women's representation in the Nigerian advertising industry be
improved to meet global best practices?

Respondent 1: I would say deliberately focusing on the girl child, deliberately focusing on
women in the industry. The advertising industry is doing more tech than it used to be, and you
find that then when it comes to technical tasks, the boys were encouraged to jump in. And then
they said to the lady to the girl at that time, no, it is a bit too difficult for you, it is too tacky for
you. You know? Stay away from it. You know? Things like that. But you find that if we really
must grow the women folk, if we really must grow the women representation, to meet global best
practices, then there has to be a deliberate focus on younger ladies, to groom them, to train them,
to quote them, and then to mentor them. And then there must be a conscious inclusion strategy in
every organization, in every advertising company that exists out there. And there could be
initiatives such as promoting lady initiatives, you know, things like that. Just to ensure that you
give them an opportunity to be heard and that is one thing women probably lack because we tend
not to be as pushy as men. You find that sort of we are hardly heard. So, you find out that the
women who are leaders today, tend to be very bossy. They tend to be manly. You know? The
male comes up, but look at them as being too aggressive, you know, positively aggressive
anyways, and they see them as, you know, very, very bold and confident set of people. Because
we live in a man's industry, it is a man's world, so we just have to I'm sorry, we just have to, we
need to bully around to get you to do what we want then so be it.

Respondent 2: I think women give as good as they get, you know. So. it's not necessarily about
making sure that it's 50-50 as the case may be. It's just about giving everybody a fair chance at
the positions you placed so that nothing is kept for men. Women should not be paid differently
from men on the same level and all because our women are as good. I would just say we are as
good and I think it's just about making, we need to make some allowances to ensure that a
woman who is also a mother and wife can find it, easy, or relatively easy to still take up a
leadership or management role, right, without compromising her family. So, when I worked in
Media Reach, I remember they created a creche at some point. So, it was something to help
families, you know, and we should never think about it as just helping women but it helps
families. Women will give their all if they know that they are supported. So, it's very important,
you know, that they are represented, and the best way is just to ensure that they are supported
even in terms of building their families, while also holding, positions of management in the
industry.

Respondent 3: Even globally, it is women actually form about 69.5% of the advertising industry,
actually, in the United States. And if we're looking at it in terms of 40-60, then women in Nigeria
are at about 40% or thereabout. And like I said, it is on an increase, and it is actually with the
continuous effort and move on the parts of everyone to ensure that women realize that they have
a part to play in this. One of the reasons why something like women in advertising, and women
in experiential were set up essentially is also for all of us to be able to give each other a leg up
and to be able to speak to each other and understand the fact that there are actually opportunities
for you even if you just got married, if you are a single mother, if you are a breastfeeding mother,
there are opportunities for you to develop and to grow in this business. It is how you are able to
chat or channel your skills and abilities within the segment and the sector in which you are in.
One of the things we realized is that maybe at some point, we noticed that there was a gap where
young women are coming up and then they get up onto a point and then they fizzle out. And then
again, we now see women on the upper echelon. So, we started to ask questions that what was
going on in that middle where it seemed to fizzle out. And we are realizing that maybe they get
to that point and they don't find support or they need help and they don't find it. And that is why
things like women in experiential, women in advertising, women in PR, and all of that exist so
that you have someone who will give you a hand up to pull you up when you need that.

Respondent 4: I believe having more women in the industry will help improve things in the long
run. Also, women should open themselves to learning, this will help improve the advertising
industry.

Respondent 5: It can be improved by removing that mentality of, oh, can she deliver? She's
married. Does she want to go further in her education? Because women, you know, we limit
ourselves when it comes to studying because we want to take care of family, we want to take
care of our husband, we want to do all those things, women should try and, remove that impostor
syndrome. Yes, you will take care of your home but you still have to do something to support
that home you are taking care of, and that's your job. You have to know how to balance it. Like,
for tomorrow now, I am taking a course that my company paid a certain amount for. That course
is going to take 2 days. After those 2 days, I'll have my certificate. I want to improve myself and
function well, and I want to add more knowledge. Like now, how many women have PhD? That
needs to be, you know, to be checked. And, you know, we need to be encouraged. We need to be
taught too. We don't have to limit ourselves to say I just want to be a master’s holder. So now we
have to just come out of our cocoon and do new things and break the barriers and, you know, not
that we want to impress the world, but we want to show that we are not just there to be giving
birth and to just be at the medium level. We have to be at the top level. So, we have to just delete
that syndrome that it is a guy that needs to be the head.

