Only 1 in 10 directors in India are women, finds study on ‘Gender Representation in Indian Films’

Ahead of the 3-day FLO Film Festival organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, in partnership with ITVS and Women and Girls Lead, hosted a Global Symposium On Gender in Media on February 17, in Mumbai. The symposium brought together eminent content creators, business leaders, actors, directors, media personalities and policy makers for a dialogue about gender issues also culminated in the release of a powerful report on ‘Investigation on the Impact of Gender Representation in Indian Films.’

Founded by Academy Award-winning actor, Geena Davis, the Institute is the only research based non-profit organisation within the entertainment industry that works towards dramatically improving gender balance, reducing stereotyping and creating diverse female characters in media.

The symposium was attended by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, actor Rahul Bose, India's representative to UN Women Dr Rebecca Tavares, Director of The Center for Health and Social Justice  Dr. Abhijit Das, Whistling Woods International President Meghna Ghai Puri and journo-author Mayank Shekhar among others.

The research study, funded by the Oak Foundation, released during the symposium focused on answering questions pertaining to the media and covering aspects like how cinema-goers of different backgrounds in India view gender representations in entertainment media, what influence entertainment media has on the lives of people in India and whether entertainment media addresses the pressing social issues of the day.

While there have been a few studies that have been conducted on media effects in India, this is the first one to measure Indians' perceptions of media influence in their lives. For this study, 10 focus groups were conducted over a course of three days in Ahmedabad, a location chosen so as to get a more accurate understanding of Indian filmgoers’ perspectives in a medium-sized city with less Western influence.

The findings of the study showed how gender ratio in India’s film industry stands at 6.2 males to every female and only one-in-ten film directors (9.1%) are women. Some other findings were that there are approximately 13,000 movie theatres in India compared to 40,000 theatres in the United States, a country with only one-quarter of India’s population. Additionally, far fewer women than men go to theatres in India, often due to safety concerns.

The study also brought to the fore several positive reactions about the entertainment industry from the participants who had been interviewed during the surveys. Many said that media promotes acts of kindness and serves as a catalyst for changing women’s lives. More specifically, it was found that many believed that media has radically altered women’s lives in India by raising awareness about issues like the dowry system, sexual violence and child marriages. Movies like Mardaani and Mary Kom were found to be popular as examples that show girls taking on challenges and pushing their limits in order to succeed.

On the negative side though, some participants thought that entertainment media encourages bad habits and is disruptive to traditional values. They also thought that media depictions of rape and acid attacks have inspired some of these acts in real life.

Talking about the study and its results, Madeline D. Nonno, CEO, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, said, “The findings provide an illuminating picture of the state of film and television in India and its influence on the lives of Indian people. When women are featured, their characters tend to reinforce harmful gender stereotypes. Women have made noticeable strides in the Indian entertainment media in recent years, as evidenced by the success of films featuring women. But the lack of women in key film industry positions in India translates into gender gaps in film content.”

The symposium also saw panel discussions on eclectic subjects ranging from 'Media and Social Impact– Film as a tool to promote Gender Equality' and 'The Art of Story Telling For Social Change: Empowering Women and Girl'.

The event opened with an articulate talk by Geena Davis, Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender Media. Academy Award winner Davis is an actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist. She is best known for her roles in movies like Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Stuart Little and The Accidental Tourist.

Geena Davis, Image credit: Getty

The symposium precedes the FLO Festival which will take place between February 18 and 20 and will screen over 30 of the most superlative and awe-inspiring films that look at bringing about a paradigm shift in people’s opinions towards crucial female-centric issues. Curated by reputed programmers, with themes to inspire women empowerment, self-esteem, skill development and social change, the FLO Film Festival promises to be an ode to woman power. The advisory board for the spectacular event includes the crème-de-la-creme of the industry as well as global experts.

Close to 3,000 to 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the extravaganza that looks at mobilising and inspiring the audiences to bring about a change in their perception towards crucial female-centric issues in India and across the globe.