Women photographers: Is there machismo in the photographic industry?

The answer to this question is not easy, that seems clear ... Or not, because " unfortunately, machismo is everywhere " as one of the photographers we have consulted to make this article tells us. Thus, with the issue of equality and the gender gap installed in all the debates, we thought it was necessary to ask ourselves to what extent this affects the photography industry in our country, and we did not think of any better way than to address them.

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Those photographers who earn their living (or at least try) with photography in our country and suffer the same problems as the rest of Spanish: They charge less than men , they do not abound in the boards of directors of large companies and, in the worst case, and they suffer gender violence . As things stand, we cannot deny that equality is still far away, but is the photography industry different? What is the current situation of the photographers in this sector?

At the end of last summer we were transferring the complaint of Susan Stripling , an American photographer who complained about the machismo she has suffered in her career as a wedding photographer . In an open letter published on Face book , Susan denounced numerous episodes in which, as a woman, she suffered a dismissive and / or paternalistic treatment, and even several attempts at sexual harassment .

At the same time, another significant controversy arose when Nikon presented a team of 32 photographers as ambassadors for his new Nikon D850 (one of the most talked about cameras last year). The question is that among all of them there was not a single woman , something that Stoppers (a prestigious American web on photography) denounced asking if the new camera was only for men .

It seemed to us that the best way to know to what extent machismo is immersed in this area was to contact photographers to know their opinion about it and to know how it has affected them

There are only two recent examples that confirm, as was easy to assume, that in the photography industry there is also machismo. But to what extent? It is difficult to know, that is clear, but from Pataki Foot we proposed to try at least to investigate it and, as we anticipated, it seemed to us that the best thing was to go to photographers of different trajectories and genres to know their opinion about it, to know if they have suffered directly the machismo or if they think they have had it more difficult because of their gender. In addition, we also ask them if they believe that we are on the right track and what can be done to keep moving forward.

Through their responses we will try to get an idea (as far as possible) of the extent to which the machismo that still persists in the depths of our society affects the photographers. Of course, our aim is not to obtain categorical conclusions, which on the other hand seem impossible to us for such a complicated issue, nor to make it look like "another article of fawn feminist photographers", as some of our readers might think (just like one of the contacted who refused to participate told us that he had doubts about how to deal with this issue).

Women and the labor market

But although we are going to be based mainly on the opinions of the photographers, we are not reluctant to include some of the always inevitable numbers to try to situate the problem. In this sense, it would undoubtedly have been ideal to be able to know the percentage of women and men who dedicate themselves to photography, but as you can imagine it is a very difficult data to calculate. More in a profession of an artistic nature like this, very linked to the temporality and self-employment .

The gender gap in the labor market is still present in general terms, but in the case of photography, it is very difficult to calculate because it is a profession closely linked to temporality and self-employment.

What we can tell briefly is something about the situation of women in the labor market that includes the 2017 Report of the Labor Market of the State Women . This document contains some interesting facts to know, beginning because the gender gap seems to remain very present in general terms, with a rate of activity and employment of women in 2016 (which is where the data come from) eleven points lower to that of men, and a fee

It is also interesting to know that, according to this report prepared by the State Public Employment Service , three out of every four women worked in 2016 as salaried workers in the service sector (the area in which the photograph would be framed), and that women represented the 34.48% of self-employed workers.

We already say that it is difficult to transfer the data to the photographic sector, but according to the opinions gathered, at least we could say that it is very possible that there are more female photographers than men , although they have less visibility. At least at the lower levels, such as training schools, as Mire Pastor tells us : " The number of female photographers trained in classrooms is usually higher than that of photographers, but when it comes to exposing, publish , to win scholarships and contests, something happens that the feminine presence is scarce or in some cases directly null ".

Mire was one of the visible faces of the first edition of the Buffest , the first festival of urban photography exclusively for women (of which we speak later), and member of Gender and Figure , a project born to claim the figure of the female photographer .