Respondent 6: One of the ways I believe is to, talk to young women. I mean, probably
secondary school leavers, the young ones basically. Get them to be interested in the advertising
and marketing industry. Maybe through programs, mentorship programs, the way people go to
schools to talk to people, and things like that can actually be implemented. Then aside from that,
we can also have accommodations as regards the policies women are not just, workers. We do
other things aside from coming to work. We juggle our care; we juggle our self-care and a lot of
other things. We need to take care of ourselves because if we do not, it has an impact on us. So,
policies that accommodate women's health should also be implemented because this is very, very
important to make our work more successful. Also, aside from that, I believe that a lot of
women's work should be showcased. I would say, most of the creative areas I see are men, so
once we have women in the forefront, let them be loud and be shown. Let them be seen as,
professionals that young women can look up to so that they can know that it is possible for them
to actually be, really good in the advertising and marketing industry.

Respondent 7: I would not say I particularly know how best we can improve the industry in
quotes to fit international practices or something like that because I do not even know what the
best international practices are. And if we're talking about the corporate ladder, I do not really
know much about that system.

Respondent 8: I think for me, I'm just going to say let there be more inclusivity of the female
gender, especially with respect to holding strategic leadership positions within the industry. Let
them give room for females and not be stereotypical. So, when that is taken off, it will really help
improve the way women are represented in Nigerian advertising industry. And the second thing
is to let there be equal provision of advancement professionally. Let them know say as a female,
this is how far you can go, this is how much we can invest in you. When both genders are
provided with equal opportunities for career advancement, it would also help.

Respondent 9: I believe women should be given the chance to contribute their knowledge to the
industry and not limit them to junior-level positions. Women themselves should get rid of their
inferiority complex and challenge themselves to do better.

Research Question 3: What are the factors influencing women’s representation in the Nigerian
Advertising Industry?

Interview question 5: Based on your experiences, what factors do you believe contribute or
will contribute to the level of women's representation in Nigerian advertising industry?

Respondent 1: think, generally, and it is not just only about the advertising industry, you find
that there are more women provenance-led roles. You have women at the helm of affairs now,
more than you had a couple of years back. I think, one or some of the things that would have
contributed to the current level of women's representation in the advertising industry would be
maybe we are tired of being put down. Maybe we are tired of being looked down on. Maybe we
became tired of not being heard. You know? And we are like, you know how it is been said, what
a man can do, a woman can do better. And so, we just said, it is time for us to leave our comfort
zone and get out and be heard and make an impact in our world. And then you also find that in
the last couple of years, even though women will not want to tell you this, more women have
become breadwinners. You know? I say that it is like God has moved the financial hardship from
the men and now placed it on the women because women are more rational. Women are more
emotional, not in a negative sense, but they are just able to balance it up, and just make people
feel better. A woman by nature is accommodating and hospitable, and that is how you find
women in top positions, most times, you find that their staff, their colleagues, and their younger
colleagues would always refer to them as maale or mama or something. You know? It is a
common trend now, and that's just because of the physiological makeup of the woman. So, I
would say being tired of being relegated to the background, I mean, that is one of the things that
will probably have propelled women, to the forefront, and that is what has contributed to the
present representation. So as against 10% representation within the last 15, 20, 25, and 30 years,
just like I said earlier, it will be roughly about 35%, within that range.

Respondent 2: I think a lot of us women also are, like, afraid to take up some things because we
feel that we are going to have to compromise something else for kids. First of all, it is us as
women trying to overcome that imposter syndrome, you know. When I applied for my first job in
advertising, from when I was first applying, you know, I would put married. And my husband
said that that's what's causing the rejection because they look at my age, and I'm married. Ah, this
one will still start having kids. So, I think there are some implicit biases that people do not even
know that they are you know, they look at the CV. They don't know why they dropped the CV,
but it's something like that. If they don't get in at the bottom, how do they rise to the top? Then
also as I mentioned before about supporting the women to be able to work, right, by making sure
that their family life can be protected, you know, and progress. It's also about priorities.

Respondent 3: One fundamental factor I would say contributed to this current level of
representation is access to education. The increasing number of women pursuing higher
education, particularly in fields related to media, communications, and marketing, has led to a
growing pool of qualified female professionals entering the advertising industry. As more women
acquire the relevant expertise, their representation in various roles within the industry from
creative and strategic positions to leadership roles continues to increase. I also think women have
been relentless and hardworking, and this has positively influenced the current representation of
women in the industry. As I said earlier, we are not there yet, but we as women should continue
to strive for what we want till we get it.

