A human rights council investigating gender bias in European film has come to the conclusion that it not only exists, but permeates "all levels" of the continent's film industry.
The Council of Europe, the European Union's largest human rights organization, condemned the industry's "lack of awareness of the prevalence of gender equality," as well as a "conscious and unconscious gender bias at all levels." The investigation also revealed "unequal funding for audiovisual content among women and men."
According to the
Hollywood Reporter, the council issued its first-ever pan-European recommendation, encouraging governments and corporations to "promote practical solutions" to getting more women involved in filmmaking--and getting paid the same as their male counterparts.
The recommendation also "invites governments of Council of Europe member states to review their legislation and policies," as well as collect and distribute more (and more comprehensive) data on gender imbalance in the film industry. While not legally binding, the council's recommendation has put significant political pressure on the European film industry to begin enforcing changes on their own.
A spokesperson for Eurimages, Europe's co-production fund, said they were happy to see the council's recommendation outlining concrete approaches to fixing a long-time problem.
"We're delighted the 47 member states of the Council of Europe have adopted the recommendation on gender equality in the audiovisual sector, which is packed full of useful ideas to tackle gender inequality, including monitoring mechanisms, performance indicators and useful links. It also has detailed strategies that member states can use to address and counter gender inequality directly."