GEP Analysis: Assessing, understanding, and modelling the impact of gender equity policies (GEP) in the film industry
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Culture & Creative Arts
Abstract
The film industries internationally exhibit marked gender inequality: women (1) are under-represented in the workforce; (2)
receive less pay and other rewards, (3) have fewer creative, managerial and financial opportunities than men; and (4) are
subjected to sexual harassment and bullying. This situation is obviously problematic for individual women's employment
and careers. But it also limits the quality and nature of the films that are made, the storytelling and screen experiences
available to audiences, and the opportunities and resources screen industry businesses can capitalise on. Improving
gender equity in the film industries is thus important for women workers, audiences, businesses and societies.
There have, of course, over the last three decades been many initiatives that tried to improve gender equity in the
international film industries. But these initiatives and regulatory interventions by governments and industry stakeholders
have produced minimal change. In some jurisdictions gender equity measures have in fact worsened.
What is needed, therefore, is a significant step-change in (1) our understanding of the causes of gender inequality, and (2)
the development, design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs designed to promote gender equity in
the international screen industries. GEP Analysis will provide that step-change.
GEP Analysis makes an important change in the methods and concept used. Previously, research and practice focus
mainly on empowering individual women. GEP Analysis will instead focus on industry norms, structures and practices: what
is it in the organisation of the film industries, in the way production is organised and in people's everyday behaviour that
constrains gender equity?
With this important change of perspective, GEP Analysis will
- Build new and better databases that allow us to analyse women's participation in the film industries in new ways; more
comprehensively, across countries, in relation to policy interventions and national economic data etc.
- Analyse how previous policy interventions were designed and how successful they were, on the basis of interviews with
industry stakeholders, statistical analysis, network analysis;
- Model, on the basis of this new data, the likely gender equity outcomes of different policy alternatives.
- Undertake 'what works' analysis and embed these findings with the international community of film industry stakeholders.
In doing so, GEP Analysis will help the film industries chose more effective gender equity policies and improve gender
equity, to the benefit of women, the creative output, audiences and businesses. GEP Analysis will also achieve a number of
methodological and conceptual innovations that will help academics deliver better research and policy recommendations in
the future.
GEP Analysis will be undertaken by a team of leading screen industry researchers in Canada, Germany and the UK. It will
focus on the film industries in these countries and on these film industries' immediate international context, most notably
the Eurimage footprint of Europe and Canada.
receive less pay and other rewards, (3) have fewer creative, managerial and financial opportunities than men; and (4) are
subjected to sexual harassment and bullying. This situation is obviously problematic for individual women's employment
and careers. But it also limits the quality and nature of the films that are made, the storytelling and screen experiences
available to audiences, and the opportunities and resources screen industry businesses can capitalise on. Improving
gender equity in the film industries is thus important for women workers, audiences, businesses and societies.
There have, of course, over the last three decades been many initiatives that tried to improve gender equity in the
international film industries. But these initiatives and regulatory interventions by governments and industry stakeholders
have produced minimal change. In some jurisdictions gender equity measures have in fact worsened.
What is needed, therefore, is a significant step-change in (1) our understanding of the causes of gender inequality, and (2)
the development, design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs designed to promote gender equity in
the international screen industries. GEP Analysis will provide that step-change.
GEP Analysis makes an important change in the methods and concept used. Previously, research and practice focus
mainly on empowering individual women. GEP Analysis will instead focus on industry norms, structures and practices: what
is it in the organisation of the film industries, in the way production is organised and in people's everyday behaviour that
constrains gender equity?
With this important change of perspective, GEP Analysis will
- Build new and better databases that allow us to analyse women's participation in the film industries in new ways; more
comprehensively, across countries, in relation to policy interventions and national economic data etc.
- Analyse how previous policy interventions were designed and how successful they were, on the basis of interviews with
industry stakeholders, statistical analysis, network analysis;
- Model, on the basis of this new data, the likely gender equity outcomes of different policy alternatives.
- Undertake 'what works' analysis and embed these findings with the international community of film industry stakeholders.
In doing so, GEP Analysis will help the film industries chose more effective gender equity policies and improve gender
equity, to the benefit of women, the creative output, audiences and businesses. GEP Analysis will also achieve a number of
methodological and conceptual innovations that will help academics deliver better research and policy recommendations in
the future.
