The initiative calls upon entertainment industry employers to hire women and people of color as the town shifts back into production mode.
Women In Film, Los Angeles has announced the launch of Hire Her Back, a multimedia campaign that calls upon entertainment industry employers to hire women and people of color as the town shifts back into production mode following an extended shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per the organization, the initiative will be rolled out in coming weeks in partnership with industry leaders. WIF — working in tandem with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and Women In Film and Television Atlanta (WIFTA) — is also mounting the Hire Her Back Fund to provide grants to women whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants will be administered by the Actors Fund. Producer Shivani Rawat of ShivHans Pictures has committed to providing seed funding.
Donations can can be made at WIF's website, which will also host grand applications.
“With the increased commitment to parity across the entertainment community in recent years, we are seeing an uptick in the number of women working in front of and behind the camera. We cannot lose this important momentum because of entertainment job losses related to the COVID-19 crisis," said WIF board president Amy Baer. “I am so grateful for Shivani’s generosity and continued support for women in need. Having had the privilege of producing Brian Banks with her, I know firsthand how committed she is to elevating women and persons of color in the screen industries.”
Added WIF executive director Kirsten Schaffer: “With the convergence of a pandemic and the national uprising in defense of Black lives, it must be made clear that current market structures have to be transformed if we are serious about creating equity. We call on leaders to join us in building a new normal that prioritizes equity and career sustainability for women, especially Women of Color, in the screen industries.”
Also as part of today's news, the Hire Her Back Initiative marks the debut of new branding designed for WIF by Saatchi & Saatchi New York. Andrea Diquez, Saatchi & Saatchi NYC CEO, supports this campaign, saying, “as we begin to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19 and begin work on restarting the economy, it is incredibly important that the gains women have made in the workplace don’t fall backward. We are committed to the mission of WIF and excited to have brought our strategic and creative teams on board to support this initiative."
