A few trends highlight the challenges women face in the industry:
Fewer Leadership Roles: Women tend to work in positions where collaboration is common (e.g., producers, writers), but are rarely in leadership positions. For example, in 2022, although 29% of screenwriters were women, female-driven teams accounted for only 21% of the total, with male-driven teams dominating (66%).
Growth Over Time: Since 2015, the overall share of women across all positions has increased slowly, from 19% to 24%. However, projections show that gender equality could take decades to reach in some roles: by 2047 for writers, 2053 for directors, and 2071 for composers, if current trends continue.
Genre-Based Representation: Women were better represented in documentary filmmaking. For instance, women made up 33% of directors in documentaries, compared to 21% in live-action fiction. Similarly, female producers were more involved in documentaries (38%) compared to live-action films (29%).
Impact of Women in Key Roles: When a film is directed by a woman, it is more likely that other key roles (like writing, producing, or composing) will also be filled by women. For instance, the presence of female directors leads to higher shares of female producers and composers on the same project.
Collaboration Trends: Women are more likely to share roles with other professionals than men. For example, 74% of women writers worked in co-writing teams, compared to 66% of male-driven teams. This trend persists across other roles like cinematography, where 38% of women shared assignments compared to 27% of men.
Despite these advances, the report highlights persistent gender inequalities in film production. Although women's representation has improved, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions and certain technical roles. Films led by female-driven teams accounted for only a small percentage across all roles: 23% for directors, 21% for writers, and only 11% for cinematographers.
Overall, the document emphasizes the slow progress toward gender parity and highlights the importance of increasing the presence of women in leadership roles to drive further change across the industry
Even on the television front, the situation is not improving. A recent report from the San Diego State University Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film shows a decline in female representation in television. In 2023-2024, women made up only 23% of creators, down from 26% the previous year and 30% in 2021-2022. The percentage of major female characters also decreased to 45%, and women with speaking roles dropped to 43%. The report highlights the importance of female creators, as shows with women in key roles tend to hire more women in other behind-the-scenes positions. Additionally, women over 40 are underrepresented, with only 29% of female characters falling into that age group. The study suggests that recent industry changes, including the pandemic and strikes, have negatively impacted women both on-screen and behind the scenes.
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