A study by the US Annenberg Inclusion Initiative shows that the number of women in leading roles in Hollywood films has decreased significantly compared to the previous year. This means that we have fallen back to the level from 2010.
What was examined in the study? A study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined the gender, ethnicity and age of the main characters and co-actors in the 1,700 highest-grossing films from 2007 to 2023.
What came of it? The result was that only 30 of the 100 highest-grossing films in 2023 had a girl or woman as the leading actress or co-leading actress. This is a value that was already there in 2010.
However, this represents an enormous step backwards compared to the previous year, as the study report states. There were 44 films there, which was the highest number since 2007.
“Catastrophic step backwards for girls and women in film.”
What does the founder of the initiative say about this? Stacy L. Smith found clear words for the study’s results and said: “This is a catastrophic step backwards for girls and women in film.”
She went on to explain that they had actually seen progress in the industry over the last 14 years and that the results actually contradict what one would have expected from a year when Barbie was big:
“This reversal is both shocking and a direct contradiction to all the talk of 2023 being the ‘Year of the Woman’.”
The numbers not only show how often women are seen in leading roles, but also represent what their career opportunities are like. The data suggests that the options for women in Hollywood have shrunk drastically.
“Even if we look at the films that were postponed to 2024 because of the strike, we cannot explain the collapse in female leads/co-leads in 2023 other than it being a failure of the industry.”
You can find the exciting results of another film study here: Survey shows: Young people no longer want to see a type of scene in films and series