This study examines through an equality lens, the lived experiences of nine female leaders in the male-dominated film industry in Sweden. The aim was to explore how women perceived equality in their workplace, their perception of the issue, and the coping strategies used by these women. In-depth interviews were done through a qualitative phenomenological approach. The theoretical framework used in this thesis is gendered organizations by Acker (2012), a social psychological perspective of gender gaps by Garcia and Hanek (2022), and how women can contribute to inequality by Parks-Stamm et al. (2008). I found themes influenced by a gendered industry, including masculine stereotypes and norms that affect employee behavior, and unintentionally contribute to organizational inequality.  My findings illustrate career obstacles for female leaders, in contrast to males who for instance, benefit from brotherhood, and loose requirements such as social skills. To succeed, women must work hard, act suitably, educate- and convince themselves, and use creative tactics for approval. I highlight strategies such as the competitive strategy to become “one of the boys”, and the chameleon strategy by adapting like a stereotypical female or male by mindset, male behaviors, or using male outfits. And specialization strategy, to ally with other women. Strategies were used to get access to particular environments and reach different goals. Two women didn’t experience gender discrimination, and the issue of equality was perceived in various ways. Collaborating with men had mutual benefits, as male mentors were well-intentioned, and male dominance didn’t exclusively drive inequality. My research also revealed contradictions in female rivalry showing disloyalty, abusive, unfavorable, and competitive behaviors rooted in self-protection and limited opportunities. However, the study illuminates the challenges and strategies of female leaders in a male-dominated industry. The women are creative, brave, and inspiring for other women by navigating against all odds in a profession they love.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how the impermanence of contract work affects working lives, self-perceptions and the career strategies of Swedish screenwriters of finding and keeping work. Furthermore, it also explored how screenwriters experience their abilities to exercise authorial leverage over media content. Introducing the concept of “career authoring” to cover different aspects of the professional lives of screenwriters such as managing a career, establishing authorship and contractual negotiations, the study was able to embrace various mind-sets and strategies for career success. Combining ethnographical studies and textual analyses the study was able to ascertain that the contingency of the Swedish film and television industries necessitates strategies to cultivate reputations, industrial visibility, consciously receive writing credits and conform to a traditional division of labour. Moreover, the study illuminated the importance of contractual negotiations for career success in terms of both retaining and wavering rights to their work. Strategies for exercise increased authorial leverage were not only confined to the script, but extended beyond the page, where the latter  accentuated processes of reconfiguring traditional conceptions of screenwriters’ abilities to influence media content.