Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it. -Frances Wright. I started with this quote by Frances Wright to make you understand that equality brings liberty to all parties involved and it is the soul of liberty. What then do we mean by the word equality?.
Equality, according to the Oxford Dictionary is the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment. One thing that this definition points to is liberty.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” –Maya Angelou.
The creative industry is a growing industry and includes careers like advertising, design, music, publishing and printing, culinary, computer science and software, etc.
Who then is a creative?. A creative is an artist. Not just a painter or musician or writer. She is someone who sees the world a little differently than others. A creative is a thought leader. He influences people not necessarily through personality but through his innate gifts and talents. A creative creates art, not to make a buck, but to make a difference. She writes to write, not to be noticed or to sell books. She sings to sing, for the pure joy of making music. And she paints to paint. (And so on…). A creative breaks the rules, and as a result, he sets a new standard to follow. A creative help to beautify and colour the world through his works.
Opportunities abound in the creative sphere and should be equal to all genders. The promotion of creativity can contribute to greater gender equality, by enhancing inclusion and diversity within the labour force, while giving way to a host of positive reverberations including job creation, socio-economic progress, structural economic transformation, innovation, and sustainable human development. Women in the creative economy have been particularly marginalised.
The UNESCO Report on Gender Equality and Culture ‘Gender Equality, Heritage and Creativity’, which calls for deeper debate, research, and awareness-raising in support of equal rights, identifies the key challenges our communities are facing with women’s participation in the creative workforce. A few elements continue to hinder women from reaching their full potential while impeding global sustainability and inclusive social development. These include limited participation in decision-making positions, referred to as the ‘glass ceiling’; restricted opportunities for ongoing training, capacity-building, and networking; unequal pay; and the prevalence of gender stereotypes.
These opportunities exist as I said before, but there is a need to not restrict the female gender to these opportunities. Females need to be encouraged to take up leadership roles in the creative space and this is an opportunity for women to build themselves up. Thankfully today, many organizations even in our homeland are beginning to encourage females with creative opportunities, although more effort is still needed.
To promote greater gender equality and enhance creativity, we must explore different facets of society and ensure there is an adequate representation. Organizations of scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and economists have time and time again published research that has proven that diverse groups – specifically, gender-inclusive groups – are more innovative than homogenous groups. The simple act of engaging with different genders brings unique perspectives and experiences. Creativity itself is an efficient tool for promoting gender equality. Creators develop consumable content that has a broad reach. Their messages can directly influence gender awareness within the communities they attract.
As a creative myself, I have enjoyed some opportunities too, although, in my niche which is graphics design, we find a lot of males than females. It is not so easy fitting into this particular niche so well especially since it is dominated by males. You, therefore, need to put in a lot of effort to stand out as a female designer. You can prove this through your portfolio which showcases your work and experience over the years as a graphic designer based on the opportunities you were able to source for successfully.
Most males in the design space enjoy a lot of opportunities than females since it is male-dominated. The female needs to put in extra effort in trying to get these opportunities. She relates with the males to get some opportunities and this may sometimes bring harassment to her. Women in this niche are becoming more aware of the opportunities that exist for designers and are beginning to take hold of such opportunities. It has not been easy, but I believe we are getting there. I hope that someday the creative space would be a space to accommodate all completely and provide true liberty.
Article Credit: How the creative industry is challenging gender inequality: HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud, Secretary-General and Member of the Board of Trustees at Alwaleed Philanthropies
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