The media and entertainment industry has seen an unprecedented number of positive movements in gender equality, as well as an awakening as more and more women have spoken up for themselves and catalyzed change through their brave actions. To celebrate this Women’s History Month, let’s take a deep dive into the industry’s gender parity.
According to a recent research by McKinsey & Company, there are more women in the media and entertainment industry than their overall benchmark for corporate America. Although women account for approximately 49 percent of the industry’s total workforce, these women mostly work in junior roles. However, women in entry-level positions are getting promoted to the manager level at twice the rate of men – 6 percent and 3 percent, respectively. As a result, the media and entertainment industry has had more female managers than any other industry in America. Also, the career satisfaction of women in media and entertainment is similar to the men’s and higher than the women’s in corporate America.
When it comes to the higher levels of leadership, women are still trailing behind men. The positive trend no longer exists as male executives outnumber female executives in the C-Suite – 79 percent for men and 21 percent for women. Women are fully aware of the stigmas and challenges that prevent them from getting to the top. According to a survey by Bain & Company, “a lack of understanding in the upper echelons of the organization” is one frequently mentioned reason. There are also “competing priorities” and “different work and leadership styles” between men and women. For example, when priorities are part of the conversation, women tend to choose family over work while the opposite holds true for men. In terms of work and leadership styles, a respondent traced the cause of the issue to “deeply entrenched and outmoded social attitudes and norms around gender roles at home and work. The concept of ‘mateship’ is too often abused as a proxy for [or to legitimize] the exclusion of women by men – and I say this as a man.”
Despite the recent positive movements, we still have a long way to go, tackling all the issues hindering women from using their voices and reaching to the top. Nevertheless, anything is possible. As actor Ian Ziering once said, “in the entertainment industry, there remains one constant: change.”