Call for more equality, diversity and inclusion in the media, creative and cultural sectors
To coincide with International Women’s Day (8 March), the “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: women in media, creative and cultural sectors in Scotland” report has been published by the Equal Media and Culture Centre (EMCC).
The new research by EMCC which, as part of Engender, promotes equality for women in media and culture, calls on organisations to come together, through cross-learning and collaboration, to deliver real change to improve equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the country’s important creative industries.
Talat Yaqoob, consultant, social researcher and one of the report’s authors, says: “This research comes at a time when we are seeing an unevidenced global pushback against efforts to create more inclusive and equal workplaces but reaffirms why these efforts matter, and why they must be more meaningful for women who experience intersecting inequalities.
“Equality and inclusion programmes are not simply tick boxes, they require investment and accountability in order to really make change.”
Ten women from across media/journalism, performance, TV and film, music, libraries, and publishing were interviewed about their experiences of EDI initiatives. In anonymised responses they reflected on opportunities, obstacles, effectiveness and the future of EDI.
In recruitment, early intervention in the educational pipeline was highlighted. One interviewee said: “I think it needs to start either… early secondary school or even late primary…by the time it gets to university it’s almost too late”.
Participants also emphasised the importance of diverse, inclusive and transparent recruitment practices and more engagement with marginalised groups. They added that employers need to give more consideration to EDI initiatives aimed at supporting the career progression of women.
On monitoring and metrics, data collection was seen as vital in providing an evidence-base for EDI-related initiatives. Effective training, mentoring and networking can also build EDI. One interviewee said: “I still feel like a lot of stuff that I see for women, struggles to be representative… we’ve still got a long way to go.
”Diversification in leadership is seen as a key area where intervention is needed. Initiatives which focus on top-down measures were recognised as essential. “Having diverse boards is really important,” said one.
Looking to the future of EDI, an interviewee summed it up, saying: “There is no one area that we can work on that would solve the problem…we need to work together.”
Fiona McKay, another of the report authors, explains that the research report highlights the ongoing good work and desire for change across the media, creative and cultural sectors in Scotland. She added: “However it shows how there could be much more collaboration and learning across these sectors to ensure more intersectional, joined-up approaches to enact real change.” She concluded that institutions need to embed equality and diversity initiatives.
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