Report: In the Indian media and entertainment business, women occupy a mere 13% of key positions

 Report: In the Indian media and entertainment business, women occupy a mere 13% of key positions

Mumbai: According to the third edition of the 'O Womaniya!' survey, women still only occupy 13% of senior leadership positions in Indian media and entertainment (M&E) enterprises, despite modest advances. This indicates that there is still a persistent gender imbalance in the business, even if it is somewhat higher than the 10% recorded in 2021.

The 'O Womaniya!' research evaluates how women are represented in many facets of content creation, marketing, and corporate leadership within India's entertainment sector. It was carried out by media consulting company Ormax Media and Film Companion with funding from Prime Video.

The report is divided into three main sections: "content," which covers female representation in front of and behind the camera; "marketing," which looks at how women are portrayed in movie and television trailers; and "corporate," which examines how women are represented in the boardrooms of the top 25 M&E companies.

Merely 13% of the 135 director and CXO roles examined in these 25 top M&E firms were occupied by women. Furthermore, women held only 12% of the 780 head of department (HOD) roles that were examined in the major disciplines of writing, production design, cinematography, editing, and directing. Although this is a little increase over the 10% growth in 2021, streaming movies and television shows have been the major drivers of the growth, with theatrical films staying stable.

In order to provide a thorough picture of the industry's development since 2021, this year's research examined 156 films and television shows that were released in 2022 in eight Indian languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, and Gujarati.

"Although a few important metrics have shown a sluggish but consistent increase, the study emphasizes the need of placing a significant emphasis on inclusiveness. Shailesh Kapoor, founder & CEO of Ormax Media, said that although theatrical films have not performed well, the industry has to take note. "Streaming continues to lead the way for female representation," Kapoor added.

The fundamental 'Bechdel Test,' an internationally recognized indicator of female representation in film, was not passed by more than half of the evaluated theatrical releases. A movie has to include at least one scene in which two identified female characters talk about anything other than a guy or men in order to pass the test. Just 47% of homes passed the test in 2022, compared to 55% in 2021. Theatrical films had the worst drop, with just 34% passing the test in 2022. The Bechdel Test was easily passed by television shows and movies such Maja Ma, Delhi Crime Season 2, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Four More Shots Please! Season 3, and Guilty Minds.

"Entertainment is a potent medium that has to and should emphasize diversity and inclusiveness. O Womaniya! is our effort to accelerate the process. Anupama Chopra, creator and editor of Film Companion, said, "We believe we are moving a step closer to a more equitable ecosystem with every edition of the O Womaniya! report. The steps taken to bring about change may seem small, but every step, every action matters."

Just 27% of discussion time in trailers was devoted to women. While television shows and movies like Hush Hush, Gehraiyaan, The Fame Game, Ammu, A Thursday, Sita Ramam, and others gave at least 50% of speak time in trailers to female roles, streaming flicks took the lead with 33% of talk time going to women.

As a company, we have long supported fair representation in the creative community at large as well as inside Prime Video and our programming. Head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video Aparna Purohit remarked, "We can create an upsurge of activity of positive change in the wider ecosystem by nurturing as well as empowering talented women throughout our industry."

Numerous industry partners, including Clean Slate Filmz, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Jio Studio, Producers Guild India, RSVP, SonyLiv, Tiger Baby, and Zee5, have endorsed the 'O Womaniya!' study. Prominent figures in the business, such as studio executives, directors, performers, and others, have pledged to enhance the depiction of women in their personal and professional lives.