Ups and downs for women in reality TV production
Women’s position in reality television production has somewhat improved the last few years. However, as the roles behind-the-scenes gain more decision-making power, the percentage of women in the job decreases, US-based Geena David Institute on Gender in Media says in a 2021-2023 study of reality television in US, UK, Brazil, and France.
“While there is some evidence of improvement over time, this change is slow and inconsistent. Progress does not happen on its own. Not only do women need more opportunities within the industry, they need the resources, support, and trust to carve new paths, and drive new stories”, the institute says in a report.
“Prioritise equity in salaries and opportunities”, is one of the institute’s proposals to improve the situation for women in the business.
“Ensure that there are no gender pay or opportunity disparities among existing staff (or correct any that do exist) and establish practices to prevent them in the future.”
Key findings:
- Overall, men outnumber women in reality television production – men make up 58.4% of executive producers, supervising producers, and creators, compared with 41.5% of women.
- Across all countries, the percentage of executive producers who are women has increased nearly ten percentage points from 2021 to 2023 — from 36.6% to 46.0%.
- Despite the gender imbalance among executive producers, there is near-perfect gender parity among supervising producers (50.9% men and 49.1% women), across all countries and all years.
- Three in four reality TV creators are men (73.7% compared with 25.7% who are women) across all countries and all years. This gender difference among creators is most pronounced in the U.S. (80.6% men compared with 16.1% women).
The institute’s recommendations for increasing women’s representation in reality television:
- Create mentorship programs. Provide learning and networking opportunities for women who are mid-level producers so that they can obtain the skills and connections they need to advance in their careers. Successful men should mentor and invest in women to cultivate new talent as well.
- Foster a culture of communication. Provide opportunities for lower-level staff to share their ideas and see them come to fruition. Similarly, provide options (such as anonymous check-ins) where they can report problems or obstacles in a way that does not threaten their potential success.
- Offer paid leave. Often, parenting and household responsibilities fall disproportionately to women. Provide the flexibility and stability that caregivers need so that they do not fall behind in their careers when caring for their families.
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