GEP Analysis: Assessing, understanding, and modelling the impact of gender equity policies (GEP) in the film industry

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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) aresubjected to sexual harassment and bullying. This situation is obviously problematic for individual women's employmentand careers. But it also limits the quality and nature of the films that are made, the storytelling and screen experiencesavailable to audiences, and the opportunities and resources screen industry businesses can capitalise on. Improvinggender 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 theinternational film industries. But these initiatives and regulatory interventions by governments and industry stakeholdershave 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 inthe 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 focusmainly on empowering individual women. GEP Analysis will instead focus on industry norms, structures and practices: whatis it in the organisation of the film industries, in the way production is organised and in people's everyday behaviour thatconstrains 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; morecomprehensively, 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 withindustry 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 genderequity, to the benefit of women, the creative output, audiences and businesses. GEP Analysis will also achieve a number ofmethodological and conceptual innovations that will help academics deliver better research and policy recommendations inthe future.GEP Analysis will be undertaken by a team of leading screen industry researchers in Canada, Germany and the UK. It willfocus on the film industries in these countries and on these film industries' immediate international context, most notablythe Eurimage footprint of Europe and Canada.