With growing research into the creative industries, gender inequality is becoming a prevalent feature that leaves women experiencing a distinct disadvantage in key leadership roles in film, television and production. It is recognized that gender stereotypes can unfortunately have a direct influence on decision-making relating to job placement and career goals and this is strongly reflected in composing for film. Reports such as Skipping a Beat, by University of Sydney academic Rae Cooper, confirm this chronic gender inequality. There is a strong underrepresentation of women in film composition resulting from various barriers that are an issue of concern for women seeking to work in the industry. Organizations such as APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild for Screen Composers have begun to offer strategies to improve women's representation, with APRA AMCOS recently commissioning RMIT University to provide further studies into the gender equality gap. Evaluating the research findings, they began implementing initiatives such as women-specific mentorships to help develop women in the composing industry. On a smaller scale, film composers Lolita Ritmanis and Hildur Guðnadóttir have been personally affected by barriers to equality and are individually working to improve the representation of women in the film industry. Data analysis illustrates male dominance in key decision-making roles that design industry expectations, values ​​and practices. This gender hierarchy is reinforcing women's inequality, ultimately resulting in a further absence of women in the industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A recent 2017 report commissioned by APRA AMCOS, Australian Women Screen Composers: Career Barriers and Pathways, by RMIT University scholars Dr Catherine Strong and Dr Fabian Cannizzo explores the limiting factors of women's career development in music. This research has not previously been undertaken in Australia, making its findings beneficial in determining strategies to close the gap between gender inequalities in the music industry. This also raises the concern for further research to be undertaken to build on this discussion and see a change in gender equality in the industry. There are multiple barriers to equality that affect women, such as gendered music, education and child-rearing. All of this affects the individual lives and choices of those who hire the composer. Gendered music is the idea that women compose in a specific style and are unable to reach the entire musical spectrum. This stereotype depends on the type of film and perhaps could potentially act as a path for women, but still restrictive and degrading. Women are thought to have a greater ability to translate a story, creating feminine sounding music. This creates a divide between the sexes, creating a limit for the composition of women. This barrier is likely to remain as long as the film industry continues to be dominated by men. Education is often perceived as a pathway to gain qualifications and make connections to develop professional relationships, however, in itself it can be a barrier. Through a survey, Strong and Cannizzo determined that female respondents were more educated than males, with 42% of females having formal education on thescreen composition compared to 15% of males. Despite spending time studying and learning to become a better composer, this can delay women from entering the industry compared to men. Given the male dominance in film, it is also natural to see that women often need more formal qualifications than men to be hired for the same jobs. Despite similar percentages of men and women having had a child at some point in their careers, it is significant to note the difference in the type of care and length of time off women require childcare responsibilities that hold back their professional career advancement. . It is more common for women to take maternity leave and this often results in an eventual career change, especially when working in the film industry. In a survey conducted by RMIT it was documented that, on average, women reported a career break of five and a half years, while men on average only took a year and a half. In interviews also conducted by RMIT it was noted that women identified having children as the point at which their careers regressed, stagnated or finally ended. Surprisingly, men did not have this result; in fact having children was rarely mentioned with men, instead being a significant career event discussed for women. Ultimately, the biggest obstacle to face is the way the music industry thinks about women, as more often than not women are perceived in a stereotypical and sexualized way, driven by the expectations of others. Until this situation changes, women will continue to face these obstacles throughout their careers. Because barriers to equality have such a significant effect, organizations like APRA AMCOS are working to build better pathways for women in the film industry. In their research with RMIT University, few recommendations were made to accomplish this goal. First Strong and Cannizzo explored the idea of ​​engaging men in equity initiatives by participating in discussions to gain a better understanding of the female experience in the film industry. These discussions would be heavily directed at male directors and producers, as it is these key roles that see the use of film composers. It's important to note that it's not just up to women to take action to encourage change, it's also up to men to examine their own beliefs and practices to help close the gap in gender inequality. Another suggestion was to increase the visibility of women in the industry to provide role models for emerging composers and further normalize the idea that women can be successful film composers. This would boost the confidence of struggling composers, pushing them to believe in their work and, above all, in themselves. Continuing research into women in film composition would have a dramatic effect on building on what has already been discovered, to initiate new initiatives to bring about a permanent change in the way women are represented in composition. Expanding this discussion would lead others to knowledge, creating a domino effect that would subsequently provide women with greater appreciation and chances to make it in the world of film composition. APRA AMCOS has helped strengthen women's representation through the development of mentorships to foster gender participation and equitable financial success for female composers. In addition to this, they have started music production workshopsEQUALIZE and the professional development series for women, with VIV Fantin. Similar to mentorships, these programs aim to create positive change for female film composers by working towards equality, inclusion and diversity. The Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) is an organization dedicated to supporting all established and emerging screen composers in Australia, as the representative body of the screen music community. Recognizing long-term gender inequality, their Gender Equity Committee is committed to improving equality, inclusion and diversity in the industry. Understanding that treating all people the same will not lead to equitable outcomes makes organizations specifically support women to remove barriers and encourage inclusion. In an effort to achieve equity, the AGSC joins other national screen bodies including Screen Australia, the Australian Directors Guild and many others to redress this imbalance. AGSC members completed a series of successful initiatives over 2 years that resulted in equity roundtables that encouraged discussion about the barriers women face, the creation of the inaugural music mentorship from APRA/AGSC Films for Women and the She Scores, She Shoots initiative with the South Australian Film Commission, which organized a concert featuring live film music from Australian female film composers. It is clear that discussion is one of the most important and effective strategies that encourages the growth of gender equality in film composition, however it must be inclusive of all genders to be part of the solution. Despite all these initiatives in place, it seems that most only offer women one position per year, making the process of closing the gap quite slow. This offers many opportunities to create, implement and improve further strategies. With reference to the podcast "The Conversation" hosted by Nelufar Hedayat, two successful composers Lolita Ritmanis and Hildur Guðnadóttir were interviewed about the underrepresentation of women in film composition. Ritmanis is an American composer known for her iconic superhero themes, co-founder of the Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC). This organization is a community of composers that strives to celebrate women composers through recognition and recognition, providing opportunities for filmmakers and decision-makers to discover new talent. Ritmanis says the gap is not due to a lack of female composers as the AWFC alone has 400 female composers, but instead "We [the company] are not opening doors for women" to showcase their full potential in the film industry. However, she was personally affected by the barriers mentioned above, especially on the part of the gender hierarchy, hearing statements such as "I'm a little worried about giving a film to women", "You will be able to handle all aspects of the production" etc. these are just irrational arguments arising from producer nervousness in a male-dominated industry. Guðnadóttir is an Icelandic composer who is at the forefront of experimental pop music. She says she doesn't often get the chance to talk to other female composers, which is a direct example of the chronic gender inequality in the film industry. Personally affected by this in his situation, his fellow (male) composer was always seen as the one in charge instead of being seen as an equal. Often in these cases it is unintentional, however it can have a significant impact on the lives of female composers, lowering their self-esteem and confidence in their work. Both composers noted that.