More than one in two women in media rate the industry’s commitment to gender equality as weak or very weak, a new report reveals.
The Women in Media Industry Insight Report 2022 informs the call for gender equality, pathways for career progress, and access to support and resources for women working in all roles and types of media.
Report
Summary
Women in Media patron and board member Victoria Laurie sees the results as a litmus test of fairness in an industry that many would expect to prioritise gender equality.
“However, the majority of our members say pay is an issue, and career advancement is problematic,” said Laurie, a founding member of Women in Media.
“Our surveyed cohort says that’s why they feel uncertain or even dissatisfied about their career progress.
“Women in Media wants a better deal for media women, and our members have provided solutions – calling on employers to implement gender pay audits in their organisations, an increase in follow-the-leader ‘shadowing’ programs to upskill future leaders, as well as more training in digital skills.
“If women predominate at the start of their media careers, why is it that they are vastly outnumbered by the time they reach senior ranks?
“Women in Media believes it points to problems in the industry, and this report indicates that the majority of our members think so too.”
Women in Media encourages industry employers to more actively embrace gender issues to retain the talent in their ranks.
Research has shown for some time that companies with gender-balanced workplaces have higher profitability, better decision-making processes, and stronger value propositions.
Women in Media looks forward to continued discussion on the issues raised in the report and how we all can better support women working in media.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s survey.
Run by Women in Media, this research underpins our mission to help women excel, learn, contribute, and connect.
It aims to draw attention to crucial issues of importance to women working in our sector, which includes journalism, communications, production, public relations, publishing and digital media.
