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J. Walter Thompson track the progression of women with Female Tribes research

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As part of its initiative analysing women's attitudes to life issues such as sexuality, careers and health, J. Walter Thompson has used a new research project called The Women's Index, to create 20 new “Female Tribes,” characterising the key trends and facets of female progress around the world. A global proprietary research project into today’s women that spans 9 countries and more than 4,300 women between the ages of 18 and 70, The Women’s Index examines women’s attitudes to almost everything from career, ambition, religion and finance to sexuality, looks, attractiveness, parenting and health. The research shows that women are now often on equal terms with men when it comes to providing for themselves and their family or making decisions in the house. They are also more complex than ever to engage with and can no longer be defined through the narrow lens of parental responsibility.

By delivering a deeper understanding of today’s women’s wants, needs, desires and attitudes, J. Walter Thompson want to drive the message of Female Capital; the worth women bring to the world as women by celebrating their aspirations and achievements. The idea is to help brands and business unlock the true economic value of women as consumers, leaders, inventors, and wealth creators, and to allow the agency to create better products and services that truly reflect women’s needs while changing the cultural conversation. The plan is also to continuously update the study, bringing in new questions and countries to expand its reach and accommodate new trends. The research comes at a time, of course, when the agency's former chairman-CEO, Gustavo Martinez, is looking to face charges for alleged sexist and racist remarks, but Tamara Ingram, who replaced Martinez earlier this year, appears to be really taking the bull by the horns here!

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Rachel Pashley

Rachel Pashley, Global Planner at J. Walter Thompson, said: “Whilst the world is familiar with the idea of women as consumers, we witness women as wealth creators in their own right. We believe the concept of Female Capital will be transformative not just for business but for society as a whole. We feel that culturally we’re still not reflecting women’s true status and influence in society, we view women through a narrow lens of parental responsibility, when we could be and should be celebrating women’s achievements and aspirations, and this opens up a world of possibilities. When you consider that onscreen role models influence not just women’s career decisions, but their life decisions: so 1 in 4 women in Brazil have left an abusive relationship just through the influence of what they see on screen, then it becomes harder to dismiss advertising as trivial, and that changing the cultural narrative around women could be game changing.”

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James Whitehead

James Whitehead, Executive Partner at J. Walter Thompson London, added: “By creating this proprietary research and the 20 Female Tribes we can deliver true insight into modern women around the world. This allows us to offer better creative, consultancy and pioneering services to our clients, helping their businesses better serve the biggest consumer group in the world.”

J. Walter Thompson – Female Tribes Manifesto Film

Examples of Three Tribes

Asian Alphas - Modern Asian women are shedding the docile home-maker stereotype to become an economic powerhouse. Asia is home to the highest ratio of female to male CEOs in the world, and two thirds of the female self-made billionaires are Chinese. In China, women are much more likely in their youth to prioritise education and a career over friendships and fun. 50% of women in China aspire to be ‘aggressive’ and ‘maternal' and 63% say they use their femininity as a means of power and influence.

Teen Activist - One of the interesting contradictions with the Teen Activists is on the one hand how level headed and mature they are - more likely to conform – but also how passionate they are about changing the world around them. However, growing up in a hostile world has given them a desire to change it, and armed with idealism and social media connectivity they’re making their voices heard. In the Generation Z report based on a survey of 1,000 12- to 19-year-olds JWT asked them what they worried about. 61% mentioned terrorism and 60% said wars around the world. This was followed by fears about the state of the planet (57%) and the economy (53%). Just 56% thought men and women were treated equally in the workplace and 87% said racial discrimination still exists.

Cultural Icons - Hollywood has predicted 2016 as the era of the female hero, with more attention devoted to female actresses, female led story lines and female directors than ever before. No doubt the spectre of female led films out earning male led films at the Box Office by up to 30% having something to do with the increased screen time devoted to women. In fact, in JWT's Women’s Index Research, 80% felt that women should have a louder voice in terms of cultural influence.

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Global statistics gleaned from the research

• 56% believed that they are more ambitious than their spouse/significant other.

• 84% believed that it is important for women to step up as mentors for younger women.

• 57% said they felt sexually empowered.

• 19% found managing the expectations they have for themselves challenging.

• 78% of Baby Boomers agreed that sexual fulfilment isn’t just for the young.

• 74% agreed that their work is linked to who they are.

• 79% agreed that having children has made them work in a more productive and focused way.

• 56% believed that I am more ambitious than my spouse/significant other.

• 44% agreed that they’d delay having children or getting married to focus on their career.

• 76% felt it had never been a better time to be a woman.

• 59% believed that they have a more senior/responsible role than their spouse/significant other.

• 61% said female role models in film and TV have been influential in their lives.

• 73% said they made the majority of financial decisions in their house.

• 68% felt ‘confident’ that they will achieve their goals.

• 43% felt that their opinion is less valued because they’re a woman.

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