Producers Pledge Commitment to 50% Women Factual Directors

Amazon Prime Video and BBC Studios Factual are the latest comopanies to sign up to We Are Doc Women’s pledge to commit to 50% female directors for their factual output.

They follow previous signatories BBC Documentaries, Channel 4 Documentaries, Hilary Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions, Lenny Henry’s Douglas Road Productions, Gordon Ramsay’s Studio Ramsey, and Louis Theroux’s Mindhouse, who have all previously committed to the pledge.

Also comprising the 67 signatories are production companies including The Garden, Blast Films, Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Lime Pictures, Minnow Films, Dragonfly Film & TV and Arrow International Media, 72 Films, Dorothy Street Pictures, Rogan Productions, Story Films, Empress Films and Grain Media.

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The pledge follows We Are Doc Women’s 2021 report which exposed largescale sex inequality across the factual television industry. Among their findings were that men were three times more likely to direct U.K. docs than their female counterparts, women stayed in lower-paid editorial roles for longer than men and they were three times less likely to be offered up a second directing role.

“We have been overwhelmed with the positive reaction the pledge has received from the industry,” said a statement from We Are Doc Women. “With so many companies and broadcasters committing to employing 50/50 men and women directors, we’re certain it will have a significant impact on the opportunities available for women in factual television.”

Ralph Lee, CEO of BBC Studios Productions, said: “50:50 is at the heart of BBC Studios Factual and informs everything we do so we’re not just signing up to the pledge we’re going further. We are committed to bringing meaningful and sustainable change to the television landscape so we have spent the last year identifying where we can still improve. The Documentary Unit are excited to be launching an equality initiative specifically aimed at female directors soon.”