Latest news with #TheLeaveofAbsence
Campaign ME
09-04-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
ItsHerWay launches campaign to spark policy change on miscarriage leave in UAE
Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East and UAE-based women's platform ItsHerWay have launched a new campaign titled The Leave of Absence, addressing a workplace policy gap often overlooked: miscarriage bereavement leave. The campaign aims to normalise conversation around miscarriage grief and push for systemic change by encouraging companies to introduce formal policies for leave following pregnancy loss. At the centre of the initiative is The Needed Space, a short film created and directed by Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe MENAT. The wordless film moves through empty nurseries — a crib untouched, folded baby socks, a gently swinging chair — offering a visual metaphor for absence and unspoken grief. The visuals are set against a lullaby version of Sweet Child O' Mine, carefully chosen to evoke emotional resonance without explicit dialogue. The creative concept was born out of a desire to not only raise awareness, but to provide a direct action route for companies. The film drives viewers to where employers can sign a downloadable pledge to adopt miscarriage bereavement leave, and employees can share the template internally. 'Sometimes a lot can be said by not saying a lot,' said Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe MENAT, who directed the film and spearheaded the initiative. 'A lot of us, including I, as a father, have gone through the unseen trauma of miscarriage. Companies don't treat it as that. This initiative matters in unveiling it as what it is — a death to a loved one — and allowing the space for grief.' To complement the film, Saatchi & Saatchi and ItsHerWay also developed a series of disguised classifieds, styled as ads for baby items never used — cribs, clothes, toys. Each ad lists the 'asking price' as bereavement leave, redirecting audiences to the pledge site. The visuals were deployed across Facebook Marketplace, blurring the line between marketing and social commentary. 'This campaign strikes a deeply personal chord,' said Armin Jamula, co-founder of ItsHerWay. 'It sheds light on a topic often left unspoken in our region. We are proud to champion this dialogue and encourage actionable change.' Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai, Sebastien Boutebel, added: 'These ads speak volumes. They're not just visuals; they're a reflection of real, silent loss. The creative team found a way to respectfully surface the conversation through a layered campaign that connects emotionally and directly.' As part of the broader effort, ItsHerWay is also organising free support sessions with psychologists for women and men coping with miscarriage grief. The campaign reflects a growing trend in purpose-driven creativity, where marketing not only sparks awareness but also aims to deliver structural change. As brands and agencies increasingly look for ways to align their output with social impact, The Leave of Absence represents a collaboration between creative ambition and a drive for meaningful progress.
Zawya
08-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
ItsHerWay launches UAE's first miscarriage bereavement leave pledge, urging companies to support grieving parents
UAE — In a bold move to address a silent workplace injustice, UAE-based women's platform ItsHerWay has launched The Leave of Absence the first corporate pledge in the region calling on companies to introduce formal bereavement leave for employees who have experienced a miscarriage. More than 1 in 5 pregnancies worldwide end in miscarriage — a statistic that holds true in the UAE. Yet, despite the scale of this experience, it remains largely unspoken in the workplace. In fact, 95% of women (and men) in the UAE who have experienced a miscarriage while employed reported taking no leave days off work to recover from the grief. While some policies may exist, the issue often lies in inconsistent implementation, a lack of clarity around entitlements, or simply the discomfort of bringing up something so personal in a professional environment. And in that silence, one thing becomes clear: the loss of a child before birth is often not treated as a loss at all. The Leave of Absence pledge aims to change this, calling on companies to recognise the deep pain and loss that comes with a miscarriage and implement compassionate bereavement policies that offer parents time to heal. Companies can now sign the pledge and join a movement that aims to shift corporate culture across the region and beyond. Armin Jamula, Co-Founder of ItsHerWay said: 'Leave of Absence sheds light on a topic often left unspoken in our region. When parents are expected to return to work the day after a miscarriage, it reveals a painful blind spot in corporate empathy. Our pledge is a call to action, to normalize such an important dialogue and encourage actionable change that offers both women and men the space to process their grief after loss.' The initiative is already gaining traction, with businesses and HR leaders across the UAE expressing interest in adopting the policy. Companies can download a template of the pledge from and submit to their own HR departments. It's also where heads of companies can sign the pledge to show their support for the cause and implement miscarriage leave for both women and men. Raising Awareness Through Storytelling To support the initiative, ItsHerWay has launched an emotional awareness campaign, featuring a short film titled The Needed Space. The film offers a deeply moving portrayal of life after miscarriage. Not through people but through fragments of many homes, each caught in a different chapter of parenthood-in-waiting: an untouched crib, folded baby clothes, sterilised bottles. All symbols of love paused in time. Set to a lullaby-like rendition of 'Sweet Child O' Mine,' the film has been created to evoke empathy and encourage corporate leaders to reconsider outdated policies around parental loss. Watch it here- The campaign also includes a series of disguised Facebook Marketplace-style ads with listings for never-used baby items like onesies and nursery furniture. The asking price? Compassionate leave. Companies can sign up to the pledge via About ItsHerWay ItsHerWay is a fast-growing platform in the UAE that supports women through every phase of their professional journeys — from entrepreneurship and funding to emotional well-being and workplace equity. Known for launching bold, socially resonant campaigns, ItsHerWay continues to use its platform to challenge taboos, spark dialogue, and drive meaningful change.
