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ABN AMRO in partnership with WOMEN Inc. on inequality in the art world

In the Dutch art world, there are still large differences in rewards and opportunities for women and men, according to a report 'Een nog onverteld verhaal' by WOMEN Inc. and ABN AMRO, literally translated; an untold story. In order to draw attention to the inequality in the cultural sector and bring about a change, HAGENS set up a PR campaign around this report.

The report showed that the income of men in the visual arts is 50 percent higher than women working in it. It also showed that gender inequality in this sector manifests in two more areas: representation and unconscious bias. For example, only 13 percent of the art in Dutch’ eight largest museums is made by a woman, and 70 percent of all art exhibitions in the Netherlands don’t include a single work made by a woman.

”The inequality in the art world is illustrative of the inequality that exists between women and men throughout society,” said Emma Lok, director of WOMEN Inc. the advocacy organization dedicated to the emancipation of women. “Art amazes and can offer a different perspective on your own reality. That’s why it’s so important to have diverse stories on display in museums and to value them equally.”

Team HAGENS brought this report to the attention of the Dutch media. This resulted in great publications in Algemeen Dagblad, NRC, Trouw and Nu.nl, among others. LINDA. also highlighted this dichotomy in the art world and it was front page news in Het Parool. In addition, Sander Heithuis of WOMEN Inc. talked about these major differences on NPO Radio 1 and BNR also devoted an item to the report.