On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021, the new edition of theMonitoring gender equality in culture and communication which measures the presence of women in the administration, institutions and cultural and media enterprises since 2013. The new edition of the roadmap has also been published Equality, which describes the ambitious strategy of the Ministry of Culture in favour of equality between women and men, consecrated «great national cause of the quinquennium» by the President of the Republic.

Born of a desire to objectify the idea of women in the professions, their access to creative means and artistic and cultural consecration, the Observatory, in its ninth edition, allows us to report on the progress made since the adoption in 2014 of the law for real equality between women and men, but also to measure inequalities and identify the obstacles that persist. Whether self-employed or salaried, cultural professionals still receive lower wages than men; their works are less visible, less acquired and less programmed than those of men, and they have less access to artistic consecration.

The prevalence of gender stereotypes, conducive to the emergence and legitimization of sexual and gender-based violence and harassment, is reflected in statistical data.

Because the fight for equal rights requires knowledge of reality and recognition of discriminatory situations, this new edition of the Observatory marks an important event on the equality agenda, the foundation of a fairer society. The momentum has been growing since 2017. Progress is constant on most of the criteria measured in the administration and in all cultural and audiovisual structures. The share of women is increasing in the positions of management of cultural structures supported by the Ministry of Culture, and their representation is also increasingly equal in the councils, commissions, bodies and juries of cultural professions.

For Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Minister of Culture The inequalities between women and men are unfortunately observed in all sectors of society. For nine years, the Observatory, an indispensable statistical tool, has enabled the cultural and artistic sector to break away from approximations and denials of its own internal operations. This year again, progress is being made; it is not enough, but it reflects an unwavering desire to achieve parity. 

It is from these statistical elements that we can define where to act, and how. The Equality Roadmap 2020-2022 describes the actions and projects underway within the departments and institutions under my ministry and in all cultural policies: I want the place of women in the careers and contents of culture and creation to progress strongly and effectively, and that the fight against sexual and gender-based violence is henceforth relentless. »

The new edition of the roadmap (2020-2022) presents in particular the deployment of the conditioning of public aid to respect concrete commitments in favor of the fight against sexism and sexual violence, in the sectors of music, film, audiovisual and video game.

The 2020-2022 roadmap presents the various actions carried out around several major axes:

  • The approach to equality conducted within the Ministry of Culture;
  • Combating gender and sexual violence in culture;
  • The dissemination of a culture of equality in higher arts and cultural education;
  • Improving the place of women in cultural professions;
  • A greater share and greater visibility of women in artistic and cultural content;
  • The fight against gender stereotypes.

The Equality Observatory is available HERE

The equality roadmap is available HERE