Estela de Castro also agrees that women win by number, " I see workshops and schools with many more women than men ", but it also confirms what we said before, that " later if you look at the speakers who they invite to the festivals or seminars of photography, the immense majority are men ". This certainly seems to be true, but Mire Pastor tells us a quite significant case: " For example, in the first volume of 'The Photo book: A History' by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, which cites the best photo books in history, out of a total of 205 volumes there are only 15 women, which means that women's representation does not reach 8% . "

This problem is even more pronounced in certain very specific genres where " women's work is little visible ", as photojournalist Anna Surinyach tells us . " When I go to the universities to teach, I see that, in most cases, more than 50% of the students are women. However, there are more photographers than photographers who have obtained recognition [...] On the other hand, if we look at the references that teach us in universities we see that more than 80% are usually men. There is a problem in the field of photojournalism, which is the area that I know . "

As in other areas of society, women are as or more active than men but there seems to be a problem of discrimination and visibility

Another of the photographers consulted, Angela Samira , tells another revealing anecdote about this matter: " A couple of years ago I participated in a photography workshop in Madrid in which a journalist had been invited to give us a talk. He had just published in a newspaper a ranking of the best contemporary photographers in Spain. When one of the attendees asked him why there were no women on his list, he explained, under a mask of impartiality, that according to his criterion no work by any Spanish photographer was good enough to merit being included in his selection and, being the works of men so superior, there was no reason to include any photographer in that ranking . "

Elena Plaza , photographer and member of the board of directors of the Royal Photographic Society tells us about another specific case : " At the ceremony held at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in the delivery of the Medal of Honor, if you look at the photo of the event can be seen as there is not a single woman in the leadership ... Chance? I do not believe [...] that women are underrepresented in decision-making positions in politics as well as in the world of business or the arts are a sad reality of the 21st century . "

To correct this problem of visibility that seems obvious , the women consulted propose different recipes. For example, Rafaela Rodriguez is committed to " creating mixed multidisciplinary teams [...] it is important to work hand in hand with men, so that they value our efforts and understand the reason for our struggle. Let them see that it is even harder for us to reach the same sites . "For this photographer" it is also important to associate with groups that create networks and join efforts ", such as the Andalusia Association of Women of Audiovisual Media to which she belongs and which "promotes the visibility of women, training and parity in a transversal way . "

"It is important to work hand in hand with men, so that they value our efforts and understand the reason for our struggle, making them see that it is even harder for us to reach the same sites"

Something similar is what Mire Pastor proposes , which applauds initiatives such as these in which " the photographers can offer their services and professionals can search for them according to their needs, it would help to position on the map more women who seek to show their potential ". In any case, it seems somewhat difficult to solve. Because if in one thing they are almost unanimous, the photographers consulted are that it is a deeply rooted problem . " Many times we assume certain things because we have seen them all our lives without being aware that they are wrong. In other words: you can be macho and have macho attitudes without being aware of it " Lidia Vies tells us .

Lidia herself tells us a specific case of machismo suffered by her: " Some time ago they gave me a video interview in which they talked about my work. There were comments of all kinds, but unfortunately many of them said things like 'she is beautiful, but her work ...' or 'very cute, but this she said ...'. In that interview the main issue was not my appearance and nevertheless it was the most commented [...] It has also happened to me of guys who told me they wanted to do a project with me and in the end it was an excuse to stay. I'm not here to waste my time . "

To things like this, Maria Antonia Garcia de la Vega refers when she affirms that " to continue advancing, the important thing is not to admit to your side any act that can be considered macho and socially most reprehensible. " Because for her, as for almost all, "it is something inevitable, it is a cultural problem, of education in many people ".

For that reason, it is something that must be eradicated " in the family, in advertising, in the laws ... " Elena Plaza tells us " and here I include revising the textbooks, I beg you! Because as a historian I usually put my hands to my head many times . "

For Angela Samira, it is important " first of all, to recognize that machismo exists and that it hurts everyone, not just women. It would help to be more aware that we are finally a great team and that we need to grow together . "The case of this photographer is significant because, as we tell you , she is Hispanic-Brazilian and knows quite well the situation of other countries .