Respondent 4: There is a group called women in advertising. Women from different agencies
meet, discuss how to help each other, and how to build and encourage each other. Focused
groups like that have contributed positively to the current level of representation.

Respondent 5: As I said, women are now well-represented in the industry. The growth is very
glaring and one factor I would say, contributes to this advancement is reliability. Women are very
reliable when it comes to delivering tasks. If a woman says she is going to do something, trust
me, she will get it done. They can stand on their words. I also think society should try and
welcome us more in every role, women should be allowed to occupy any role. It should be about
who can deliver the task and not about gender.

Respondent 6: Nowadays, I see a lot of women coming into the advertising industry, lots of
young women. So, we just need to push that forward, encourage these young women to actually
do more so that they can get to the forefront and be seen as role models to the upcoming ones,
and then we can have a lot of women in the advertising industry. Aside from that too, we all
understand as I mentioned earlier, this work-life balance thing has more impact on women
because we are caretakers. We have to take care of our home and of ourselves aside from work
too. So, this work-life balance structure is not really helping because we don't really have the
time to network with other people. Like, the way men finish work and go to hang out, talk about
things, and mix with other people in other industries, women who are more mature do not really
have that time because we have to probably go home to our husbands and kids or probably take
care of our own self rest before the next day. So, I believe, those things, those factors, work-life
balance, more inclusion as regards policies, more mentorship programs to young women,
basically anything to encourage women to actually come up on board.

Respondent 7: The factors, I would say, you know, a lot of people walked so that we can run in
this generation, quite frankly. So, I would say the sacrifice of our heroes passed. But yes, a lot of
people paved the way for us to have the privilege to at least, maybe contest the positions or just
have a space to show our skills, our abilities, and things like that. I would say individual
resilience too, you know, really contributed, and availability to certain types of resources just
really contributed to how well women are represented in the sense that it equips them enough to
contend with whoever the openings might be.

Respondent 8: You know, in Nigeria, there is just this stereotype, you know, that is in the
society even though it cannot be visibly seen, how they say as a woman, you're supposed to take
care of your husband, you're supposed to do even if you want to work, don't push for higher
positions. So that ideology, that mentality is one of the factors that has entered into the industry
also. It has put a peg to which women can rise in that industry and women can be represented in
the industry. Another thing is the lack of mentorship and opportunities for growth within the
industry. Now we know that the advertising industry is fast-paced, so you need to be able to be
on your toes to keep up with the trends and every other thing. But in a case where women are not
being sponsored, they are not being prioritized in terms of training, in terms of mentorship, but
then focus on the male, it will result in them having redundant knowledge. Another factor I'm
going to say is the lack of access to leadership positions. So, like I've been saying since they do
not provide access to certain positions where they can make key decisions within the industry.
They leave it for the male gender which means that there is just so much that they can do. But in
a case where they are given access to occupy such positions, it will really change the game. And
we both know that when a woman is in power, there are a lot of things that would just be set
right.

Respondent 9: Two factors, I would say have contributed to the level of representation of
women in the industry are hard work and resilience. Women are very hardworking; they take
their work very seriously. The industry used to be male-dominated, but now we have women in
top-level positions.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Research Question 1: What is the level of women’s representation in Nigerian advertising

industry?

Level of women’s representation in the advertising industry

With regard to this question, the findings from the interviews show that the level of
representation of women in Nigerian advertising industry has evolved drastically. From the data
gathered, it was asserted that women are now more visible in the advertising industry,
particularly in leadership positions. Historically, women were largely underrepresented in the
industry, and it was male-dominated. In the words of respondent 1, she noted that:

“In my days when I started work, which was about over 20 years ago, I will say the
representation as of that time would have been maybe like 10:90. 10% for women and 90% for
men. So, you're correct if you say before now, that it was male-dominated. But you found that
recently in the last time 5 to 10 years, women have started emerging and very, very strongly too.
And you find that, I would say now it is not like it is an equal split, we are not there yet. But I will
probably give you, like, 60, 40%. Or let's say 65, 35%, right, in terms of, how well women are
now represented in the advertising industry.”

