TLS students Earn Good Practices to Fight Gender Inequality in the Film Industry

Faysal Al Haddad and Ouday Yahya,  two LAU TV and Film students have often witnessed a gender imbalance pattern onset which led to an unpleasant feeling but they thought that nothing much can be done until they knew about MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars Program (TLS). Aiming at fostering a cross-disciplinary culture of gender mainstreaming in coursework among undergraduate students, El Haddad and Yahya found from the TLS program a golden opportunity that will enable them to mind the gap of gender equality in the film industry and act upon it. 

To start with the research, El Haddad and Yahya interviewed their female colleagues (from different years) that are majoring in TV and Film. Interviewees gave their input from their own experiences on film sets. These were analyzed and paid attention to in the paper. Additionally, El Haddad and Yahya also relied on international data such as reports coming from the European parliament, European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWAW), UN Women, and a test called the Bechdel Test.

Tackling gender discrimination at the workplace is one of the MEPI TLS program objectives, however, what made the progress of the learning experience and outcome amazing is the diverse perspectives because of the interdisciplinary representation of students. Coming from the film industry, Faisal and Ouday; two young and smart gentlemen shed light on the challenges their female colleagues face in the film school. Their documentary demonstrated the narratives and the body language of the interviewed girls as they express their description of the constraints they have in making their choices in the film production and sets.  As tomorrow’s leaders, their recommendations focused on the need to focus on increasing awareness on the significance of women in reaching all types of work and in reducing the pay gap, as well as in the issues related to sexual harassment.

« TLS has really helped open my eyes on what’s happening worldwide and in Lebanon. This course inspired me and Yahya to write a 10 page paper for our history of film class about the toxicity of gender stereotyping in Disney Princess Films – Yes, a subject so simple yet so impactful. As  aspiring future filmmakers, we will break the stereotypes .» Affirm El Haddad and Yahya.