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Articles about our Research

‘Barbie’ Broke Records, but Studios Employed Fewer Female Directors on 2023’s Top Films

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 1, 2024

Mattel’s New Barbies Aim to Change Stereotypes About Women in Film

  • In Forbes
  • By Kim Elsesser
  • January 10, 2024

Women Creatives Thought Hollywood Could Change. Were They Wrong?

  • In Elle “Women in Hollywood” edition
  • By Lauren Puckett-Pope and Juliana Ukiomogbe
  • December 2023

Women More Represented on Reality TV Than Scripted Shows, SDSU Report Finds

  • In KCAL/CBS News
  • By KCAL Staff
  • October 17, 2023

More Women Appeared on Reality & Game shows in 2022-23 Than as Series Characters, Report Says

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By Lynette Rice
  • October 17, 2023

Independent Film Slowly Moves Toward Gender Parity, Study Finds

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Rebecca Sun
  • September 12, 2023

Women’s Stories Outnumbered Men’s In Streaming Films, Report Says

  • In Forbes
  • By Kim Elsesser
  • May 24, 2023

Hollywood’s Glass Ceiling Remains in Place: Infinitesimal Increase in Movies with Female Protagonists

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • March 7, 2023

Percent of Women Behind the Scenes of Top Films Declined in 2022, According to New Study

  • In Forbes
  • By Kim Elsesser
  • January 4, 2023

Streaming TV Series Ahead of Broadcast in Featuring Women in Front of and Behind the Camera, Latest “Boxed In” Study Finds

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By Patrick Hipes
  • October 18, 2022

Women Over 40 Disappear From Television, According to New Study

  • In Forbes
  • By Kim Elsesser
  • October 18, 2022

Film Festivals Failed to Highlight More Movies From Female Directors in 2021-22, Study Finds

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • September 20, 2022

Women Much More Likely to Land Top Behind-the-Scenes Jobs on Documentaries than Narrative Pics, Study of U.S. Film Festival Finds

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By David Robb
  • September 20, 2022

Only 7% of Movies in 2021 Featured More Women Than Men, Study Finds

  • In Variety
  • By Pat Saperstein
  • March 15, 2022

Over 80% of Last Year’s Top Films Featured More Men Than Women

  • In The Hill
  • By Brooke Migdon
  • March 15, 2022

Fewer Female Directors on Top-Grossing Films in 2021

  • In Forbes
  • By Kim Elsesser
  • January 3, 2022

Share of Women Film Directors Down to 12% in 2021, Study Finds

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Rebecca Sun
  • January 2, 2022

Female Actors Reach “Historic Highs” on Broadcast and Streaming Shows, But Women Lag in Behind-the-Scenes Jobs, Study Finds

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By David Robb
  • September 14, 2021

How Female Indie Directors Fared at Pandemic-Era Film Festivals

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • August 31, 2021

Documentaries Continue to Provide Far More Opportunity for Female Filmmakers Than Narrative Films

  • In IndieWire
  • By Kate Erbland
  • August 31, 2021

Study Shows Sharp Decline of Female Protagonists in 2020’s Top Grossing Films

  • In Variety
  • By Angelique Jackson
  • April 13, 2021

Percentage of Top-Grossing Films with Female Protagonists “Dropped Dramatically” Last Year

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • by David Robb
  • April 13, 2021

Spotlight On . . . The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film

  • On Park Circus website
  • March 23, 2021

Record Number of Big Hollywood Films Had Female Directors in 2020

  • In The Guardian
  • By Lanre Bakare
  • January 4, 2021

Women Directed Record Number of 2020 Films, Study Finds

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 2, 2021

2020 Was Supposed to be a Banner Year for Women Directors.  Then COVID-19 Hit

  • In Time
  • By Eliana Dockterman
  • December 10, 2020

Percentage of Top Films Directed by Women Has Barely Risen Over Last 2 Decades, Study Says

  • In The Wrap
  • By Brian Welk
  • December 8, 2020

Percentage of Women Working as Film Directors, Producers Hasn’t Budged Much in 20 Years, Report Says

