Vivendi participates in the 2nd edition of the Mirrors or Movers conference hosted by the Media CSR Forum in London on June 5, 2014. On the occasion of a special workshop about “Women in the Media”, we invite you to browse Vivendi’s initiatives to promote the place of women in culture and the media.

Taking action to improve gender equality meets the need of society for cohesion, and helps to create economic value. Vivendi therefore intends to promote women in its business activities as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. This ambition nourishes the Group’s CSR approach in a cross-cutting manner:

  • In 2013, Vivendi partnered with the Laboratoire de l’égalité (Equality Lab) to undertake a study and present tangible proposals to enhance gender quality in music and cinema. This partnership brought together the Laboratoire’s network of researchers and members of Vivendi’s professional network: senior executives and employees of Universal Music and Canal+ Group, as well as artists and actors in the cultural and creative industries’ value chain.  Based on interviews with male and female artists and professionals, the study “Women in music and cinema in Europe” was presented at Salon de l’éducation (“Education Exhibition”) on the 22nd November in Paris, France. On that occasion, Vivendi signed a Pact on stereotypes proposed by the Laboratoire in the presence of Ms. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, then Minister of Women’s Rights. Vivoice, Vivendi’s webradio, helped spread the debate on this societal issue with a special “Culture Webcast”.
  • Vivendi’s ambition also relies on the website Culture(s) with Vivendi. In order to give exposure to women involved in artistic creation, Culture(s) with Vivendi features a variety of female artists’ profiles such as Ayo, PJ Harvey, Hélène Grimaud and Juliette. The website also hosts a number of interviews with women in high responsibility positions in the cultural sector, as well as women involved in traditionally ‘male’ professions. These include Caroline Champetier, director of photography, Christine Cauquelin, Canal + head of documentaries and Sarah Forest, Universal Music France’s Business Affairs Director. In addition, the De Facto section of the website highlights the opinions of women involved in the global sustainable development agenda. The section also contributes to raise awareness on the issue of gender equality through studies, facts and figures.  
  • Finally, Vivendi’s ambition to promote women in culture is made real through Made in Bamako, a training program for sound engineers which has taken place in Salif Keita’s studios in Bamako with Vivendi’s support since 2006. During 8th training session, the students recorded and mixed the album “Made in Bamako” (available for play here) which honors Malian female singers Assetou Diakite and Sadio Sidibé. In addition, for the first time in 2014, a woman joined the sound engineer training session.