A recent report highlighted the fact that streaming platforms featured more women’s stories than those of men in their original films in 2022. Many encouraging trends and positive aspects stand out in the report. For instance, films were told more from a woman’s perspective than a man’s lens. 49 per cent of women protagonists are featured in these films, while only 38 per cent are male protagonists, and the remaining 12 per cent had ensembles.
However, the representation of the female perspective in streaming films is yet to be replicated in high-budget films. While streaming companies offer more women-centric stories, they still fall short behind the scenes. Women accounted for only 22 per cent of directors for these films and more than three-quarters had no female directors. As for those handling the technical aspects, women account for only eight per cent in that sector.
Women constituted 54 per cent of the writers on films featuring at least one female director, but dipped down to 13 per cent in movies directed by men. Films directed by women tend to showcase a greater proportion of major female characters.
Not only do women get underrepresented behind the scenes, but there are also scenarios wherein older women get limited opportunities, even in 2022. For characters in their 30s, women outnumbered men, but the ratio dramatically shifts as the age increases. For characters in their 50s, there are more than twice as many male characters than female.
These films also portray gender stereotypes. While male characters are given defined occupations, portrayed in work-related settings, exhibiting work-related goals, female characters are more likely to be characterised by an identifiable marital status, shown to more likely have personal-life goals, personal-life related situations and other such stereotypes.