  • In USA Today
  • By David Oliver
  • December 8, 2020

Numbers of Female Directors and Writers Grow in Indie Films, Study Shows

  • In Variety
  • By Dave McNary
  • October 15, 2020

Female Filmmakers Make Big Strides in Festival World, Nearly Doubling in Last Decade

  • In IndieWire
  • By Kate Erbland
  • October 15, 2020

Streaming TV Ranks Far Ahead of Cable, Broadcast in Leading Roles for Women: Study

  • In USA Today
  • By Bill Keveney
  • September 10, 2020

Streaming Shows Featured More Women Protagonists in 2019-2020 TV Season: Study

  • In Variety
  • By Elaine Low
  • September 10, 2020

Annual Survey of Film Critics Finds Persistent Gender Disparities, Profound Impacts

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By Tom Tapp
  • August 19, 2020

Male Film Critics Continue to Outnumber Female Critics Nearly 2 to 1, According to New Study

  • In Variety
  • By Angelique Jackson
  • August 19, 2020

From SDSU and the Academy Awards, Good News and Bad Calls for Women in Hollywood

  • In The San Diego Union-Tribune
  • By Karla Peterson
  • January 16, 2020

Women Made up 20 Percent of Key Behind-the-Scenes Roles in Top-Grossing Films of 2019: Study

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Katherine Schaffstall
  • January 2, 2020

More Women Than Ever Working in Film — But Men Still Dominate Key Roles

  • In The Guardian
  • By Andre Wheeler
  • January 2, 2020

Female Representation Made ‘Historic” Gains Last Year Both On and Off Screen, New Study Finds

  • In The Wrap
  • By Tim Baysinger
  • September 4, 2019

77% of TV Shows Have No Women Creators.  Here’s How that Ripples Across the Industry

  • In Los Angeles Times
  • By Yvonne Villarreal
  • September 4, 2019

Men Still Outnumber Women 2 to 1 in Indie Films Despite ‘Historic Gains,’ Study Says

  • In The Wrap
  • By Jeremy Fuster
  • June 18, 2019

Film Festivals See ‘Historic Highs” in Female Filmmaker Representation, but the Gender Divide Remains Steep

  • In IndieWire
  • By Kate Erbland
  • June 18, 2019

SDSU Study Says Women in Hollywood Finally Have Reason to Celebrate

  • By Karla Peterson
  • In Pacific San Diego
  • June 24, 2019

Female Film Critics Still Outnumbered by Male Reviewers Almost 2 to 1 in 2019, Study Says

  • In The Wrap
  • By Brian Welk
  • May 30, 2019

Media Outlets Employ Twice as Many Male Critics as Female Critics, Study Finds

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Katie Kilkenny
  • May 30, 2019

Movies Featured More Female Protagonists in 2018, but It’s Not All Good News

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 19, 2019

New SDSU Study Finds Women Are Not Winning at the Movies

  • In The San Diego Union-Tribune
  • By Karla Peterson
  • February 20, 2019

Why the ‘Radical Underrepresentation’ of Women in Hollywood Isn’t Changing

  • In Jezebel
  • By Maria Sherman
  • January 7, 2019

#MeToo, But So What?  Percentage of Women Directing Top Films Dropped in 2018

  • In Salon
  • By Rachel Leah
  • January 3, 2019

A Ridiculously Low Number of Women Directed Films in 2018

  • In AV Club
  • By Oliver Whitney
  • January 3, 2019

Fewer Women Directed Top Films in 2018, Study Finds

  • In The New York Times
  • By Cara Buckley
  • January 3, 2019

Women Made Up Just 8% of the Directors Behind 2018’s Top Movies

  • In Marketwatch
  • By Nicole Lyn Pesce
  • January 3, 2019

Study Finds Direct Link Between Gender of TV Creators and Roles for Women

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By David Robb
  • September 11, 2018

