More than half of women in the audiovisual sector suffer sexual violence.

BarcelonaAccording to a report commissioned by the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (Cima), more than half of the women working in the Spanish audiovisual industry "have suffered some form of sexual violence in spaces related to the film and audiovisual industry." This is stated After the Silence: Research on the Impact of Sexual Abuse and Violence Against Women in the Film and Audiovisual Industry The report, presented this Thursday in Madrid as part of Cima's professional conferences, was directed by political scientist Nerea Barjola and researcher Bárbara Tardón, experts in sexual violence.

Cima partners, and the qualitative conclusions of focus groups, life stories, and interviews with experts in the sector. The study indicates that 63.3% of the women surveyed have suffered sexual violence in the sector. They reported it to police or judicial authorities; 4.3% reported it to an organization specializing in these cases; and 13.6% reported what had happened to a responsible person.

due to "uncertainty about the steps to take," 27% "due to fear of reprisals," and 22% due to "the belief that it would be of no use." The report also notes that "only 24.4% of those surveyed are aware of the rights enshrined in the Comprehensive Law on the Guarantee of Sexual Violence" and the existence of protocols to prevent sexual violence in the workplace.

Informe de Cima sobre les violències sexuals a la industria audiovisual espanyola

A "system of impunity"

The report's coordinators denounce the existence of a "system of impunity that protects the aggressors," sustained by a "silence from the institutions and companies responsible for the projects" that favors the cover-up of the assaults. In fact, 76.3% of those surveyed believe that "people in positions of power in the film and audiovisual industry frequently or very frequently abuse their authority to commit some form of sexual violence." Regarding the type of violence, 81.4% of those surveyed have suffered verbal harassment, 49.5% have suffered physical harassment, and 22.3% have suffered virtual or digital harassment.

The conclusion of Barjola and Tardón's report is that "the exercise of sexual violence is structurally integrated into the dynamics" of the sector. "There is a naturalization and normalization of sexual violence," Barjola explained, emphasizing that these assaults are part of the workplace "and are associated with a hierarchy." The report presentation took place at the Cineteca Madrid and was attended by the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, and former minister Irene Montero.