Netflix releases progress report on inclusion efforts

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria has announced the progress of the company's diversity and inclusion efforts. Through a partnership with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Netflix has examined several inclusion metrics, including gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ representation, and disability, in its US-commissioned films and series. The latest findings, looking at Netflix US films and series from 2020-2021, show improvements in gender and racial representation both in front of and behind the camera.
Netflix achieved gender equality in leading roles, with more than half of all Netflix films and series from 2018-2021 featuring a girl or woman as the lead or co-lead. There was also increased representation for people of colour in leading roles, with nearly half of Netflix films and series in 2020-2021 featuring a lead or co-lead from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. The report also revealed that there were more women behind the camera, with 26.9% of directors on Netflix films being women, and 38% of show creators in 2021 were women.
Despite these positive changes, gaps still exist for some specific racial/ethnic groups, including Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities, and there is still significant room to improve the representation of characters with disabilities, Bela Bajaria pointed out .
To help address these issues, Netflix established the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity in 2021, which aims to invest $100 million over five years into creating more pathways for talent from underrepresented communities across the world. In just two years, Netflix has invested $29 million in more than 100 programs, partnering with over 80 organizations in more than 35 countries. The Fund has supported over 4,500 creatives, including directors, producers, writers, visual effects artists, and more, by providing resources and training to help prepare them for work in their local industries. Additionally, the Fund has placed 395 creatives on Netflix productions in a variety of roles, ranging from line producers to casting assistants and grips.
To continue its efforts in this area, Netflix has announced several new programmes, including the Shondaland Producers Inclusion and Ladder Initiatives, the Gold Producers Accelerator presented by Gold House, AUM and Netflix, the imagineNATIVE Production Mentorship Program, the Netflix x Film Companion Take Ten Program, and more.
Bajaria believes that her heritage is a superpower that allows her to see stories from different perspectives, and she is excited to work with creators from around the world to share and elevate new stories. She hopes that by understanding which voices may not be heard, Netflix can be held accountable and effect lasting change in the industry.