Women in Television: The Debate

Between 2006 and 2009, over 5000 women left the TV sector, compared with 750 men. In response to this startling statistic, journalist Kate Bulkley posed the question: “Why are we losing these experienced, these valuable, these qualified women?”

The ensuing debate, delivered by Kate O’Connor of Creative Skillset, gave an overview of how many women are leaving the television industry compared to career areas. She offered the insight that “some of the issues are about skills and training and we need to do more to address these issues. But, it strikes me that some of the issues are also about status, about culture and most definitely about employment and working patterns within the TV industry.” So, what do women who are working in – or leaving – the industry think?

The television industry has evolved over the past 30 years. Anne Morrison, director of the BBC Academy, shared that when she started working at the BBC in the early 1980s, “it did feel very secure. You know, it was investing in itself, there was more of a sense of a job for life. But you did feel like you were in a society of men, at least I did.” She recalled that “the women who were there were married to the job. Virtually none of them had children, they’d had to sacrifice so much in order to pursue this.” She describes the BBC today as “a different world… more than half [of staff] are women.” Progress has been made, but there are still areas for improvement; for example, only 2% of technical roles – typically freelance positions – are filled by women.

While large television broadcasters do offer support networks and flexible ways of working, the work-life balance is more challenging for freelancers, where the uncertain process of intense working periods followed by breaks isn’t always feasible when raising a family. Kate Kinnemont, CEO of Women in Film and Television, said that “one of the problems is that people are on their own, people are isolated… ultimately [what] we have to do in the freelance world is incentivise the independent companies to work in a fairer way.” She pointed to the work of PACT, who are “getting all the independent companies to sign up about their policy on diversity. And it’s not just about having a policy, it’s how are you going to implement it?”

Jay Hunt, controller for BBC One, agreed that the challenge is exacerbated for freelance workers: “In terms of freelancers it is incredibly difficult, and I think you are in a situation where you are working unpredictable long hours for a short period of time and it is almost impossible to organise childcare around that or to have a sustainable relationship around that. But I think there is a part of you that does have to think, if you’re going to stay in this industry longer term, about the strategic decisions you are going to take.” She shared that she thinks about how she is managing her work-life balance “on a daily basis,” and described it as “doable, but you have to think about it in a pragmatic way.”

Former TV producer Rebecca Barry described going back to the television industry after having children as “very difficult.” Without a full-time job, Barry lacked the certainty she needed to support her family, so leaving the industry was “about taking control. Suddenly, having children and having a career where I felt I had very little control in terms of the jobs I would get, the hours I would have to work, it was very uncomfortable for me to not have the control.”

Any balancing act comes with compromise, and the panel encourage women to give themselves a break when everything isn’t perfect. Morrison recalled hearing “from women a lot who beat themselves up a lot because they’ve actually got sort of perfectionist tendencies and you really can’t have that. Because life, particularly if you’re working in television and you have a young child or several, life is full of messy compromises.” Speaking from experience, Hunt encourages women to support each other and be honest when they’re struggling, to remind each other that they’re not alone. She said: “I think working mums are remarkable, their time management is absolutely exceptional… I think [work-life balance] is a very difficult thing to get right and one of the things I feel passionate about is that it’s much easier for you guys if I’m honest about the fact that I don’t find it easy either.”

• This debate took place on 17 March 2010 in association with MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.