Shattering the “Golden Ceiling”

March 10th, 2010 Posted by Suzy Ogé

Before taking the stage to host the WBII annual International Women’s Day Event in The Hague, I searched for fresh material and statistics. The latest research results and comparative data analysis are predictably published every year around March 8, International Women’s Day.

Statistics can always be found to support either side of an issue. For instance, this year the International Herald Tribune focused on women and science. Only 16 of the 540 Nobel Peace Prizes have ever been awarded to women in science, but the fact that there were 3 awarded last year could be taken as a very positive indicator.

Fifteen years have passed since the Beijing Declaration, but The Gender Wage Gap remains, with women earning 17.6% less than men on average worldwide and the disparity is over 30% in Korea and Japan. What strikes me when I review these statistics each year is how little the statistics change and how slow the wheels of progress actually turn.

It was a thrill to wake up on March 8 and see that the Golden Ceiling had been shattered on the Eve of International Women’s Day! What, you ask is the Golden Ceiling? It is, of course the “Glass Ceiling, Hollywood style! And now, thanks to Katherine Bigelow’s big win of the most coveted golden statue in Hollywood, the Golden Ceiling is finally shattered. It took 82 years for a woman to win the Most Important (and genderless) category of Best Director.

The broader statistics in the film industry are quite disappointing. Of the top 250 films made in 2009, only 7% had a female director. There is still a long way to go, but International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress. Katherine Bigelow’s Oscar is “a first” for women in a competitive industry with tremendous global visibility. Her high profile victory will undoubtedly inspire others and just the mention of it brought cheers and energy to the crowd gathered at our event on Monday night!