The Aunties was created out of an innate need to support, retain and champion women and marginalised genders
in creative advertising.

From motherhood to menopause, The Aunties not only ignites necessary conversation, but also develops tools, strategies and tangible actions to improve the experiences, equity and success of women in the industry.

The Aunties is inspired by the industry’s Auntie, ally and champion of women, Esther Clerehan. Who has provided countless support and mentorship to many over the decades. I wanted to ‘clone’ Esther and help provide support to women+ in our industry.

One day, Esther cheekily called herself a 'naughty Auntie' on a phone call. The rest was history.

I brought together the best in the business  to form a working group across Melbourne and Sydney. Made up of 30+ volunteers, from different agencies, levels and departments and united to create change.

In partnership with Women's Health Victoria, we have create a first-of-its kind mentor training, Support Talk.
That equips mentors with the skills on how to respond to disclosures of gender-based violence and discrimination.

The Aunties are for all stages of career and life. With only 10% of creative departments featuring mums, championing and platforming working mothers is a constant mission of ours.

We have created a podcast, Mums on Call and recently, made our own adorable advertising award that recognises the hard work and talents of our industry mums.

To date, The Aunties has paired 400+ women through formal mentor programs, grown our community online and partnered with incredible organisations to create impact. We’ve hosted networking events, seminars.

Even in places where historically women weren’t welcome.