As cited earlier in the previous chapters, a study conducted by Rotimi in 2016 showed that there
was a higher presence of male employees in the advertising industry, especially in leadership
positions, as compared to female employees, and this indicated that there was gender disparity in
the industry. It was also noted that the females that were present only occupied junior-level
positions, which suggested a possible glass ceiling effect limiting females from advancing to top-
level roles. In tandem with the Glass ceiling theory that was examined in the previous chapters,
the societal expectation of women as primary caregivers might lead to them being overlooked for
leadership roles due to a perceived lack of time commitment (Galsanjigmed & Sekiguchi,
(2023). Even if women enter the advertising industry, they might face challenges getting
promoted beyond mid-level positions, limiting the pool of women qualified for senior leadership.
Despite being qualified and capable, they may find it difficult to break through to senior
leadership roles and this discrimination can manifest in unequal opportunities for women in
terms of promotions, pay, and access to decision-making positions (Radu et al, 2017).

In recent times, not only has the presence of women increased in the industry, women are now
occupying leadership positions, as compared to the previous years when women were relegated
to junior-level positions. This has increased their participation in the decision-making process in
the industry. Quoting respondent 2:
“I think the balance is showing today. In fact, our exco this year, we are more women than men.
So, in terms of how well, I think a lot has happened over the past, 10 years. Over the past 10 to
12 years, there has been a lot of revolution, and I think people understand that in every industry,
just as the demographics of our country, we have almost a balance of males and females.”

Supporting Respondent 2 comment, respondent 3 noted that:

“When you check the general landscape and look at the various segments within marketing
communication, the number of female-owned agencies is actually on the increase.”

From our data, it is undeniable that the level of women’s representation in Nigerian advertising
industry has evolved significantly over the years, as women’s visibility is now more pronounced.
In the words of respondent 3:

“So, it might not be where we want to be, but it actually is on the increase.”

Research Question 2: How effective is the representation of women in Nigerian advertising

industry?

Effectiveness of women’s representation in the industry

The findings from the interviews show that women are now well represented in the industry,
especially in leadership positions and this has had positive impacts on the industry as a whole.
More women are now involved in the decision-making process, some even own advertising
agencies and this has reflected positively on organizational performance, in terms of creativity
and growth. Respondents believe that women are nurturers and they are innovative, hence their
inclusion in the industry, especially the leadership positions greatly influences the advertising
content, as it resonates more with the audience which in turn boosts advertising revenue.
Quoting Respondent 4:

“A major impact I would say the effective representation of women has on the advertising
industry is creativity. Women are nurturers, they care and can multitask. These soft skills have
brought positive impacts to the industry.”

Respondent 2 also noted that:

“I would say yes. The impact it would have and it is already having is very positive.”

According to the glass ceiling theory, as examined in the previous chapters, there are competent
and ambitious women who desire leadership positions, they have the necessary skills and
experience for these roles (Herminia et al, 2013). Quoting respondent 3, she noted that,

“When women are visible in leadership and decision-making roles within the industry, it inspires
more women to pursue careers in advertising and related fields. The inclusion of more women in
creative roles can lead to the development of more authentic, relatable, and innovative
advertising campaigns. When women are involved in the creation and execution of advertising
campaigns, the resulting content is more likely to resonate with female audiences. The result in
turn would obviously lead to huge brand loyalty and increased sales.”

As stated earlier, the representation of women in the advertising industry has evolved
significantly over the years, as compared to 10, or 20 years ago when it was male-dominated.
However, it still has not gotten there yet, there is still more work and effort to be done to ensure
that more women are involved in the industry, particularly in leadership positions. Speaking on
how the representation of women can be improved to meet global best practices, a number of
respondents mentioned some initiatives that could enhance this improvement. In the words of
respondent 1, she noted that:

“If we really must grow the women representation to meet global best practices, then there has
to be a deliberate focus on younger ladies, to groom them, to train them, and then to mentor
them. And then there must be a conscious inclusion strategy in every organization, in every
advertising company that exists out there. Also, there could be initiatives such as promoting lady
initiatives.”

Supporting respondent 1 assertions, respondent 2 also mentioned that:

“When I worked in Media Reach, I remember they created a creche at some point. So, it was
something to help families, you know, and we should never think about it as just helping women
but it helps families. Women will give their all if they know that they are supported.”

According to the data gathered, it was pointed out that women themselves need to get rid of their
imposter syndrome, their inferiority complex, and stop limiting themselves. They should be open
to learning and also challenge themselves to do better. Also, organizations should implement
policies to support women and help maintain their work-life balance. Quoting respondent 5:

“Women, you know, we limit ourselves when it comes to studying because we want to take care
of family, we want to take care of our husband, we want to do all those things, women should try
and, remove that impostor syndrome.”

