The screenwriter for BBC’s Happy Valley, Sally Wainwright, has spoken out about gender discrimination in the TV industry.
Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley, one of the most-acclaimed UK programmes broadcast last year, also wrote Last Tango in Halifax and was a scriptwriter on Coronation Street.
She told Radio Times the atmosphere on Coronation Street, was “overwhelmingly male” and that the industry “overlooks” female writing talent.
Her comments come after an upcoming profile of her on The South Bank Show was delayed in broadcast, with Wainwright claiming it was because she’s a woman.
“The South Bank Show did [male writers] Paul Abbott and Russell T Davies years ago, but I’ve been overlooked,” she said in the interview.
“I think it’s because I’m a woman.”
The magnificent Sarah Lancashire picks up the Leading Actress award for Happy Valley 👑 #BAFTATV pic.twitter.com/IX2i0euYtO
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) May 14, 2017
Speaking about her experience as just one of three female writers on Coronation Street’s team of fifteen, Wainwright explained:
“The whole atmosphere was overwhelmingly male and even now it’s tough,” she said. “There are so many fewer women writers and directors.”
“A lot of it is to do with women’s confidence. Women don’t put themselves forward as writers.”
“When I started out, it didn’t occur to me that I would ever be discriminated against, but later in life I experienced the difference between how men and women are perceived.”
“Men are trusted more, it’s just assumed they’ll be good at something. Whereas women have to prove they’re going to be good at it.”
Wainwright went onto to discuss Happy Valley‘s success, saying she felt “overlooked” by certain media publications:
“Happy Valley won best drama and best actress [Baftas] this year. And the day after, it was on the news: ‘Happy Valley’s won two Baftas’.”
“Two weeks earlier, I’d won the Bafta for best writer at the Craft Awards, so it had actually won three awards.”
“This is a BBC show and the BBC news is saying ‘Happy Valley has won two Baftas’ How does that make me feel? It’s like the writing Bafta doesn’t count.”
