PAR Initiative

Since 2003, The WICT Network PAR Initiative has measured the status of women employees in the media, entertainment and technology industries based on three main criteria:

  • Pay Equity
  • Advancement Opportunities
  • Resources for Work/Life Integration

A comprehensive advocacy program helping companies to set goals, institutionalize policies, measure progress and achieve results, the PAR Initiative showcases best practices in achieving stronger gender diversity. With a goal to improve diversity metrics for women, the PAR Initiative is supported by all of The WICT Network’s local chapters and underwritten by the Walter Kaitz Foundation.

An executive summary from the 2022 survey initiative was presented by NAMIC and The WICT Network during a Town Hall Meeting on October 11, 2022, in New York as part of the industry’s Diversity Week.

The complete 2022 PAR Survey Executive Report was released in fall 2022; download the PDF here.

PAR at Work webinars are a critical by-product of The WICT Network’s PAR Initiative and further promote the business case for diversity and inclusion by sharing examples and data that companies can use to improve their own practices. Specifically, each webinar aims to provide participants with the following:

  • Tools that translate industry trends into specific career and workplace situations;
  • Opportunities to use data from PAR and other sources practically, to ask smart questions, and to advocate for themselves and others;
  • A statistical framework and references for improving gender diversity;
  • Information that drives individual, departmental, and project team plans, or that propels the launch of an effective diversity initiative in the workplace.

DEI Metrics: How Our
Industry Measures Up

Recorded Thursday, June 22, 2023
11:00 am – 12:15 pm (Eastern)
View the recording >>

Our panel of experts took a deep dive into the results of the 2022 PAR Workplace Diversity Survey. Together, we will explored:

  • How our industry compares to national benchmarks.
  • The status of women and women of color with regard to recruitment and retention.
  • Strategies to improve results and proven practices that lead to better representation of women at all levels.

By sharing best practices and benchmarking progress through the PAR Survey and PAR at Work webinars, we help companies strengthen their workplace diversity and inclusion tactics. We know this leads to improved company performance, more innovation and higher profitability, ultimately moving our industry forward for the benefit of all.

The Signature Luncheon is The WICT Network’s key gender diversity and inclusion platform. Each year, we showcase thought leaders from both inside and outside the industry to highlight the business case for gender diversity in the media and around the world. This event provides corporate sponsors numerous strategic opportunities to reach a talented and diverse audience while enhancing their corporate profile as leaders in support of gender diversity and inclusion.

The WICT Network’s 2023 Signature Awards Luncheon took place Tuesday, May 2, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, CA— marking the first time the event has been held on the West Coast in more than ten years. 

Together, we honored the 2022 Top Companies for Women to Work, based on our PAR survey results, including the top operators and programmers based on their achievements in demonstrating stronger gender diversity in the workplace. 

Since The WICT Network’s founding in 1979, our mission has been to create women leaders who transform our industry. We accomplish this through highly-acclaimed training and development programs designed to educate women at every professional level. The WICT Network embraces a spirit of collaboration within its organization and throughout the industry. We partner with media companies to provide leadership programs and services, and challenge these companies to create professional advancement opportunities for women on a local and global level.

In addition, The WICT Network advocates for women by commissioning gender diversity research and sharing proven diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) tactics that demonstrate the strong benefits businesses realize with a more gender diverse team.

Download the Gender Diversity Imperative to learn more and discover the Four Pluses of Parity — increased innovation, profitability, recruitment and employee retention.

 

Let The WICT Network be your guide in diversifying your team.

Research shows that gender diversity within companies greatly improves culture, boosts innovation and retention, and contributes to the overall success of the organization.

The WICT Network collects and shares statistics and research that support the business case for gender diversity to help companies build strategies that move the needle forward toward parity.

Click here to gain more insight into the benefits of diversity from leading researchers and publications.

 


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Underwritten by:

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The WICT Network gratefully acknowledges the Women in STEM sponsor