About the Network
The Global Network for Gender Equality in Film and Audiovisual Media is an international forum of non-profit organizations working towards a more egalitarian and diverse audiovisual industry.
Driven by CIMA (Spain), the network seeks to create a space for dialogue and the exchange of experiences, resources, and best practices among feminist institutions working in the sector from different countries.
Currently, several entities are working collaboratively and transversally on various thematic lines: different gender equality policies and measures with an intersectional perspective; ways to prevent and eradicate sexual violence and abuse of power in the film industry; the visibility of audiovisual content created by women and gender-expansive people; or the deconstruction of stereotypes present in audiovisual content.
Member organizations
Non-profit organizations that work to build an equitable, diverse, and safe film and audiovisual industry for women and gender dissidents may join the Network.
CIMA (Spain)
CIMA, the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, is made up of more than 1,400 members united to promote a balanced and diverse representation of women in front of and behind the screen.
From an intersectional feminism, CIMA promotes professional development programs, research, and measures in favor of egalitarian and violence-free work spaces.
Alliance of Women Directors (USA)
As a collective of more than 800 professional directors, people with diverse gender identities, and allies, we work to drive positive and lasting change in the entertainment industry. We tirelessly advocate for gender equality and believe it is essential that stories be told from all perspectives, because representation matters.
Dones Visuals (Spain)
Based in Catalonia, we are a space for meeting, debate, and training for women and gender-dissident professionals from all trades in the sector, with the aim of reversing the historical inequality in the audiovisual sector. To achieve this, we strategically incorporate an intersectional gender perspective into our values and the cultural actions we generate.
Elles Tournent – Dames Draaien (Belgium)
Association created in Brussels that is dedicated to the dissemination, promotion, and support of women in the film industry.
They organize their own festival, have a support platform for emerging creators (Graines de Cinéastes), and audience development programs in different regions of Belgium.
Elles Font Des Films (Belgium)
Elles Font Des Films (French for “They Make Films”) is a feminist and inclusive support network of film professionals (excluding cisgender men), based in Brussels, Belgium.
The organization promotes the end of sexism in audiovisual writing, development, production, and distribution.
EWA Network (Europe)
Pan-European organization advocating for gender equality in the audiovisual sector and connecting women professionals from all over the world from an inclusive and intersectional approach.
Through networking opportunities, career boosting programs, research and advocacy, EWA promotes the professional development of women and make their contributions visible.
Film Fatales (USA)
Film Fatales is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to advancing the careers of filmmakers of all marginalized genders through advocacy, community building, and artistic development services.
Geena Davis Institute (USA)
For over twenty years, the Geena Davis Institute has transformed the way stories are told and has promoted diverse representations in the entertainment industry. Founded in 2004 by actress Geena Davis, it seeks to increase the on-screen presence of gender, racial, and body diversity; the LGBTQIA+ community; people with disabilities; and people over 50.
Mutim (Portugal)
Portuguese association that promotes gender parity in the film and audiovisual industry, strengthening the representation of women and fostering critical thinking about their presence and their portrayal in the sector.
Kadın Yönetmenler Derneği
/ Association of Women Filmmakers (Turkey)
Created in Izmir in 2021, it organizes the city’s International Women Directors Festival. Its activities bring together female directors and audiovisual workers in various activities to promote collaboration both in Turkey and internationally.
Le Collectif 50/50 (France)
It functions as an action tank, a lobby that acts in the public space and in the institutions themselves through qualitative and quantitative analysis. They seek to create concrete measures and tools that inspire a change in the system.
Le Lab Femmes de Cinéma (France)
Le Lab Femmes de Cinéma is a think tank that works on parity and diversity in the audiovisual industry.
Its ambition is to generate ideas, raise awareness, propose actions, and stimulate experiments that allow shaking up the current state of the industry.
Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (Zimbabwe)
It promotes, produces, and trains for the creation of innovative and stimulating works in all artistic genres. It seeks to foster creativity in society and promote progressive ideas through content, training events, exhibitions, and networking events. It organizes the International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF).
RecSisters (Colombia)
A collective of women working in the audiovisual sector in Colombia that seeks to improve, dignify, and achieve equity in workplaces, as well as to generate a healthy and trusting work environment. A space free from all types of harassment, violence, and discrimination for all workers in the audiovisual sector.
Reclaim The Frame (United Kingdom)
It defends marginalized perspectives in cinema and connects with the public through the creation of new audiences in collaboration with cinemas, distributors, and festivals both in the United Kingdom and in other countries.
SWIFT (South Africa)
Sisters Working in Film & Television (SWIFT) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting empowerment and access to equal opportunities for women in a historically male-dominated industry. It does so by driving changes that correct historical imbalances and the legacy of discrimination against women in South Africa.
Time’s Up UK (United Kingdom)
It has advocated for safe, fair, and dignified work for anyone in the entertainment industry since 2018. They seek the creation of an Independent Authority of Standards for the Creative Industries (CIISA), aimed at raising standards of conduct, responsibility, and integrity in the sector, which promotes clear mechanisms for reporting abuse and discrimination.
Power to Transform! (Germany)
Organization that unites research with practical application to change the dynamics of the audiovisual industry.
They organize Power for Change, a global forum for women’s film organizations at Berlinale.
Vrouwen in Beeld
/ Women in the Picture (Netherlands)
They work to strengthen the labor position and visibility of women in the Dutch audiovisual industry through research, collaboration, and action.
They pursue a structural change towards a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive representation.
Friendly organizations
UN WOMEN (Spain)
Our goal is to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women in all spheres of society. We promote actions that foster inclusion, empower women, and challenge the power structures that perpetuate inequality. Through educational programs, advocacy campaigns, mobilization and awareness-raising, and strategic alliances, we seek to break the cycles of discrimination and violence, ensuring that every woman and girl can develop her potential in a safe, just, and equitable environment.
UNI MEI Media, Entertainment & Arts sector of UNI Global Union / Belgium
UNI MEI unites unions to raise standards and assert the rights of media and arts professionals around the world. Together, the unions work to improve working conditions, ensure safe and healthy work environments, as well as fair and equitable remuneration. Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are central axes of their work.
Founded in 1980, FERA acts as the independent voice of film directors in Brussels. It brings together 46 member organizations from 31 countries and represents more than 20,000 active directors. FERA defends its cultural, creative, and economic interests both nationally and at the EU level.
→ If you would like your organization to be part of the Global Network, please write to equalityinfilm@gmail.com