Gender Equity Toolkit (DIY Print & Play kit)

Have you ever wondered if your gender is affecting your ability to progress professionally? Well this Toolkit is for you!

The Gender Equity Toolkit is easy to use whether you’re in the the boardroom or the classroom, to strengthen empathy and equity to help re-program the implicit biases we all have buried deep within our brains.

About the Toolkit

Designer and sociologist Dr. Leyla Acaroglu partnered with the Women's Lead Initiative at the AIGA to explore some of the structural forces that are preventing women from achieving equitable access to leadership positions within the design sector. Leyla discovered through interviews, workshops, and literature analysis that one of the biggest issues is that the preformed framework of what leadership should look like is currently inherently masculine. This creates a double bind: women find they must adopt male leadership traits to get into a leadership position, but once there, they are penalized for not fulfilling the gendered expectations of the typically female stereotypes of sensitivity and care.

In order to reach equality, we need to find ways of enhancing equity––equal access to the resources we need to flourish, when we need them. And in order for equity to be implemented in our workplaces, we need to foster empathy all around. Through this toolkit of creative interventions, you will explore dynamic ways of enhancing leadership, busting cognitive biases, building empathy, and harnessing the power of organic mentorship.

Download the DIY print-and-play toolkit now!

Why this toolkit? 

The statistics on the number of women in leadership roles in the design and technology industries are not good. Very few organizations have women in active leadership roles. And although more women graduate from higher education in creative industries than men, women still earn 20% less than men. So why are women so underrepresented as leaders? What’s preventing progress? Find out more here >