The World Cup and the ‘beautiful game’ are conventionally used to highlight positive brand values, often focusing on people coming together to watch sporting excellence. JWT subverts this to draw attention to domestic violence; thereby giving a voice to victims who often suffer in silence.

Feminine hygiene brands have become increasingly forthright in their portrayals of periods in the media. Swedish company Libresse is continuing on this theme with an ad that scrolls through a range of menstrual experiences rather than pushing a one-size-fits-all image.

From asylum seekers to schoolgirls, 10% of females in the UK will experience period poverty in their lifetime. The new social start-up, Hey Girls is looking to smash the taboo and provide sanitary pads to those in need, but for how much longer will this figure remain so shockingly high?

While nearly half of women say they prefer to buy from companies that challenge gender stereotypes, branded feminism in the form of pink-washed products and #girlpower hashtags is often seen as insensitive and unimpressive. So, how can marketers empower women in an authentic way?