Sex Segregation in Advertising Creative Departments Across the Globe

This study explores sex segregation in advertising creative departments globally. Using data from the 2013 Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies, the authors investigate the lack of gender diversity in creative departments in 50 countries across the world. The theoretical frames that anchor this work are the sociologically based multidimensional model of sex segregation and Csikszentmihalyi’s system’s theory of creativity. In the end, this study demonstrates powerful vertical and horizontal sex segregation. Further, for the first time, this study quantifies the underrepresentation of women in advertising creative departments, demonstrating a global average of only 20.3 percent female representation in advertising creative departments.