SDSU Study Finds Women Are Still Underrepresented on TV

  • In The San Diego Union-Tribune
  • By Karla Peterson
  • September 12, 2018

Latina Speaking Roles Reach Historic High, While Females Roles Overall Dip, New Report Finds

  • In Variety
  • By Danielle Turchiano
  • September 11, 2018

Men Who Dominate Movie Reviewing Shortchange Women Directors

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Gregg Kilday
  • July 17, 2018

Male Critics Are Harsher Than Women on Female-Led Films, Study Says

  • In The New York Times
  • By Cara Buckley
  • July 17, 2018

Study:  Male Indie Filmmakers Outnumber Women 2 to 1 at Major US Film Festivals

  • In The Wrap
  • By Trey Williams
  • May 10, 2018

Indie Festivals Must Step Up to Get Equal Representation for Female Filmmakers

  • In IndieWire
  • By Kate Erbland
  • May 10, 2018

A Look at Women Directors at the Summer Box Office the Year After Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman

  • In Los Angeles Times
  • By Tre’vell Anderson
  • April 26, 2018

Women Had Lead Role in Less Than a Quarter of Top 2017 Movies, Down From Year Before

  • In The Wrap
  • By Beatrice Verhoeven
  • February 22, 2018

Hollywood Sexism Rules:  Number of Female Protagonists Falls in 2017

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 22, 2018

Are Women Finally Cracking the Celluloid Ceiling?

  • In ABC News
  • By Luchina Fisher
  • January 25, 2018

“All Male Nominees” Are No Surprise According to Celluloid Ceiling Report on Hollywood Diversity

  • In Forbes
  • By Carey Purcell
  • January 10, 2018

Natalie Portman Called Out the Hollywood Boys’ Club at the Golden Globes.  A New Study Backs Her Up

  • In Time
  • By Eliana Dickterman
  • January 10, 2018

Study:  Women Held 18 Percent of Key Behind-the-Camera Roles in 2017’s Top Movies

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Gregg Kilday
  • January 10, 2018

After 19 Male-Led Superhero Movies, How Much Progress Does Wonder Woman Represent?

  • In The Washington Post
  • By Connor Behrens
  • May 31, 2017

Gender Bias Goes Indie: Only 25 Percent of Films at Major Festivals Had Female Director, Study Finds

  • In The Wrap
  • By Beatrice Verhoeven
  • May 17, 2017

Women Face Long Odds at U.S. Film Festivals, Study Finds

  • In The New York Times
  • By Stephanie Goodman
  • May 17, 2017

Leading Roles for Women in Hollywood Reach An All-Time High… Which is Still Pathetically Low

  • In Digital Spy
  • By Rosie Fletcher
  • February 22, 2017

More Women Were Protagonists in 2016 Movies

  • In The New York Times
  • By Stephanie Goodman
  • February 21, 2017

Number of Female Film Protagonists Hits High in 2016 (Study)

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 21, 2017

The Same Number of Women Have Worked Behind the Camera in Hollywood Since 1998

  • In Refinery29
  • By Marquita Harris
  • January 12, 2017

Number of Female Directors Falls Despite Diversity Debate, Says Study

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 12, 2017

New Study Reveals Fewer Women Working Behind the Scenes in Hollywood

  • In Los Angeles Times
  • By Libby Hill
  • January 12, 2017

New TV Research Reveals Gender Inequality On-Screen and Off

  • In WomenandHollywood.com
  • By Laura Berger
  • September 14, 2016

Broadcasters Treat Female Characters Better than Cable Networks Do

  • In The Wrap
  • By Scott Collins
  • September 13, 2016

Movie Criticism is an Overwhelmingly Male Dominated Field

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • June 24, 2016

Study Shows Film Criticism is Just as Male-Dominated as Filmmaking

  • In ScreenCrush
  • By Britt Hayes
  • June 24, 2016

Proof of Dudeocracy of Film Writers Exists Thanks to Latest Study of Top Critics

  • In Women and Hollywood
  • By Casey Cipriani
  • June 24, 2016

Study: Percentage of Women Working Behind the Camera in Indie Films is “Stagnant”

