Blog post alleges sexual harassment and misogyny in advertising sector

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A senior advertising agency figure has exposed the extent of sexual harassment, assault, misogyny and discrimination in the industry. In a blog post, Mad men, furious women, Zoe Scaman suggests that the industry is losing female talent in droves because many are leaving for the sake of their own wellbeing, are being forced out by toxic cultures, or dismissed by their employers after they start a family or speak up about mistreatment. Scaman claims women in the industry are often branded “too emotional” or “overreacting” when they raise issues about stress or overwork, and suggests that allegations of misconduct by colleagues, leadership and clients are swept under the carpet. Scaman, founder of advertising and marketing agency Bodacious, told the Guardian that she would like to see non-disclosure agreements banned where sexual harassment and assault is alleged, as well as the creation of as industry body where allegations could be reported and investigated. “When this stuff happens in agencies, the only route of escalation for women is to [an employer’s] human resources [department], but we all know that HR is not on your side, they’re there to silence staff and avoid scandal,” she said. “It would put the fear of God into the agencies if they knew that there was an unbiased third party that women could go to, and that they couldn’t control.” In her blog post, she writes: “When I was 24 I was sexually assaulted by a boss after he followed me into a toilet cubicle on a night out. The next morning, whilst sitting two metres away from me, he sent me an email to suggest we ‘forget about last night’ because he had a wife and kids, as if what had occurred was either consensual or mutual.