The Canadian Media Producers Association recently released a study of gender inequality in Canada’s media industries titled “Women & Leadership: A Study of Gender Parity and Diversity in Canada’s Screen Industries”.
The 62-page report spans the globe and is number-heavy. It concludes with a call for a six-pronged approach to gender parity:
- Disclosure & Research
- Financial Incentives
- Conscious Inclusion Initiatives
- Skills Training
- Confront the Portrayal Issue
- Diversity within Gender
Specifically, in terms of financial incentives:
“Many of the senior women interviewed pointed to levering ‘financial purse strings’ as the only effective and immediate means to change. The two leading suggestions identified are: 1. introduction of 50/50 allocation in all public funds as between female-led and male-led projects; 2. introduction of incentives for both producers and broadcasters such as top-up funding or a bonus tax credit for female-led projects.”
Proving it can be done in Canada, the report releases figures on BravoFACT‘s move to gender parity in 2015:
“Most importantly, the results of this initiative clearly demonstrate how setting firm targets can have an immediate impact on social change. In this instance, one year after setting parity as a firm goal, the percentage of female producers and directors of projects funded rose to 59% and 49% respectively.”
My take: this can’t happen soon enough for me. Maybe we can solve the wage gap at the same time.