“Behind every successful man stands a woman, goes the age-old saying.” ZIJkant, a progressive women’s movement dedicated to wage equality in Belgium, and agency mortierbrigade – a by The Network member -, are taking the maxim one step further, with a darkly humorous campaign suggesting that behind every successful male employer stands an entire workforce of underpaid women.
The campaign launched on Employee Day (April 17 2025), previously Secretary’s Day, in Belgium, 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. 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,” stated Julie Van Garsse, director, ZIJkant.
The new film is running across national TV and online platforms in Belgium. It follows ZIJkant’s previous campaign, An Inconvenient Question, that aired on Equal Pay Day last year to highlight wage inequality in Belgium.
Credits
Client: ZIJkant
Client Team: Julie Van Garsse, Rafke Pijls
Agency: mortierbrigade
Partner & CEO: Jens Mortier
Partner & Executive Creative Director: Joost Berends
Partner & Brand Design Director: Philippe De Ceuster
Strategic Director & Partner: Vincent d’Halluin
Creatives Film: Geoffrey Masse, Zoé De Priester, Lionel Goldstein
Strategy: Loes Hendryckx
Strategic Planner: Doris De Smet
Cross Media Designer & DTP: Vito Latorrata
Head of Production: Charlotte Coddens
Account Executive: Emma Robberechts
Production: Czar.be
Director: Lionel Goldstein
Executive Producer: Eurydice Gysel
Producer: Lander Engels
DOP: Grimm Vandekerckhove
Art Director: Tanker
Stylist: Sofie Callaert
Editor: Manu Van Hove
Grading: Laurens Orij – Crabsalad
Online Graphics: Dries Derycke
Post Production: Czar
Post Producer: Bieke De Keersmaecker
Sound & Mix: Senstudio
Music: Pozegnanie Ojczyzny, Michal Lleofas Oginski, Zespół Akordeonistów, Tadeusza Wesołowskiego [Warner Music]
