#HereToBeHeard asked women one simple question: “What needs to change so more women can reach their full potential?”.

Through partnering with the audio platform Phonic, women were asked to submit soundbites and voice recordings of their deeply personal opinions, insights and ideas, as they called for the systemic change they want to see from their employers, governments, communities to break down the barriers they face.

All 10,319 voices were then analysed through Oxford University's AI machine learning – grouping what women said into eight themes. The voice recordings captured provided a powerful and intimate audio-visual report like no other gender white paper.

The findings were then amplified to Mars employees, stakeholders, C-suite executives, peers, NGOs, 22,000 supplier partners, and industries from advertising to healthcare. Crucially, 71% of women stressed that men play a critical role – so it was ensured the campaign reached their ears too.

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Today, women and marginalised genders face inequalities in the workplace, home, community and media. Before the pandemic, the U.N. estimated it would take more than a century to close the gender opportunity gap. COVID set that back another 35 years, and even more so for women in minority groups.

In 2021, several cultural moments highlighted this inequality. From the deterioration of women’s and girl’s rights in Afghanistan, to the change in abortion rights in the US. All brought outrage and outcry, debate and discussion. But nobody was listening.

Women have long played a powerful role in Mars’ history. Accounting for over half of the company’s 135,000 employees, play a critical role in its supply chain, and make up the majority of its consumers worldwide. But if it was going to achieve gender equality, it needed to do more that just talk about the issues. It needed to listen.

Gender focused programs are often designed with a particular type of woman in mind. But Mars listened to all women at all intersections of society - all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, parenthood and socio-economic status.

The power of the human voice is hard to ignore. So partnering with audio platform Phonic, Mars captured women’s voice recordings, before a team of data scientists at Oxford University analysed every single one. The Business for Social Responsibility reviewed the data and consulted leading gender experts to produce the ‘Here To Be Heard Report’, including recommended bold actions towards SDG 5 from business and society.

By combining the rigour of a global study, with the emotion of women’s voices, and partnerships with the Unstereotype Alliance, CARE and the Geena Davis Institute, Mars was able to turn deeply personal perspectives into a landmark policy paper.