THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE U.S MEDIA 2015

WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER
Other gender disparities in the 250 films:
38 percent of the films hired one or fewer women in the positions researchers reviewed;
23 percent employed two women; 29 percent employed three to five women;
7 percent employed six to nine women; 3 percent employed 10 to 14 women.
None of the films was without male employees. For 69 percent of the films, the male
behind-the-scenes staff numbered between 10 and 27 persons.
Women accounted for 11 percent of writers, an increase of 1 percentage point since
2013 and 2 percentage points lower than in 1998.
Men were 81 percent of all executive producers; women comprised 19 percent, an increase
of 4 percentage points since 2013 and 1 percentage point higher than in 1998.
Men were 77 percent of all producers; women accounted for 23 percent, a decrease of
2 percentage points since 2013 and a 1 percentage point slide from the rate in 1998.
Men were 82 percent of all editors; women comprised 18 percent, an increase of 1
percentage point since 2013 but a 2 percentage point decline from 1998’s rate.
Men were 95 percent of all sound designers; women comprised 5 percent, an increase
of 1 percentage point since 2013, the first year that center researchers reviewed
who was working as a composer or in sound.
Men were 95 percent of all supervising sound editors; women accounted for 5 percent,
a 4 percentage point drop from 2013.
Men were 99 percent of all composers; women comprised 1 percent, a 1 percentage
point slide since 2013.
Women were most likely to work in the documentary and comedy genres.
Women were least likely to work in the action and horror genres.
50%
Historical comparison of percentages of women employed
behind-the-scenes on top 250 films by role
2014
40
30
20
10
0
7
6
9
7
9
11
10
15
10
13
19
18
17
15 16
Directors Writers Executive
producers
25 25
23
Producers
Source: Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film/San Diego State University
20
24
2013
2012
2006
1998
20 21 20
18
17
Editors
5
3 2 2
4
Cinematographers
Graphic produced by the Women’s Media Center
The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2015 TOC womensmediacenter.com 41