‘There are still glass ceilings that we are struggling to crack’

The irony of the times we live in is that despite rapid social changes, and more women joining the professional force across industries, we still need a day marked for women, to celebrate and acknowledge the role they play across the personal and professional spaces.  

But the good part is that with the day extending to the whole month, meaningful conversations are made possible that point to the way forward. They can highlight how industries like OOH Advertising can become more gender inclusive, and therefore more diverse in terms of the talent they can draw and nurture. We wrap up this month’s special series on ‘Gender Inclusive OOH’ with an insightful conversation with Laetitia Lim, CEO, Quividi. Presented below are excerpts from the conversation.                

Let’s start with a paradoxical question. Do you think we still need a day dedicated to women? 

You know I would love to say no we don’t need a separate day anymore because lot of things have improved. But, the reality is that there are still many gender equality gaps. In terms of access to education, salary differences, responsibilities at home, etc., there is still a lot to do. So, I do believe that celebrating women one day helps to remember what has been achieved and to focus the energies on what still needs to be done. 

OOH, in particular, is still perceived as a male dominated industry, unlike other media industries like television or print or radio or digital media. Do you agree? If so, how do you think this can really change?  

Yes, as members of the World Out of Home Organization (WOO), we do have statistics about members and about people attending events around the world. And we can see that there are still many gaps. There are these glass ceilings that somehow, we are still struggling to crack. So, I do think we need more women to support more women in our industry. 

It’s definitely an industry where women are less represented, especially at the senior level. Industry initiatives can go a long way. For example, at the WOO Annual Congress in Mexico held in 2024, we had the pleasure of launching a special initiative in front of almost 1,000 attendees to accelerate the advancement of women into senior leadership roles.  As a group of 10 women representing different continents and markets, we launched a mentorship program meant to help high potential senior women build their leadership skills and navigate the power structure. It’s a six-month program and we are privileged to have very senior leaders as mentors. The idea is also to have more such initiatives regionally, moving forward.    

You were also recently part of an initiative on AI and women, right? Can you tell us more about that?    

Yes, technology is another area where there are still noticeable gender gaps due to various reasons. The programme organized by the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok was all about how AI can help women in their tech career. So on one hand, by lowering the technical barriers, AI makes it more accessible and creates more opportunities for women to leverage their unique strengths.  On the other hand, by making large language models that AI draws on, more gender inclusive, the information output can also become less biased. Much of the information that AI takes from today has been predominantly fed by men. So by making women part of AI, we can shape the outcomes generated by AI and make it more balanced. That was the focus of the programme.   

Do you think mindset and stereotypes are among the most common challenges in the context of gender inclusivity? Anything from your own professional journey that you can recollect?  

Yes, absolutely. I remember attending a job interview where it took a lot of effort to convince the people hiring that I was suited for the role and that I could deliver what the job asked for, despite being a mother. I’m sure this is something many women encounter. Essentially, women are often asked, and also forced to ask themselves questions at every crucial stage of their lives, because they are more under pressure to balance their professional and personal lives. There is also much social conditioning that leads to stereotypical mindsets and attitudes.      

What would be your message be to women joining an industry like OOH in particular?  

First, see it as an opportunity. Women and men are wired differently. Women must leverage their strengths to bring in fresh new ways of thinking, ideating and managing, people and business. They must find their own sweet pot.  Also, make sure you have the right resources and support system. Also, women tend to have this “Imposter Syndrome” wherein they are constantly questioning their capability for a job. Don’t do it. Unlike men, we want to tick 100% of the box before we apply for a role. But instead of constantly asking themselves, women should seek mentors and guidance for improving their skill sets and get ready for the job. And the final thing I would tell all women is: love yourself! Treat and celebrate yourself, because it’s very important for your mental well-being and more importantly, because you deserve it.