Women sidelined in family films and primetime TV, says study

A study of top-grossing family films, prime-time TV shows and children's TV shows showed the persisting gender gaps in entertainment media, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California and published by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, reported Mother Jones.

They broke down the movies and TV shows studied by a wide range of factors, including the number of women appearing generally, how women were dressed, and what type of careers women had when they did appear.

In the study, researchers found that only 28.3 percent of characters in family films were female, only 20 percent of children's shows were narrated by women, and only 22 percent of prime-time TV shows had a gender balance among characters.

In prime-time television, 37.5 percent of women had "thin" bodies, while 13.6 percent of men did.

In family films, women comprised only 16.3 percent of those in science and technology careers.

"Female characters are still sidelined, stereotyped, and sexualized in popular entertainment content. Fewer females than males work in family films and prime-time shows, with the former showing fewer women in prestigious occupational positions than the latter. Females are not only missing from popular media, when they are on screen, they seem to be there merely for decoration—not to engage in meaningful or prestigious employment, particularly in STEM fields," the study concludes.

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