Actresses support ACLU's campaign for more female directors

The American Civil Liberties Union is calling out Hollywood for discriminating against female directors, and actresses are supporting them.

“Women directors aren’t working on an even playing field and aren’t getting a fair opportunity to succeed,” said Melissa Goodman, director of the L.G.B.T., Gender and Reproductive Justice Project at the ACLU. of Southern California, according to Variety. “Gender discrimination is illegal. And really Hollywood doesn’t get this free pass when it comes to civil rights and gender discrimination.”

A University of Southern California study found that in the last two years, only 1.9 percent of the top 100 grossing films were directed by women. The Directors Guild of America analysis found that 14 percent of 220 television shows in 2013 and 2014 were directed by women and 31 percent had no women directing any episodes in 2013-2014 season.

DGA has also found that 50 female directors were told by producers not to send women for jobs, according to Variety.

Seattle PI has noted that more than 1,700 industry professionals have signed the petition in support of ACLU’s call for a federal investigation for gender discrimination, but the government has yet to respond.

Actress Nicole Kidman is in support of this movement. At the Women in Film’s Crystal + Lucy Awards on Tuesday she said, “Obviously we need to create more opportunities. It’s not an even playing field. By having a dialogue, it helps.

Kate Mara has said that she has worked in the industry for more than half of her 32 years, and she “could count on one hand the amount of female directors I have worked with.”

Other celebrities in favor of the movement include Selma director, Ava DuVernay, and The Mindy Project creator and star, Mindy Kaling.

In a statement, the DGA said, “The lack of network and studio action to hire more women and minority directors is deplorable. The DGA has been a long-standing advocate pressuring the industry to do the right thing, which is to change their hiring practices and hire more women and minority directors. There are few issues to which the DGA is more committed than improving employment opportunities for women and minority directors, it is time for change.”

The government has yet to respond to these allegations.

Image courtesy of INFphoto.com