Prepared by the Cultural Policy Studies department of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the report titled “Gender Equality in the World of Arts and Culture: Contested Issues, Structural Problems, Suggested Solutions” discusses how the creative sectors in Turkey can become more equal, just, and inclusive. The report written by Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart (Istanbul Bilgi University) proposes concrete recommendations for numerous stakeholders including public institutions, labour unions, professional organisations, art schools, production companies and non-governmental organisations to contribute to the solution of the existing problems.
This research on gender equality in the world of arts and culture has aimed to take an effective snapshot of the dynamic, multivariate, multi-stakeholder universe of arts and culture spread across every corner of Istanbul which is considered among the biggest metropolises of the world. The research was conducted on the axis of three disciplines, namely, theatre, cinema and music, which provide the most employment in the arts and culture sector of Istanbul.
Noting that they have strived to analyse the world of arts and culture in Istanbul through the lens of gender equality, İKSV Cultural Policy Studies Director Özlem Ece says: “With the communication potential we hold as constituent members of the creative sector, we now have the opportunity to hearten the momentum created by women in all corners of the world, build upon their achievements, and develop a future where gender equality is possible. Creating awareness, rallying public opinion, and developing effective campaigns, programs, policies, and participatory processes to transform the sector require systematic data collection geared towards understanding the dimension of the inequalities, their root causes, and origins. In this report, we are contemplating together with artists and cultural professionals in Istanbul, meticulously bringing the contested issues and structural problems to the agenda, and presenting suggested solutions.”
Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart, who has long been working on gender equality both in academia and civil society, says: “In this study, we set out to understand and explain the phenomenon and different aspects of gender equality in creative sectors. Our objective was to learn about the dimensions and reasons of gender inequality as told by the professionals of the sector who experience all these inequalities; to analyse the emerging results in light of different types of findings, and make suggestions for a more equal and inclusive ecosystem of arts and culture by blending these results with the good examples and practices relayed again by the participants of our research. We think that our report will be of interest to all stakeholders who follow the developments in this field and make an important contribution towards meeting the need for data-driven information.”
This research on gender equality, conducted by İKSV in collaboration with GfK research company, was finalised with the support of the British Council Turkey Policy Development Grant. Initial findings of the research were presented by Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart at WOW Women of the World Festival Istanbul during the panel titled “Equality in the Creative Domain” organised by the British Council Turkey.
Research Scope and Methodology
In the scope of this research on gender equality in the world of arts and culture, an online survey was conducted with 157 women working both on and backstage in the three fields of theatre, cinema and music that provide the most employment in the arts and culture sector of Istanbul. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women professionals in the sector along with a focus group study held with LGBTQI+ artists.
Gender inequality in the world of arts and culture in light of the research findings:
● Only 62% of the survey participants have social security and health insurance.
● 15% of the participants believe that there is equal opportunity in their sector of employment, and 13% think that the principle of equal pay for equal work is being implemented.
● 63% of the women who participated in the research think that they experience disadvantages because they are not men.
● 52% of the women professionals in the sector state that they have experienced gender-based discrimination.
● 6 out of 10 participants state that they have experienced harassment/mobbing in their sector of employment. Only 62% of the participants say that they know what should be done in this situation.
● 81% of the participants think that gender equality is not ensured in their professional life.
● 81% of the women state that there are no support mechanisms geared towards their professional development in their sector of employment.
● 40% of the participants state that the pandemic had adverse effects on gender equality in their sectors of employment.
Creating a more equal ecosystem of arts and culture
In line with all its findings and suggestions, the primary objective of the report is to highlight the existing gender inequality in the arts and culture sector. Furthermore, it points at the importance of carrying out training programs geared toward increasing women’s employment, developing new sources in this field, improving the opportunities for access to funding; creating inclusive and sustainable communication mechanisms among stakeholders; and strengthening the dialogue between the world of arts, the public institutions and the NGOs active in the field with a view to developing new strategies and policies.
A New Podcast Series
In order to publicise the primary needs of the world of arts and culture in Turkey, İKSV Cultural Policy Studies department uses various media to present the outcomes and suggestions issuing from its published reports. To this end, the podcast series launched in 2021 will be continued in 2022 with a new program focusing on the gender equality report. The ten-episode series, once again hosted by an esteemed figure from the cultural sector and powered by Zorlu Holding’s Gender Equality approach “An Equal Life”, will lend an ear to key voices in numerous disciplines of arts and culture and the field of cultural management.
About Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart
Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart, who studied English Language and Literature, and Philosophy at Boğaziçi University, completed her MPhil. degree at the University of Cambridge, and her PhD. at Boğaziçi University. Since 2001, she has been lecturing on gender, human rights, civil society, and fundraising for arts and culture at Istanbul Bilgi University. She has participated as faculty in the Spaces of Culture: Cultural Management Training Program and Sahne [Stage] 2.0 projects. In 2004 she started to run marathons for social causes; in 2008, together with 5 friends, she founded the social enterprise Adım Adım [Step by Step] which today has 100,000 members and has raised 100 million TL (approx. 4,8 million GBP) for 120 NGOs through sports. She is also among the founders of the transparency and accountability platform Açık Açık [Openly] and Açık Açık Social Initiative.
About İKSV Cultural Policy Studies
İKSV operates in the field of cultural policy studies since 2011 with the aim of fostering an exchange of ideas in the field of arts and culture, facilitating participation in the debates and contributing to data collection in this field. To play a role in the creation of cultural policies at the city and country level, İKSV publishes research-based cultural policy reports, organises workshops, conferences, and symposia in cooperation with a variety of institutions, and prepares accompanying publications. The reports that İKSV has published to date are available on our website and via iPad through the İKSV Kitaplık app that can be downloaded from AppStore.
Previous Reports
● Art in Public Space: Proposed Models and Recommendations for Istanbul (July 2011)
● İKSV Economic Impact Research (December 2012)
● The Financing of International Contemporary Art Biennials (February 2013)
● (Re)thinking Arts Education in Turkey (December 2014)
● Cultural Planning for Local Authorities (February 2016)
● Public Engagement in the Arts (February 2017)
● Living Together: Fostering Cultural Pluralism through the Arts (July 2018)
● From Early Childhood to Youth: Growing up with the Arts (October 2019)
● Arts and Culture for Ecological Transformation (February 2021)