The European Commission published, on Monday 7 June, a report taking stock of gender inequalities in the cultural and creative sectors and listing a series of measures that it believes could restore a certain balance.
The paper draws on a range of work by European experts, some of whom have been able to put a figure on these inequalities. For example, we learn that 10% of the galleries registered in the Artsy database still do not represent any female artists and that 96.1% of auctions are for works by male artists; or that women represent only 2.6% of music producers and that only 18% of European films were produced by a woman between 2015 and 2018.
Women are also under-represented in influential decision-making and leadership positions - in art schools, museums and other institutions. Yet they currently account for almost 70% of graduates in the arts and humanities.
Although these imbalances, together with the pay gap, are similar to those in other sectors, the report indicates that working conditions specific to the cultural sector are also at the root of some disparities.
“Artists and cultural professionals must be flexible and show adaptability in order to pursue their career in the field. They are highly likely to be self-employed, freelancers, work part-time or not have a permanent contract, which means that they are excluded or only partially covered by social security protection”, the experts summarise on this point.
In addition, they present suggestions and detail more than 250 good practices observed in the EU. Among other things, it is recommended to collect more gender-disaggregated data, to use inclusive language “that does not perpetuate gender stereotypes” when talking about artists, or to establish contact points to fight against sexual harassment.
To consult the report: https://bit.ly/3crFKU3 (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)