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Mia Galuppo
  • May 5, 2016

Study: Female Protagonists on the Rise in Hollywood — but the Majority Are White

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 9, 2016

Though the Number of Lead Female Roles Rose in 2015, Hollywood is Still Failing Women of Colour

  • In The Independent
  • By Clarisse Loughrey
  • February 10, 2016

Star Wars and Inside Out Pushed Number of Leading Ladies to New High Last Year

  • In Time
  • By Eliana Dockterman
  • February 10, 2016

There are More (White) Women Starring in Movies Than Ever Before

  • In A.V. Club
  • By William Hughes
  • February 10, 2016

Study Shows Female Roles in Hollywood Increasing, But Only if Youre a White Actress

  • In The Mary Sue
  • By Jessica Lachenal
  • February 10, 2016

The Percentage of Films Directed by Women is the Same As It Was in 1998

  • In The Washington Post
  • By Jena McGregor
  • January 12, 2016

Grim New Numbers on Women Behind the Scenes in Film

  • In New York Magazine
  • By Dayna Evans
  • January 12, 2016

Study: Women Filmmakers Held Just 19 Percent of Top Behind-the-Screen Jobs in 2015

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Gregg Kilday
  • January 12, 2016

These Stats About Female Directors Are Seriously Infuriating

  • In Refinery 29
  • By Elizabeth Kiefer
  • January 12, 2016

Amid Calls for Gender Equity in Hollywood, the Stakes are High

  • In The Washington Post
  • By Ann Hornaday
  • November 6, 2015

The Highest Grossing Film Last Week May Surprise You

  • In The Huffington Post
  • By Meg Waite Clayton
  • November 2, 2015

Hollywood Still Won’t Admit it Has a Gender-Diversity Problem

  • In The Atlantic
  • By Li Zhou
  • September 22, 2015

Hollywood’s Ongoing Problem with Women

  • In BuzzFeed
  • By Ariane Lange
  • September 16, 2015

The Biggest Differences Between TV Shows Run by Women and TV Shows Run by Men

In CinemaBlend
By Nick Venable
September 15, 2015

Women are Still Sidelined in TV, and Only Other Women Can Help Them: Study

  • In International Business Times
  • By Brendan James
  • September 16, 2015

TV Still Has a Massive Gender Gap – Both On Screen and Behind the Camera

  • In Fortune
  • By Marin Gazzaniga
  • September 15, 2015

When Women Are in Charge of TV Shows, More Women Get Hired

  • On PBS
  • By Corinne Segal
  • September 15, 2015

Female Showrunners “Instrumental” to Increasing TV Jobs for Women, Study Shows

  • In Deadline Hollywood
  • By David Robb
  • September 15, 2015

Why We Need More Women Creating TV Shows

  • In Time Magazine
  • By Eliana Dockterman
  • September 15, 2015

To Get More Women on TV, We Need More in TV

  • In New York Magazine
  • By Dayna Evans
  • September 15, 2015

Study Says Women Are Still Underrepresented on TV in Front of the Cameras and Behind the Scenes

  • In The New York Times
  • By Jeremy Egner
  • September 15, 2015

Women Exec Producers Strongly Influence Female Employment in TV: Study

  • In Variety
  • By Cynthia Littleton
  • September 15, 2015

Want More Women in TV? Then We Need More Female Executives

  • On MTV
  • By Victoria McNally
  • September 15, 2015

Duh: Women in Hollywood Power Positions Hire More Women

  • In Jezebel
  • By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd
  • September 15, 2015

Why So Few Female Directors?

