Dutch Ministry of Defense
Time to break away
A campaign inviting women to choose a workplace built on equality.
Challenge
An untapped audience
With growing global uncertainty, The Ministry of Defence needed to recruit more people. But one major audience remained largely untapped: women. At the time of briefing, only 17.4% of personnel within The Ministry of Defence were women.
Despite successful recruitment campaigns, many women simply didn’t see The Ministry of Defence as a potential employer. To change that, we explored the realities women still face in the workplace and how The Ministry of Defence could offer a fairer alternative.
Approach
Systemic equality
Women are still often underestimated at work, facing unequal pay, fewer growth opportunities, and the pressure to constantly prove themselves.
That insight shaped the campaign. Unlike many workplaces, The Ministry of Defence is built around structural equality. Salaries are fixed by role, growth follows clear frameworks, and everyone wears the same uniform. A workplace where equality is built into the system.
Solution
A place that sees your potential
“Time to break away” positioned The Ministry of Defence as a fairer workplace, built on equal opportunities, equal responsibilities, and equal recognition. Rather than asking women to adapt to unequal systems, the campaign showed there is another option: a place where talent and ambition are valued equally.
Impact
More women in uniform
The campaign significantly increased employer attractiveness among women and resulted in a 31.3% increase in female applications for military roles compared to the previous year. Proof that equality can be a powerful recruitment proposition.
