Female creators, directors and screenwriters in TV fiction production in Spain (2000 to 2020): gender inequality and characteristics of the roles

This study analyses gender inequality in TV fiction production in Spain regarding the three key positions of responsibility, namely creators, directors, and screenwriters, and the characteristics of these roles. Firstly, we recorded the gender of all the individuals identified in the sample, which consists of all television series (N = 546) broadcast from 2000 to 2020 on free-to-air television and streaming platforms. Secondly, the series in which women were involved were studied across years, channels, coverage, and genres. The results reveal that women are underrepresented in all three positions, averaging 31%. Although women creators have the highest rate of gender inequality, they have benefited the most from the arrival of streaming platforms in 2016. Furthermore, women predominantly work in mixed-gender teams with a male majority and rarely do they work solely or in all-female teams, especially among screenwriters.