  • In the Los Angeles Times
  • By Jena McGregor
  • July 12, 2015

Female Directors Fare Better in Festivals Than in Hollywood Study Finds

  • In The New York Times
  • June 3, 201

Female Directors Better Represented in Festival Films Than Blockbusters (Study)

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Hilary Lewis
  • June 3, 2015

Note to Hollywood: Women Directors Abound in Indie and Documentary Film

  • In Thompson on Hollywood
  • By Ryan Lattanzio
  • June 3, 2015

New Study Charts the “Post-Festival Chasm” for Women Directors

  • In Women and Hollywood
  • By Inkoo Kang
  • June 3, 2015

Study: Women Have Better Shot at Directing Indie Movies Than Major Releases

  • In Variety
  • By Ted Johnson
  • June 2, 2015

Number of Women Directing Indie Films Far Outweighs Those Working on Studio Projects

  • In The Wrap
  • By Joe Otterson and Todd Cunningham
  • June 2, 2015

Study: 2014 Saw Less Katniss, More Captain America

  • In U.S. News & World Report
  • By Tierney Sneed
  • February 10, 2015

There Are Officially Fewer Hollywood Films with a Female Lead Today Than in 2002

  • In The Independent
  • By Jess Denham
  • February 10, 2015

Study: Female Protagonists Continue to Disappear from Film

  • In Women and Hollywood
  • By Inkoo Kang
  • February 10, 2015

Study: There Are Fewer Women in Lead Roles in Top Films Than There Were in 2002

  • In The Washington Post
  • By Soraya Nadia McDonald
  • February 10, 2015

Study Finds Fewer Female Protagonists in Hollywood’s Top Films

  • In The New York Times
  • By Cara Buckley
  • February 9, 2015

Study Finds Fewer Lead Roles for Women in Hollywood

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 9, 2015

This is How Few Women Landed a Top Hollywood Role Last Year

  • In Time Magazine
  • By Sabrina Toppa
  • February 10, 2015

Study: Women Still Missing in the Movie Industry

  • In U.S. News & World Report
  • By Tierney Sneed
  • January 13, 2015

Number of Female Movie Directors Falls Over 17-Year Period

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 13, 2015

Number of Female Film Directors Falls Over Last Two Decades

  • In The Guardian
  • By Ben Beaumont-Thomas
  • January 13, 2015

Women Find Little Change off Camera in Hollywood: Study

  • In Reuters
  • By Eric Kelsey
  • January 13, 2015

Number of Female Directors Falls Over 17 Year Period, Study Finds

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 13, 2015

Cannes Looks A Lot Like Hollywood: The Power Belongs to Men

  • In The American Prospect
  • By Elaine Teng
  • May 2014

Female Filmmakers Still Locked Out of Big Hollywood Productions, Study Finds

In The Guardian

By Rory Carroll

May 6, 2014

The Employment Ratios of Women in Hollywood Have Not Improved in Sixteen Years

  • In The Mary Sue
  • By Susana Polo
  • January 14, 2014

Report: Just 15% of Lead Character in Major Movies Are Female

  • In the Los Angeles Times
  • By Saba Hamedy
  • March 11, 2014

Only 15 Percent of Top Films in 2013 Put Women in Lead Roles, Study Finds

  • In The New York Times
  • By Cara Buckley
  • March 11, 2014

Frozen in a Niche?

  • In The New York Times
  • By Maureen Dowd
  • March 5, 2014

Report: Women Are Still Getting Shut Out in Hollywood

  • In Time Magazine
  • By Lily Rothman
  • January 2014

Employment of Women in Film Production Dips Below 1998 Levels

  • In Variety
  • By Cynthia Littleton
  • January 14, 2014

Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment Hits 10-Year Low for Women in Hollywood

  • In The Wrap
  • By Brent Lang
  • January 14, 2014

Women Working Behind the Scenes on Independent Films More than Blockbusters, Study Says

  • In The Hollywood Reporter
  • By Debbie Emery
  • May 5, 2014

Though the Number of Lead Female Roles Rose in 2015, Hollywood is Still Failing Women of Colour

  • In The Independent
  • By Clarisse Loughrey
  • February 10, 2016

Study: Female Protagonists on the Rise in Hollywood — but the Majority Are White

  • In Variety
  • By Brent Lang
  • February 9, 2016