Behind every successful man stands a woman, goes the age-old saying; but ZIJkant, a progressive women’s movement dedicated to wage equality in Belgium, and its agency mortierbrigade (a by The Network member), are taking the maxim one step further.
In a darkly humorous campaign, ZIJkant is suggesting that behind every successful male employer stands an entire workforce of underpaid women.
ZIJkant campaign
Launching today on Employee Day (17 April 2025), previously Secretary’s Day, in Belgium, the campaign is led by a 90-second film.
Directed by Lionel Goldstein through Czar, the parodic spot introduces Jef, a self-proclaimed feminist boss and newly anointed Manager of the Year.
In a series of blackly comic scenes, Jef proudly reveals the secret to his profitability: a team made up entirely of women, who are high-performing, dependable and, more importantly, 20% cheaper.
Handing out roses instead of bonuses and overseeing ‘motivational’ staff star jumps in the office, he cynically explains: “Women earn less money. Why would I employ a man?” with the female staff’s deadpan reactions adding more awkward humour.
But behind the surreal comedy lies a serious statistic: in Belgium, women are still paid 20% less than men, in only a 1% drop from 2024.
Despite promising starts, women are continuing to fall behind under the weight of family responsibilities, missed promotions, and unbreakable glass ceilings.
Alongside this, proposed government measures, risk worsening the situation by increasing job insecurity and making working conditions even tougher.
By highlighting the continuing discrepancy and complacent attitude of employers, the campaign is part of ZIJkant’s mission to achieve real wage equality by advocating for concrete actions to make work more balanced, more liveable, and fairly paid.
This includes supporting reduced working hours, better parental leave, accessible childcare, and more transparent salary rules.
“By using irony, we want to highlight that wage inequality and sexist stereotypes are still very much present in the workplace”, said Julie Van Garsse, director, ZIJkant.
“What better moment to do that than on ‘Secretary’s Day,’ recently renamed ‘Employee Day’?
“We chose this date to emphasise that it’s not just about gender equality, but about respect and recognition for every individual’s work”.
The new film launches today across national TV and online platforms. It follows ZIJkant’s previous campaign, An Inconvenient Question, which aired on Equal Pay Day last year to highlight wage inequality in Belgium.