Blue Shield of California released a new ad campaign for the fall. "Let's Not Go Back to Normal," calls for greater gender equity.
Suzanne Buffington, senior director, brand and Medi-Cal marketing, writes:
Over the past six months, so much has been taken away and so much has been asked of each of us. It’s clear that our world has changed. The challenges we face and have to overcome are many but so are our opportunities to do things differently and better. That’s why our newest TV spot, “Let’s Not Get Back to Normal,” expresses our commitment to making things better. It starts with making sure that 50 percent of the population has 50 percent of the voice and that women in the workplace receive equal treatment including equal pay. It’s time that more women – and more women of color – take up space in court rooms, boardrooms, government halls, and other places of power. In fact, this new brand spot was ideated, created, directed and produced by a team of all women.
Here at Blue Shield, we’ve achieved 100 percent pay equity across the organization, which means zero gender and minority pay gaps. Unfortunately, this is not true for most workplaces, where the gender pay gap is 82 percent – and far wider for women of color. Outdated norms about gender roles run deep in our culture and affect the paths that girls and women pursue throughout their education and career. This inequity doesn’t just affect women, it impacts families, local communities, our state and our nation. There’s no denying that this is a pivotal moment in time and we need everyone – men and women from all walks of life – to meet the challenge.
As a healthcare company that prioritizes diversity, inclusion, and equality, it’s time that we take our purpose to a larger platform. We need to empower women who, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, make 80 percent of healthcare decisions in the United States, to be just as empowered in the other areas of their life. It’s not just women helping women, it’s all of us working together to create a new normal.
Let’s champion women. Let’s make the opportunities and the money equal.