‘I’m resigning. 

This is because when I gave birth to my baby you decided it would be impossible for me to give birth to a good idea ever again.

I’m off to raise my creativity somewhere else.

See ya, 

Ex Copywriter’

This resignation letter forms part of a new campaign from SheSays, the global careers and mentorship network for women and non-binary people in the creative industries. 

The hard hitting social campaign, which launches on International Women’s Day, answers the question: ‘Why has she gone?’. Highlighting honest experiences which underpin why women and non-binary people are quitting their jobs. 

The series of six resignation letters, was created from insights shared by over 100 women and non-binary people within the advertising, marketing, and media industries. With 71% leaving roles and 55% stating the experiences ‘increased their mental health issues around stress, anxiety and depression’ SheSays wanted to be honest about the challenges holding women and non-binary people back. 

The creative uses dark humour to show the horrendous lived experiences of many women and non-binary people working in our industry. It acts as the voice for many who can’t speak up and unveils the real letter that so many would have wanted to write. Each letter addresses core issues of sexism, sexual harassment, menopause, mental health, being ignored and unfairly overlooked. 

Amy Dick, UK President of SheSays, explains: “We want people who identify as Women or non-binary to know they are seen and heard. We want creative industry leaders and colleagues to use the campaign to get a better understanding of what's happening in our industry.”

She continues: “You have the power to stop resignations and negative experiences from happening daily. Yes, it’s great to see the IPA census figures show more women are in agencies but ask yourself, are they happy? And will they stay and progress? When you are marginalised, it's incredibly hard to not only get to the top, but to stay there long-term. Why? Because the compounding effects of discrimination are huge obstacles to success. Most are pushed out prematurely or stagnate. That's an enormous problem”.

Adah Parris, Chair of Mental Health First Aid England, who have partnered with SheSays to offer expert advice, added: "As a partnership between SheSays and MHFA England, we are proud to stand together in raising awareness, demystifying, and giving a voice to the many voiceless women and non-binary people who have been marginalised based on the lived experiences of gender.”

She continues: “We cannot expect others to speak for us, it's time to break the silence and share our truths. Let's make mental health equality a reality and take individual and collective responsibility for the well-being of all. The pandemic was a wake-up call, and we must use this moment to create a butterfly effect in our communities. Together, we can make a difference."

SheSays have created a dedicated resources page to offer support and guidance on multiple issues that were raised through its wellbeing research.