Part 2/13:
The USC study indicates that women continue to constitute approximately 34% of speaking characters in films in 2019, a marginal increase from 32.8% in 2008. Interestingly, despite a 16-year high in leading or co-leading roles in 2022—where women accounted for 44% of such roles—the overall percentage of female-identified roles has remained stagnant. This suggests that while some progress is observable in prominent roles, the broader landscape of film still reflects systemic underrepresentation.