GENDER: CONTINUING TO ACT AS A BARRIER FOR CAREER DRIVEN WOMEN
EXPLORING THE GENDER BIAS IN NEWCASTLE’S MEDIA THROUGH THE EYES OF FOUR DIFFERENT WOMEN WITH FOUR PECULIAR STORIES.
By TIA THOMAS
A majority of women from all corners of the world
are coming together in spite of their differences in shape, colour, religion or
culture to overcome the challenges they face as females. A traditional system
of social values continue to oppress and strip many women of their voices. Although
complete gender equality does not seem to be achievable in this generation,
there are plenty of strong women making progress as professionals and
activists. These women that we may know and wish to be do not seem to be slowing
down anytime soon.
Women both in-front and behind the scenes of
productions for popular television shows and films are constantly facing the
gender bias that has continued to oppress women through the decades. As
viewers, we often hear the stories of women in-front of the camera, but the
stories of female crew members working hard behind the scenes have been
forgotten. These women are taking charge of large companies, organising
pre-production, lifting heavy equipment and interviewing people with a high
sense of arrogance. Females in the media industry are working to make micro and
macro connections that will transform old fashion attitudes and create a better
future. Without the representation of women in the media, people will begin to
have a limited understanding of the events happening around the world.
But in a male dominated industry, the number of
women working in the industry is abysmal and do not appear to be improving in
the near future. According to the 2014 report by Stephen Follows Film Data and Education, in the past 20 years women
have compromised 23% of crew members in the top 2,000 grossing films. Even less females have been celebrated for
their creative talents as film director. The New York Times discovered that in
the 91 years of existence, the Oscars had a history of only five women received
nominations for best director. With Kathryn Bigelow being the only winner for
her film ‘The Hurt Locker’ in 2010. Perhaps not enough women are interested in
the industry or feel discouraged by the dwindling numbers of females. But it is
no coincidence that a woman’s role as a professional has influenced job
prospects within the journalism industry. The Women’s Leadership Institute
Australia discovered that in October 2018, only 40% of female journalists
covered politics; meanwhile 76% wrote about celebrities. The findings made by a
variety of sources bring into question how societies traditional beliefs placed
on gender continue to influence women as professionals. The types of stories
covered by women is limited, but further so by gender equality.
However, making an impact on society’s gender values
is nothing without smaller women making big changes in everyday life. As
country towns are stereotyped for having a ‘backwards’ way of thinking, it
creates a foundation for all woman to take the steps necessary to make
progress. But not to judge a book by its cover, a woman for her gender or a
town for its stereotypes. Brave working women come forward to shed some light
on the truth about working in the media industry. As more scandals are creating
a negative depiction about the relationship between females and male
co-workers, these women will reveal what really happens behind closed doors. Being
a controversial topic, the women involved will remain confidential to allow
them to speak freely about the challenges they face daily without
repercussions.

In a male dominated industry, it is important for
women to empower each other rather than compete as society would expect. This
philosophy has been taken on board by the two hard working women from
Newcastle. Being the first and only two females in the local production crew,
the girls have come a long way in the industry in a short amount of time.
Working on completely different spectrums of the production industry, both
females have had their fair share of inspiring stories during their career.
Two years ago after being a client, the 35 year old
Production Manager decided to pursue her passion for the production industry.
Despite having little education, through persistence she was given the job and
earnt her title as the first female member in the crew. Roughly six months
later, 24 year old skilled cinematographer and editor made her way onto the
team. The gap of male to female employees is impossible to ignore, the two
females have become undoubtedly an advantage for the company and fellow
co-workers. With a welcoming relationship and open environment, the two girls
have been given the opportunity to develop their skills. Growing past their
gender, cinematographer says “in this team there is no bias, there is nothing,
we are all just one team – the guys here are more in touch with females, more
sensitive and understanding.”
The progress made within just one company in the
matter of two years brings attention to what could be possible if more women
are hired in the field. But this progress is not without its challenges. The 35
year old Production Manager commonly works with clients from male dominated
industries, she has found herself in some difficult meetings; “if there is a
room full of men it is quite hard to get your point across – men aren’t afraid
to dominate the conversation a bit more.” Having a naturally powerful personality,
she feels concerned for other woman in her position. But rather than be
deterred, she says “it’s kind of really good for us to see that and be able to
help them get that [gender equality] message across.”
As a young woman, working in a male dominated
industry is no easy plight. The 24 year old cinematographer has had to overcome
many issues that has come to face her during her two years as a professional. A
particular hurdle that continues resurface is the fight for dominance and
respect during interviews. Whether her age or gender be the primary issue,
there is no denying that the 24 year olds skills in production are constantly
second-guessed. As men are the primary interviewee, she says “there is some
people that won’t give me the time of day – sometimes their like why are you
interviewing me?” Being an industry that relies on either luck or hard work,
seeing a young person in a position of power could be threatening. Yet gender
seems to play an obvious role as the interviewee’s often maintained eye contact
with the male camera operator rather than the woman asking the questions. Anyone
working in the media industry would understand that this is not the appropriate
interaction method when answering questions in-front of a camera crew. Despite
only being new to the field, the 24 year old says she is not concerned by the
interviewee’s lack of attention. Developing thick-skin has become an important
process in remaining resilient and working harder to earn their respect.

