For a long time, the proportion of women to men in films has been significantly less - in fact, the percentage of female speaking roles hasn’t really increased since the 1940s; in 2019, only 34% of speaking roles that year were women. A study in gender representation of financially successful films (from the years 1950-2006) found that, on average, there were 2 male characters for every female character. Additionally, those women were presented sexually twice as often as male characters. Currently, there are fewer roles portraying women in positions of power. Male characters are usually shown as being more effective and respected whereas women are shown to be struggling in the same positions. A study found that 42% of men were shown in leadership roles compared to 27% of women in the media. It also showed that of characters in leadership positions, women were four times as likely to be shown completely naked. Women are commonly presented as strong only in domestic responsibilities - things that were traditionally seen to be a “woman’s job”, eg. staying at home to look after kids. The harm brought by this misrepresentation is that it reinforces damaging stereotypes and alters the way society perceives women. It also impacts the way girls think of themselves from a young age, reinforcing the idea that they shouldn’t pursue leadership roles.
Written by Shayma Ahmed
Artwork by Zara Masood
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