In the words of respondent 9, she noted that:

“I believe women should be given the chance to contribute their knowledge to the industry and
not limit them to junior-level positions. Women themselves should get rid of their inferiority
complex and challenge themselves to do better.”

Research Question 3: What are the factors influencing women’s representation in Nigerian
advertising industry?

Factors influencing women’s representation in the advertising industry

From the data gathered, it is clear that there is a visible growth in the level of women’s
representation in the advertising industry. This growth did not happen overnight, there are certain
factors that have contributed to this change and there are also factors that will enhance this
current level of representation. As examined earlier in the previous chapters, according to a study
conducted by Uzoamaka in 2015, it was found that advertising agencies in Nigeria consider
several factors in recruitment, including age, gender, marital status, academic qualifications, job
experience, and area of residence. This suggests that gender is a significant consideration in the
hiring process, which may impact women's opportunities for employment and advancement.
Quoting respondent 2:

“When I applied for my first job in advertising, from when I was first applying, you know, I
would put married. And my husband said that that's what's causing the rejection because they
look at my age, and I'm married. Ah, this one will still start having kids. So, I think there are
some implicit biases that people do not even know that they are you know, they look at the CV.
They don't know why they dropped the CV, but it's something like that.”
In her words, there were implicit biases that were not even done voluntarily, but they were done,
and this stunted the advancement of women in the industry. According to the gender role theory,
as examined earlier in the previous chapters, Talcott Parson argued that families function best
when men take the instrumental roles(breadwinner) and women take the expressive
roles(nurturer). This translates to the workplace as men potentially being seen as better suited for
leadership roles requiring assertiveness and strategic thinking (instrumental traits), while women
might be stereotyped as excelling in communication and emotional intelligence (expressive
traits). Sandra Bem argued against this assertion that personality and behaviors should not be
limited by sex. Bem's theory suggests that women can excel in both areas. They can be both
highly creative and strategic, shattering these stereotypes. Bem's perspective highlights that these
skills can be learned and developed by anyone, regardless of gender.

According to the data gathered, respondents pointed out some factors that have contributed to the
current level of women’s representation in the advertising industry. One prominent factor that has
led to this current level of representation is the hard work and efforts of past women leaders in
the industry. These people strived and fought their way to the top. Also, resilience, women have
been relegated to junior-level positions for so long and it is high time they put themselves out
there and get adequate representation across all levels in the industry. Quoting respondent 1:

“I think, one or some of the things that would have contributed to the current level of women's
representation in the advertising industry would be maybe we are tired of being put down.
Maybe we are tired of being looked down on. Maybe we became tired of not being heard. You
know? And we are like, you know how it is been said, what a man can do, a woman can do
better. And so, we just said, it is time for us to leave our comfort zone and get out and be heard
and make an impact in our world.”

Quoting Respondent 3, she asserted that:

“One fundamental factor I would say contributed to this current level of representation is access
to education. The increasing number of women pursuing higher education, particularly in fields
related to media, communications, and marketing, has led to a growing pool of qualified female
professionals entering the advertising industry. As more women acquire the relevant expertise,
their representation in various roles within the industry from creative and strategic positions to
leadership roles continues to increase.”
In the words of respondent 7, she pointed out that:

“The factor, I would say, you know, a lot of people walked so that we can run in this generation,
quite frankly. So, I would say the sacrifice of our heroes passed. But yes, a lot of people paved
the way for us to have the privilege to at least, maybe contest the positions or just have a space
to show our skills, our abilities, and things like that.”

As stated earlier, women’s representation in the industry has grown drastically but it is not there
yet. According to the respondents, there are still factors that can enhance the level of women’s
representation in the advertising industry. These factors include the removal of implicit biases
and stereotypes, more mentorship programs that will encourage young women in the industry to
take a step ahead in their careers, access to quality education and skill training, organizational
policies to support women.

In the words of respondent 5, she noted that:

“I also think society should try and welcome us more in every role, women should be allowed to
occupy any role. It should be about who can deliver the task and not about gender.”

Quoting respondent 6, she asserted that:

“Nowadays, I see a lot of women coming into the advertising industry, lots of young women. So,
we just need to push that forward, encourage these young women to actually do more so that
they can get to the forefront and be seen as role models to the upcoming ones, and then we can
have a lot of women in the advertising industry. So, I believe, those factors, work-life balance,
more inclusion as regards policies, more mentorship programs to young women, basically
anything to encourage women to actually come up on board.”
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