Federal Investigation Launched Into ‘Sexist’ Hollywood

A federal investigation is to be launched in the US to help combat discrimination against female directors.

If it’s successful, it could open the door to a government-led class action lawsuit against the movie business for underemployment of women.

Less than 5% of major studio releases are directed by women, with 16% of TV directing jobs.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, part of the federal government in the US, will be conducting the enquiry, and will be interviewing 50 women working in the industry.

Speaking to Deadline, ad director Lori Precious, one of those contact for interview, said: “I would like the EEOC to take legal action against the studios, the networks and the commercial production companies to make them comply with the law.

“I hope they force people to change the way they do business because Hollywood is not exempt from the law.”

Marie Giese, who helmed Sean Bean football movie ‘When Saturday Comes’, added: “I hope the Obama administration and Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will give the EEOC every ounce of support they can muster in this historic effort to create equality for women directors in U.S. media, at last.”

Equality in the movie business has become a huge issue, particularly in the last year.

Only yesterday, Gwyneth Paltrow decried the disparity in wages between male and female actors.

She told Variety: “Your salary is a way to quantify what you’re worth. If men are being paid a lot more for doing the same thing, it feels s****y.

“Look, nobody is worth the money that Robert Downey Jr. is worth. But if I told you the disparity, you would probably be surprised.”

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Image credit: Rex Features