By Ananya Verma and Miloni Belgaonkar
For decades, the subject of women in the media has been a topic of varying significance on shaping narratives. Having started out as playing and being restricted to the role of ‘damsels in distress’, to an age where directors claim they now produce empowered, multi-layered female characters which have the potential for their audiences to relate to, there has clearly been a monumental shift in their role, portrayal and treatment. Whilst a shift certainly can not be denied, it begs the question - to what extent exactly have the film and television industry progressed in regards to women in the media and whether or not there is more work to be done.
The history of women in media is a dynamic and ever changing journey which can be seen by significant developments in opportunities. In the beginning, women were often delegated to roles which were stereotypical of the prevailing gender norms of the time. Women would portray damsels in distress or be side characters that had little relevance and only served as mere extras that helped drive the plot further. In recent years, there has been calls for more inclusivity for both on screen and behind the cameras, which can be reflected by the growing number of women in the roles of directors, producers, not just actors. While this is still an ongoing progress, shaped by multiple key events, there is still a drive to further this movement to allow better representation.
The waves of feminism have been instrumental in shaping the portrayal of women in film today. Many women made great contributions to shape the current media landscape, with early films challenging traditional norms of the time during the suffragette movement to continuing to challenge gender norms through inclusivity and diversity as well. For example, the second wave of feminism can be seen to starkly transform the representation of women. The second wave of feminism began in the early 1960s and lasted about two decades before ushering in the early 1990s. It can be prominently noted through key events such as the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, Roe v. Wade in 1973 and a protest outside Miss America 1968 which was considered the birth of the ‘bra-burners’. The beliefs of the second wave of feminism turned to a broader range of issues concerning such as sexuality, family, domestic rights and workplace inequalities. This change of beliefs could be seen reflected in the media predominantly during the 1970s to which only two decades prior, women were being exclusively cast as the heroines in need of saving. This can be seen in the film ‘Stepford Wives 1975’ based on a feminist horror written in 1972. The film and novel revolve around a family moving from the city of New York to a small town known as Stepford where everything is seemingly perfect. It concerns a young mother who is an aspiring photographer who becomes suspicious of the reason as to why the free thinking women of the town become submissive and soon learns it is the husbands that are the cause. This shows the complexity of thought given to the issue of feminism even as early as the 1970s to recognise the threat men still pose in the radicalised version of representing women still being suppressed out of work and into more domestic roles. It also shows a fully developed feminine character who is the victim of a man rather than being saved by one mirroring the modern world far more greatly showing the difference in the portrayal of women in comparison to the early representation of women caused by the second wave of feminism.
However, despite these advances in portrayals, there have been limitations such as continued underrepresentation and objectification. A study taken between 2007 and 2016 showed how in the top 100 films of 2016, only 34 films had a woman lead with the study continuing to show that women in films would often be dressed provocatively. This can have detrimental effects on how women perceive themselves due to unrelatable characters they are meant to see themselves in, wanting to achieve unrealistic beauty standards placed upon them more often than not by men. This is furthered by films having an overwhelmingly white majority cast, even in modern day entertainment; people of colour therefore continue to not have their voices heard on screen and be subjected to stereotypes which can also affect how they are treated in real life. Some media can also exhibit "tokenism", which is the act of superficial representation that doesn't address the underlying issues that has lead to them in the first place.
Global views on women also differ greatly, with the western world deemed by most to be the most “progressive”. However, this can be a greatly prejudiced idea as it doesn't take into account many cultures across the world that are still taking steps forward to tackle gender disparities. The presence of social media has greatly furthered this as it has allowed people to connect with one another over great distances, learning information that normally would not have been spread as quickly across the world. In different countries, women may not have the chances to work in fields which could help them share their own stories and therefore not be as represented. Nonetheless, more and more positive portrayals can now be seen on screen and to assume that other non-Western movies aren't progressive would be unfair: such a belief overlooks rich and diverse cinematic contributions from around the world and perpetuates a narrow view. Cinema is a global art form with influences flowing in from various creative directions and by appreciating films from around the world, we can embrace the nature of different portrayals and gain a more inclusive perspective on storytelling.
Women in the media is a multi-faceted topic with both limitations and positive changes both to be discussed. The subject refers to the politics of the time, different cultures as well as their individual representation and the psychological effects different representation has on the youth, making them feel alienated or empowered. Media is an ever-changing institution and it can only be hoped that the positive changes are continued and further reinforced, making both a more knowledgeable and represented future generation.
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