Web series shows young women in male-dominated professions

The first three episodes of the web series ":in" will be available on YouTube starting April 15. They portray young women asserting themselves in male-dominated fields. Isabelle, aka @die.tischlerin, is also involved from the trades.

This article is part of the special feature on women in the trades.

As a woman, Annika Prigge has been in the minority since high school. In the sports-focused program at a Kiel high school, she was one of 20 boys and ten girls. At university, the ratio worsened. For the sports journalism program, 25 young men and only four young women enrolled. It became even more extreme in her professional life. "At press conferences, I was the only woman. Sports journalism is overwhelmingly male-dominated ."

But not only there. During a conversation with friends, Annika Prigge realized that none of them had a female role model when choosing a career . In September 2020, she finally pitched the idea for her web series ":in" . The series would give a voice to young women who had chosen a profession predominantly chosen by men.

Winemaker, rapper, carpenter

Liser, Pauline, and Isabelle (from left to right) are the first three protagonists of the web series :in. Photo: © :in – the web series

A wine tasting introduces her to the first protagonist. "Until then, winemaking was a profession I associated with old, white men. Pauline, however, shows that there are also dynamic, young female winemakers."

Through a friend who is a cultural journalist, she meets Liser , a rapper who struggles in an extremely testosterone-driven environment. She finds her third interviewee on social media.

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Isabelle Vivianne shows on her Instagram channel @die.tischlerin what it's like to work in the woodworking trade. "I found many young women there who fit the stereotype of a craftswoman. But Isabelle is completely different," explains Annika Prigge, justifying her choice of the 23-year-old from Hamburg.

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Female role models were missing

Although Annika Prigge enjoyed crafting and working with wood in her father's workshop, she would never have considered training as a carpenter after finishing school. "I simply lacked female role models ," explains the Schleswig-Holstein native. She now wants to change that with her film project.

Performance at Girls' and Boys' Day

The web series ":in" comprises six videos , three of which are already finished . The six- to seven-minute films will be released on YouTube on April 15, 2021. A week later, Annika Prigge will have the opportunity to present them live to a large audience. On April 22, 2021 , a short portrait of her will be broadcast as part of the virtual Girls' and Boys' Day . Afterwards, she will answer questions from the hosts. "In addition, Liser will join the live stream from a studio and perform two of her songs."

Sponsors of the web series

The financing of the web series ":in" is shared by several sources. The funds come from crowdfunding , the Institute for Media Education Youth Film Television (JFF), and the Competence Center Technology-Diversity-Equal Opportunities , which organizes Girls' and Boys' Day.

Annika Prigge (below) and her four-person team produce the web series :in about women in male-dominated professions. Photo: © :in – the web series

In addition to the short films, Annika Prigge and her team, together with educators, develop teaching materials for each episode , which are made available to schools. "We want to raise students' awareness of gender-specific discrepancies in career choices, but also encourage them not to let these discourage them."

The information package on the topic of gender equality is rounded off by the web series' Instagram presence . "There, we regularly post short teasers for the videos, but we also showcase other women who have succeeded in male-dominated fields and explain terms like gender-inclusive language and feminism."

Web series on YouTube and Instagram: All episodes of the web series will be available on the ":in" YouTube channel . Annika Prigge has produced short trailers for YouTube with her protagonists Liser and Isabelle . Those seeking additional information on gender equality can follow the ":in" web series on Instagram . The protagonists for the next three episodes have already been chosen. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Annika Prigge and her team are currently unable to film. "We hope to finish the videos and upload them to YouTube this year ."

Whether further episodes will follow remains to be seen. The filmmaker has plenty of ideas . "There are so many exciting professions that women don't even consider." Chimney sweep and prison guard immediately come to mind as examples. There's likely a demand for new video material as well. "A format like :in could continue until gender inequalities are eliminated." That's probably not going to happen in the next two to three years.