Entertainment
There are still more men than women in major reality TV production roles: study
A survey shows that there is still a gender imbalance among producers of unscripted TV shows in the US and abroad.
The report, conducted by Banijay Group, Everywoman Studios and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, focused on the representation of women behind the scenes of 360 reality TV shows that aired between 2021 and 2023 in the US, UK , Brazil and France.
For roles such as executive producers, creators and showrunners, women outnumber men across reality TV production, the study found. Men make up 58.4% of executive producer, supervising producer and show creator roles.
Additionally, the research shows that the industry views hiring men as more financially stable, even though work produced, written or starring women often yields a higher return on investment. The makers of reality TV programs in all four countries are predominantly men: on average 73.7% are men and 25.7% are women. However, this difference is most pronounced in the US, where 80.6% of men are creators and only 16.1% are women.
Despite the overall gender inequality, the percentage of female executive producers has increased by almost 10% in all four countries, from 36.6% in 2021 to 46% in 2023. The study believes it is imperative that the industry finds ways to empower women more leadership opportunities. to bring about systemic change.
“For women to fully make their mark on the industry, they must not only be elevated to leadership positions in the space as it exists today, but also given the tools to reinvent and redesign it,” researchers wrote in the investigation. .
The study calls on the industry to establish mentorship programs for women in mid-level manufacturing roles to help them advance in their careers, prioritize equality in pay and opportunities, promote a culture of communication and offer paid leave to reduce the gender gap.
Other key findings from the report include:
- The difference between male and female executive producers is most pronounced in France (64.6% men and 35.4% women), followed by the US (62.5% men and 37.3% women). In Brazil, there are slightly more female executive producers than male executive producers (52.4% women and 47.6% men).
- In all countries, three out of four reality TV makers are men.
- Despite gender inequality among executive producers, there is almost perfect gender equality among supervising producers in all countries (50.9% men and 49.1% women).