After graduating from the University of Newcastle in
2007, the future held so many possibilities for a young woman entering the
production industry. But little do people understand the role something as
seemingly minor as gender can have as a professional. It was the defining
aspect that influenced her career from graduation until current day. Having 12
years working in the industry, a young mother from Newcastle has experienced
the best and worst encounters. Shaping the strong, warm and positive woman that
sits in front of me. Her advice during the many struggles can carry forth many
young girls aspiring to enter the media industry. Be prepared, any hard working
woman can tell you some difficult stories that have been influenced by gender
and this woman is no different. But it
through these challenges, can any woman begin to excel.
From producing audio, animation to visual effects,
this Novocastrian has a wide range of skills across the production industry.
Her story begins in Sydney, working amongst the most competitive in the
business but being the career driven woman she was prepared for the challenge. During
her time as a professional, she quickly discovered how to navigate around the
subtle sexism that is destined to become the permanent undertone of any woman’s
workplace. One of such methods is to develop thick-skin and fast. Although the
mother has not experienced direct gender discrimination, it is rather the
female presence in a male dominated industry that inspires challenge. The
mother warns “you have to be twice as good as the guy to be considered half as
good – as a guy you can walk into somewhere and it’s accepted but as a woman
it’s like ‘what is she doing.’” Perhaps young females aspiring to enter the
industry hear warning signals in their head, saying ‘RUN!’ but it is this challenge that makes a successful woman.
For some women, there is a day that will come when
you decide to slow down and have children. Whether it’s planned or not,
questioning if and when you’ll have children is a choice that can impact your
journey to becoming a successful working woman. The Novocastrian made the
decision with her boyfriend to not have kids during their 20’s, but rather
enjoy the time they have together. Her life dramatically changed three years
ago when discovering she was pregnant with her daughter. Balancing her new born
child and her career became almost impossible as she struggled to secure a return
date with her employee after maternity leave. This was another sign for her to
leave as overtime she had begun to lose passion for her secure job and made the
decision to walk away. Now 29 weeks pregnant with her second child, she began
her freelance career earlier this year. Despite never considering freelance
before, she is dipping her toes in each field, from social media marketing to a
brand producer. Reinventing her ideas as a professional was not without its
challenges, but through her experiences and overcoming the boundaries as a
woman, she has never been more driven.

Getting hands on with the camera equipment and
working behind the scenes editing hours of work was what dreams were made of
for this young girl from Newcastle. Now 24 years old and the dreamer has turned
her goals into reality. Down a long corridor, working in a dark editing room
lives the dedicated woman loving every moment of her job. She began her
successful journey into the industry at just 19 years of age with her first
full time job in Sydney. Now looking back at her ability to balance education
and career, it seems impossible to achieve. But it is incredible what can be
achieved when a passionate woman is involved. Five years later, she is working
a secure job in Newcastle where her skills are continuously tested through long
hours spent editing.
Working in a well-established company is not without
its challenges, as some traditional values towards gender roles that have been
carried through the decades. Being a young female surrounded by men in power
over 50’s of age has made her subject to her skills being continuously
second-guessed. She found it hardest to prove her talents within the first six
months, saying “it’s a very much boys club when you come in anywhere – it’s a
male dominated field.” But she felt that the environment drastically changed when
the crew got a female manager three months ago. After working with male
managers for three years, the 24 year old felt that she was more supported and
given creative freedom with the edit. Unlike the previous years working with
male managers that would pace in the edit room or control every aspect of the
edit. In fear of having her male co-workers not taking her seriously, she
removed emotion and continued to remain professional.
Being a male dominated industry, gender has become a
disadvantage for the Newcastle local, saying “they assume that you can’t do the
things that they can do – especially when it comes to really long edits and
really long days on camera.” Perhaps the misjudgement is due to the large age
gap between her and her fellow co-workers. But even after three years, gender
bias continues to obstruct her as a professional, feeling that her suggestions
are ignored and yet her male cohorts are valued. Despite the obvious challenges
she faces being a young female in a meticulous industry, this woman shows the
possibilities that a little resilience and confidence can have as a
professional.
Four remarkable women sharing very different
experiences during their time working behind the scenes of local productions.
Through their stories, we see how gender bias slips into every setting of a
professional in the media. However, through persistence, womanly support and
time these women show that anything is possible. Because women who empower
women, are always building a better future for us all.
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