Commission launches ‘CharactHer’ campaign to empower all talents in the film and media industries

Today, at the Cannes Film Festival, the Commission is launching an awareness campaign aimed at fostering diversity and inclusion in the film and news media industries and at highlighting gender equality and the role of women in the sector. The campaign, titled ‘CharactHer‘, is the first initiative with a clear focus on diversity and inclusion launched under the framework of the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan. Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, will participate in the launch event and join the panel discussion on obstacles women face along their careers. Vice-President Věra Jourová said: “As we overcome the pandemic we have to make sure that women take a centre stage of our recovery efforts. With this campaign, we hope that we can inspire many women so that Europe can make the most of all its talents.” Her opening speech will be available here. Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, added: “When we presented the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan in December, our priority was very clear: diversity must be placed at the forefront of our efforts in the recovery and transformation of the media and audiovisual sectors. The promotion of inclusion is not only our social responsibility, but a crucial piece in our path towards a more resilient and competitive industry.” The ‘CharactHer’ campaign is set within a broader policy effort aimed at strengthening the Commission’s agenda of a Union of Equality via the EU Gender Equality Strategy. The campaign, run in collaboration with Collectif 50/50, will kick-start in the framework of the Cannes Film Festival, where 17 EU-supported films are competing for awards. In the context of the Marché du Film of the Cannes Film Festival, the Commission will also participate in several events within the framework of the Creative Europe MEDIA programme. Vice-President Jourová, together with Delphyne Besse, Member of the Board of Collectif 50/50 and Hind Bensari, Documentary Filmmaker and Director of the CharactHer videos, will participate in the press conference on the launch of the campaign at 15:45 CET (registrations here). The launch event be livestreamed here as of 16:15 CET. More information is available here.aq