Changing the Status Quo: Gender in Media

1. Gender in Media:
Changing the Status Quo

2. “When are we going to get
over the idea that it’s
shocking that women can
do things!”
- Geena Davis, Founder

3. Equity is Still Non-Existent

4. Prevalence
Family
Films
Prime-Time
Programs
Children’s
Shows
% of female characters 28.3% 38.9% 30.8%
male to female ratio 2.53 to 1 1.57 to 1 2.25 to 1
% w/gender-balanced casts 11% 22% 19%
% of stories w/female
narrators
26.5% 44.2% 20%

5. Gender Prevalence by
Program Genre in Prime Time
Prevalence
Indicator
Drama Comedy Reality
News
Magazine
Children’s
Males 59.7% 68.5% 51.9% 53.4% 69.5%
Females 40.3% 31.5% 48.1% 46.6% 30.5%

6. World Population Movie Crowd Scenes

7. We need to stop with these
unrealistic expectations for
women. It’s disappointing that
the media keeps it alive and
fuels that fire.”
Jennifer Lawrence

8. Females Function as Eye Candy

9. Females Still Function as Eye Candy
Appearance
Indicator Family Films Prime-Time Programs Children’s Shows
Males Females Males Females Male Females
Sexy Attire 8% 28.3% 8.4% 36.2% 10.1% 18%
Partial Nudity 8.5% 26.6% 11% 34.6% 12.4% 17.2%
Attractive 4.3% 14.9% 3.5% 11.6% 1.8% 5.6%
Thinness 10.7% 34.3% 13.6% 37.5% 18.7% 37.4%

10. Females Still Suffer from Employment
Imbalance

11. % of Females in Workforce by Media
20.3%
34.4%
25.3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Family
Films
Prime
Time
Children's
Shows

12. Females Still Slam into a Glass Ceiling

13. Note: The percentages are derived from a qualitative analysis of jobs held by males and females within media. The parentheses
contain the total frequency counts within each cell. The percentage of males within medium is not depicted but can be found in
the executive report online. - - refers to industries where no males or females within medium are depicted in leadership positions.
Industry Sector
Family Films
Females
Prime-Time
Females
Children’s
Females
% in C-Suite 3.4% (2) 14% (7) 28.6% (2)
% in Business/Finance 0 42.9% (3) --
% in Political Sphere 4.5% (3) 27.8% (5) 0
% in Legal Arena 0 100 % (1) --
% in Healthcare 21.9% (14) 29.6% (34) 33.3% (1)
% in Journalism 0 100% (1) --
% in Academia 38.5% (5) 38.5% (5) 16.7% (1)
% in Media/Entertainment 34.2% (27) 27.3% (33) 14.3% (1)
Total by Gender M=250 vs. F=51 M=241 vs. F=88 M=19 vs. F=5

14. Few Females Find Work in STEM Fields

15. % of Females in STEM Workforce by Media
16.3%
21.1%
12.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
Family Films Prime Time Children's Shows
Note: A modified list of STEM occupations from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration
(August, 2011) was used in this study.

16. STEM Field Family Films Prime Time
Males Females Males Females
% Life or Physical Sciences 49.3%
(66)
65.4%
(17)
46.4%
(26)
66.7%
(10)
% in Computer Sciences 23.1%
(31)
7.7%
(2)
32.1%
(18)
33.3%
(5)
% in Engineering 19.4%
(26)
7.7%
(2)
16.1%
(9)
0
% in Other 8.2%
(11)
19.2%
(5)
5.4%
(3)
0
Total 100%
(n=134)
100%
(n=26)
100%
(n=56)
100%
(n=15)

17. People hire who they know. If it’s been
a white boys club for 70 years, that’s a
lot of white boys hiring one another.
And I don’t believe that that happens
out of any specific racism or sexism or
prejudice. People hire their friends.
– Shonda Rhimes

18. Male Dominated Film Industry
Measure Males Females Total
Director 93% 7% 144
Writer 87% 13% 432
Producer 80% 20% 989
Total 83% 17% 1,565
Ratio 4.88 1

19. Behind-the-Scenes Impacts On-Screen

20. How Difficult is Gender Balance to Achieve?

21. Making An Impact?
Based on what you have learned, will this information influence
how you perceive gender balance and stereotypes in your body of
work?
90.2% = Yes!
How many projects have you changed because of the research?
68% = 2 or more
41% = 4 or more