A groundbreaking investigation spearheaded by Banijay Entertainment, Everywoman Studios, and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has shed a stark light on the industry's gender imbalance, particularly at its pinnacle. Iconic franchises like "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Shark Tank," and "Survivor" — all major unscripted hits — are the brainchild of men.
According to this revealing study, commissioned jointly by Banijay Entertainment, Everywoman Studios, and the Geena Davis Institute, three out of four reality TV creators are male. The disparity is even more glaring in the United States, where over 80% of these non-scripted visionaries are men.
The comprehensive research delves into the representation of women in decision-making roles from 2021 to 2023 across four countries: the US, the UK, Brazil, and France. It serves as a precursor to Banijay Launch, a global accelerator program aimed at empowering female creators with promising unscripted formats. The study's findings were unveiled at a Tuesday night event at the Skirball Cultural Center, where Banijay also announced the second cycle of its female-focused accelerator. In its inaugural year, the program attracted over 500 submissions from female creators spanning more than 30 territories.
While the numbers are promising, albeit still flawed, at the lower levels of the industry, women have made significant strides. In fact, at the supervising producer level, the industry has nearly achieved perfect gender balance, and the percentage of female executive producers has jumped by 10%, from 36.6% in 2021 to 46% in 2023. Collectively, the producer landscape of the non-scripted industry — encompassing executive producers, supervising producers, and show creators — tilts towards men, accounting for 58.4% across the four participating countries in the three-year span.
The core challenge, as outlined by the study, persists at the topmost rung, where show creators wield immense power and influence over the content consumed by viewers. To address this, the study puts forward a series of recommendations, including the fostering of mentorship programs to foster learning and networking opportunities for producers at all levels. Other suggestions include prioritizing salary and opportunity equity, cultivating a culture of communication, and offering paid leave.
"We are encouraged by Banijay's leadership in identifying gender disparities within the industry and their commitment to enhancing advancement opportunities within the company," said Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute, in a statement. She added, "We know that having women in leadership roles will result in a more diverse on-screen and behind-the-camera landscape."
Sharon Levy, CEO of Banijay's Endemol Shine North America, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We hope this report will spark discussions on elevating women into leadership roles in unscripted television and inspire the industry to come up with practical solutions to make this a reality. Banijay Launch itself demonstrates that as a major player, we can and are doing more, but the entire entertainment industry needs to step up and make it easier for women to reach these heights. It's time to tackle this glaring gender gap head-on!"
