Women in the audiovisual industry. The case of Spain as the new hub of European production

Abstract

The new public plans and the economic injection from international production companies have converted Spain into an important center of audiovisual creation. Taking advantage of this new scenario, an analysis is made which focuses on the current situation of this industry with respect to gender. Most of the research studies that associate gender and audiovisual production focus on the representation of women in plots and characters, but not their professional work in this sector. The present study seeks to address this matter with a triple methodology: first, a descriptive study is presented to contextualize the object of study; then, the European and Spanish sectoral studies are compared, and a catalogue of profiles is extracted which will be utilized in the third phase, which is based on the focus group technique. Twelve professionals participated in the third phase, representing the following categories: director, screenwriter, producer, composer, actress, cinematographer, sound engineer, editor, make-up artist-hairdresser, special effects, art director, and wardrobe. We observed that the gender gap is still present; most of the professions are still male-oriented, and only wardrobe, make-up, and hairdressing, escape from this discrimination. The least female representation was detected in music composition, cinematography, sound, and direction. Also, a vertical segregation was observed which removes women from decision making processes. The female experts demand opportunities and gender education, to promote the inclusion of women into the audiovisual sphere. The privileged situation that Spain is experiencing favors the women’s incorporation into new projects, and therefore this country could become an example of change.

Keywords

• Woman
• gender
• gender divide
• Spanish audiovisual industry
• Spain audiovisual hub