Women in production summit (an initiative involving the voluntary participation of engaged partners)

The canadian broadcasting act, which grants the canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission (crtc) its regulatory powers, states that the canadian broadcasting system should, through its programming and the employment opportunities arising out of its operations, serve the needs and interests, and reflect the circumstances and aspirations of canadian men, women and children, including equal rights. the commission considers that it can play a role in improving women's access to key leadership positions in the canadian television and film production sector. to help achieve this objective, in december 2018, the commission gathered the decision-makers of canada's largest english- and french-language public and private sector television broadcasters at the women in production summit. the objective of the summit was to find lasting solutions that the broadcasters could voluntarily implement to increase women's access to key creative positions, such as producer, director, writer, cinematographer, editor and showrunner, within the canadian television and film production sector. as a result of this summit, the participating broadcasters agreed to report annually to the commission on their progress in facilitating women's access to key creative roles in independent film and television production. the broadcasters' participation in the summit was, and still is, strictly voluntary. a joint public statement, issued by the crtc and the participating broadcasters on 8 march 2019, stated that the broadcasters who participated in the summit will each work on voluntary action plans, tailored to their business and markets, to increase women's access to key creative positions and production budgets in the canadian film and television industry.