First thing first, to be able to tackle a problem necessitates a clear and solid understanding of it. This is why, in November 2018, SWAN presented a study about the ratio of women and men in the RTS co-produced TV series of the past decade. The study was unveiled at the Geneva International Film Festival GIFF during the “Assises de la création audiovisuelle indépendante”.
«La question du genre dans les séries coproduites par la RTS, de 2006 à 2017», was conducted by Stéphane Mitchell and Marie-Eve Musy, and initiated by the SWAN Romandie commission. The findings show that during the last decade, women directors, screenwriters and producers, as well as actors, were significantly disadvantaged in terms of hiring opportunities. The majority of the series produced were in the hands of men at all levels of creativity, with most heads of department on set being male, as well as the majority of the principal cast.
SWAN advocates that the SSR and the independent production companies aim for gender equality, at all levels (above and below the line) especially as SSR is planning on boosting the production of series on all regional TV channels. SWAN suggests that the future Audiovisual Pact introduce much needed gender equality measures.