" Of the countries that I have had the opportunity to know more deeply the functioning of social relations, I think that this is the one that advances faster in the attempt to correct this condition. Despite having totally different sociocultural contexts, Brazil, Japan, India and Spain have in common the fact that machismo functions as a kind of central axis, from which everything develops. However, in Spain women tend to be more vehement when it comes to fighting for their rights, which is very positive for us to grow as a society . "

In addition, for its more global vision , the photographer reminds us that "it may still take decades for us to have a more egalitarian society, but when we look back, everything that we have already advanced is evident. Not long ago in Spain women could not even have a bank account or vote. "

A festival for women only

We have advanced it before and of course we had to talk about it. In May of 2016 we told you about the birth of the Baracaldo Foot Festival ( Buffest ), a photographic event exclusively for creative women, the first of its kind in our territory that vindicates the female role in photography .

A moment of the inauguration of the Buffest, with Amana Del Campo (the second from the left). Photo of José Luis Rivulet

Thought to " value the work with women's signature ", Amana del Campo , mayor of Baracaldo, tells us that " the idea was David de Hero and Luis Benito, responsible for Footrope , who approached the City three years ago delighted with the idea of ​​turning Baracaldo into an open-air museum; in a space for photography with a differentiating characteristic with respect to other festivals, the feminine point of view  We could not say no . "

"Buffest is a festival that is growing and as any product is evolving and adapting, of course, without losing its vindicating essence of the female role in photography"

" Unfortunately, we live in a society where it is still necessary to extol female work. When I was elected mayor of Baracaldo I became the first woman to hold the position [...] There are still jobs, professions and tasks that are automatically related to a man and from the institutions, and I personally as mayor, we are very committed to carry out initiatives that make this situation change . "

It is one of those cases of positive discrimination that tends to generate controversy. That is why, questioned about the reception received, Amana tells us that they have " had everything, because art provokes precisely that, loves and hatreds. But in general I think Buffest has gained followers over the years, both inside and outside the city [...] it’s an incredible opportunity for us to enjoy the artistic and professional work of women and also a great springboard for local artists, who have a chance to exhibit his photographs before thousands of people . "

This type of positive discrimination is something that most of the respondents seem to agree with, although of course not at any price . This is evident, for example, by Mercedes Higher Bisbee , who tells us how " on a political level, in towns and neighborhoods, councilors stick literally to expose small projects and exhibitions, from women to women, where the quality of what is extolled" feminine ', not quality, in some cases. This positive, opportunistic and elector list discrimination in most cases, to cover the file, seems lamentable to me . "

More or less of the same opinion is Nutria Murillo Lara , who comments on how she has participated in several " projects only for women [...] but I have refused to be pigeonholed in this type of exclusive projects for women since I think that art should be free and it should not have any distinction between sexes [...] We want equality, not condescension . "

For that reason, Ana Surinyach thinks that " we are on the right track but there is still a lot of work to be done. The day must come when initiatives like these are no longer necessary, but at the moment they seem so to give deserving visibility to women photographers . "

The award of the last two National Photography Awards to two women, Isabel Munoz in 2016 and Cristina de Middle last year , can be understood as another symptom that, indeed, we are not going astray.

The awarding of the last two National Photography Awards to two women seems a sign that, albeit slowly, things are changing in the right direction

So things, the future seems hopeful, although "it is a matter of society to become aware of these things, " says Lidia Vies . Because practically all the photographers who have collaborated in this article are convinced that ending machismo (which " sometimes is disguised and not displayed openly " Estela de Castro tells us ) will not be simple but it is necessary .

" There is an increasing awareness among women and also men that equality in all areas is necessary for the construction of a healthier and ultimately happy society ", says Rafaela Rodriguez . In the same vein, Elena Plaza concludes that "it is a subject that has to be solved at the grassroots, from the schools, from the heart of the family ... There is still a long way to go, and in any case I am an optimist ."