How women in animation are pushing towards the end of gender disparity across all sectors of the industry by 2025
There is a startling statistic from a 2015 study that found although 60% of students who study animation are women, they in fact only make up 20% of the industry itself after graduating.
By 2019, it might seem that a natural trajectory for this data would reveal an upward trend, showing that more women were reaching positions of prominence such as directors or producers, and changing the makeup of the industry to be more representative.
Yet the fact remains that the gender divide is still a prominent and ongoing problem in animation, as reflected in other entertainment sectors that run parallel and synonymous to animation, such as film, screen writing and photography.
Between 2006 and 2015, there was only a four percent increase in the number of women in animation. 23% of those are animators. Only 10% hold higher positions as directors or producers.
In an global industry that was estimated by Statista at worth over $259 billion in 2018 and set to rise to $265 billion by the end of 2019, the divide in gender seems to be thrown into even sharper relief.
Case Study
Martha Halliday, alongside fellow animator Hannah McNally, won the prestigious Black Pencil Award, amongst other accolades for their graduate film Mmm-Hmm which they made for Autism UK. Collectively, they accredit their success as helping them find a foothold in beginning their career.
Both of them felt that without the initial plaudits they received for their project, they might have found breaking into the scene a much more daunting and difficult task, especially as women without previous industry experience.
Martha Halliday said that in her year group studying Illustration and Animation at the University of Kingston, the majority of her course was made up of women, with only 10 men studying the same subject.
“When we were taken to visit animation studios something that I noticed was that the directors of the companies were mainly all men.
"If there was a woman in a high up position, she was often in partnership with a man.”
So what's being done?
Women in Animation, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1995, aims to help combat gender inequality in the field by hosting seminars, events and other campaigns to address the problems faced by women. Since its conception, the group has seen membership climb steadily.
The difference today is that the problem is now recognised, with measures starting to be put in place to combat gender disparity in the present, and to set a precedent for future generations.
Women in Animation, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1995, aims to help combat gender inequality in the field by hosting seminars, events and other campaigns to address the problems faced by women. Since its conception, the group has seen membership climb steadily.
In 2016 alone, they gained over 700 new members in a year, and the numbers continue to rise. After seeing such a positive interaction to their founding, the group launched the campaign 50/50 by 2025.
Kristy Scanlan, co-president of WIA explained that the movement hoped to achieve equality in leadership roles by the year 2025, which would in turn have a trickle-down effect to the lower rungs of the employment ladder, helping young female animators get a start in an industry in which the scales still seem tilted in favour of their male counterparts.
She said: “We invite everyone in the industry to support this initiative in any way she or he can, hoping we can all make a conscious effort to achieve balance in our workplace.”
“We invite everyone in the industry to support this initiative in any way she or he can, hoping we can all make a conscious effort to achieve balance in our workplace.”
Since the success of WIA, other groups have formed to provide platforms in which women can open discussion among each other, and promote their work, acting as a marketplace of talent where potential employers can come directly to hire.
Punanimation, Strong Women In Motion and Animation Heroine to name but a few, are among those online outlets providing a safe creative space for women, trans-women and non-binary people. They host a variety of events to further their cause, including seminars and public discussions.
It isn't just looking ahead to the future that is important in the progression of women; it is acknowledging the journey to the present day, and recognising those that helped along the way.
The webpage Great Women Animators has created the largest comprehensive directory of successful women in the industry, past and present. Started by Heather Kai Smith, a researcher at Vancouver University, it is updated regularly to educate and champion the works of an international group of female animators across the world.
For now, although progress is still yet to be made if the target of an equal balance in animation is to be met in seven years' time, the recent push for change is more noticeable now than it ever has been.
Martha Halliday remains optimistic about the future for females in the industry.
She said: “We are lucky enough to be in the generation fighting to defy stereotypes.
"It's all about women animators connecting, sticking together and helping each other out when one-or many-of us need a morale boost.”
"It's all about women animators connecting, sticking together and helping each other out when one-or many-of us need a morale boost.”
To watch Martha and Hannah's award winning video, look no further!
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