Tanishq & Talented India inspire moms to claim their maternity break on their resumes
Talented, the new indie agency founded by former Webchutney CEO and CCO duo, Gautam Reghunath and PG Aditiya, has released Tanishq’s latest campaign created in partnership with Superfly Films, inspiring mothers to return to work.
It is a fact that there are structural and systemic barriers that get in the way of women reaching senior leadership roles. And it’s even harder for mothers.
The ‘maternity wage penalty’ is a term for when second-career women face hiring and compensation disadvantages when re-joining the work-force. Tanishq’s campaign flips the narrative around the maternity penalty completely, offering a whole new perspective on what the maternity break actually means – an experience that can present a real competitive advantage at work, a bootcamp in leadership.
Ranjani Krishnaswamy, General Manager- Marketing, Tanishq, said: ”The woman of today is seeking to express herself with honesty and authenticity to confidently celebrate her realities. She’s thriving in her vulnerability while rising in her power to change her world. The brand believes these powerful stories build positive momentum in cultivating a world of equality and adding to her self growth. This film is an ode to women who challenge set narratives and inspire many others to follow the change.”
Binaifer Dulani, Founding Member & Creative at Talented, said: “POV: You’re returning to work from your maternity break. Everyone has made you believe that the gap in your resume puts you on the backfoot. But you know that was anything but a break. It was a bootcamp in life. Yet you’re ready to wiggle, take a paycut, a demotion – all to prove yourself. Only if there was a way you didn’t have to. If there was a way mothers didn’t have to start from scratch.
“This is a long overdue conversation in India, and Mother’s Day felt like a moment as good as any to further this narrative. Studies reveal that it will take at least 136 years to close the global gender pay gap, and one of the biggest factors for this is the lack of representation of women in senior leadership. We need more workplaces to see beyond the dominant culture, value the incredible leadership transformation mothers undergo, and create equity for women, so that they can make their comeback.”
Kopal Naithani, Founder and Director, Superfly Films, said: “The film spoke to me at a personal level as a mother. A maternity break is not easy, it tests you at every level, and has a transformative effect. There’s so much fear about what life will be after, for working women. I hope our character, Radhika inspires more mothers to add ‘Life Bootcamp’ to their own resumes and negotiate for better, more powerful roles when they make their comeback to work. At Superfly Films, furthering the arc on progressive womanhood is core to our mission, and we’re honoured to partner with Talented and Tanishq to put this discourse out there and inspire action.”
The campaign is led by a digital film. Through the month of May, mothers in Titan’s leadership will also mentor new moms wanting to make a comeback through a series of webinars that focus on gender modules, and one-on-one interactions.