GEP Analysis will be undertaken by a team of leading screen industry researchers in Canada, Germany and the UK. It will
focus on the film industries in these countries and on these film industries' immediate international context, most notably
the Eurimage footprint of Europe and Canada.
Organisations
Publications
| Description | Gender equity policies have notably increased in number since 2013/14. This is true in all three jurisdictions we studied. From this time onwards, we also see a growing recognition in the policies that gender equity is a structural problem and not the result of women lacking skill or experience. Throughout, policies understand gender equity as a problem of representation, or more precisely: as the under-representation of women. Improvements in gender equity across the film sector are occurring, but slowly. None of the analysed countries demonstrates an equitable representation of men and women in key creative roles (directors, writers, producers). While women remain a minority in these positions across all analysed industries, each juris- diction has its own particularities, and change is occurring at different speeds. At the current rate of progress, gender equity, where men occupy 50 percent of key creative positions, will only be achieved in the year 2215 in Canada (i.e. in nearly 200 years), in 2085 in the UK (in more than 60 years), and 2041 in Germany (nearly 20 years). Much work still needs to be done to ensure equitable representation of women and gender minorities in key creative roles. Policies, thus, need to adopt approaches that are intersectional, sustainable, and consider both short- and longer-term impacts. Gains for women and gender minorities do not come at the expense of men. The equity gains made by women and gender minorities within the industry have not come at the expense of the number of men. In other words, we found that the number of men has not fallen at all, while the number of women increased. Women's gains have, in part, occurred as a consequence of industry expansion, and men are not leaving the set to make way for women. Men disproportionately or exclusively work with men. Though all key creatives in Germany, the UK, and Canada work with many more men than with women and gender minorities, this is particularly the case for men. Men tend to primarily work with other men. Change needs to occur numerically, relationally, and qualitatively. Achieving equity in the industries we examined demands a significant increase in the number of women and gender minorities. Yet simply adding under-represented groups is not enough. According to our modelling, even increasing the participation of women and gender minorities within the existing industry structure would not result in a more equitable redistribution of power dynamics. We need policies which enable more women and members of gender minorities to access positions of power in the industry. Our modelling shows that interventions focused on giving women and gender minorities more projects (in particular the all-important second project) do show some generalised potential for accelerating overall equity. There is a wide gap between what industry experts and the evidence suggest can work and the way policies are currently designed and evaluated. Although efforts to boost the numerical representation of women in the industry are underway, current policies often fail to address the participation of women and their access to senior roles. Industry experts emphasise the importance of designing policies that not only tackle the symptoms but also address root causes of gender inequity. Moreover, they advocate for policies that go beyond mere performativity and instead actively drive changes in industry practices, involving a broader range of stakeholders than the conventional ones. We find that, most policies have weak or no mechanisms for accountability and usually include no evaluation mechanisms to measure their effectiveness. They are often formulated in a way that opens them to faux compliance, partial compliance or non-compliance. Policies should set financial incentives, ensure enforceability and hold people accountable. No one-size-fits-all solution exists. Inequity might look the same statistically, but it operates differently across jurisdictions. Policies need to be attuned to these distinctions because what proves effective in certain industries may not yield the same results in others. When testing hypothetical interventions, we observe that different policies achieve varying degrees of success in different jurisdictions. For instance, eliminating all-male teams in a simulated model industry was most effective in redistributing relational power in the UK and Canada, but not in Germany. Policies need to recognise and incentivise what works and adjust what does not. For instance, our findings indicate that public funding instruments incorporating compliance mechanisms, such as the BFI Diversity Standards, have a positive impact on the representation of women in key creative positions. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings provide - a new evidence base for policy-making on gender equity in the film industries - a new framework for assessing and designing gender equity polices |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-filmuniversitaet/frontdoor/index/index/docId/390 |
| Description | Findings from the GEP Analysis project are currently being discussed by a roundtable of screen sector CEOs/Chairs. These roundtables aim to produce a collective charter for gender equity, to be published later 2025. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Creative Economy |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Title | Policy Analysis Framework |
| Description | The Policy Analysis Framework has been developed for the comparative analysis of gender equity policies. It captures key policy information about goals, publication, applicability, footprint and enforcement techniques as well as more interpretative aspects such as how the policy constructs the problems it seeks to solve, how the policy constructs gender and where it seeks to intervene. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | N/A |
| Description | Report Launch at Berlin Film Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The event launched the GEP Analysis Project industry report to industry and policy-makers. The launch and research findings were reported in the international trade and general press. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |