Difficulties Being A Woman In The Film Industry

While the power of the media has exposed gaps for women, there are still immense the difficulties being a woman in the film industry. Hollywood is full of entertainment, production, art and fashion. However, many women in the industry don’t find the world of entertainment all that glamorous. Read on to find out why.

The Pressures to Look “Perfect”

Susan Sarandon, an American actress, pointed out that women often face the pressure to look “perfect” at all times. Women in the industry are expected to wear makeup and dress up to simply run errands. As soon as a female celebrity wears sweats and walks out the door, the paparazzi is quick to take photos. And within minutes, the photo can become a hot topic on social media. According to Sarandon, this occurrence has the potential to put an actress at risk of losing her job.

Photo: Ahmet Yalçınkaya on Unsplash

Sexual Harassment In The Work Place

Women all over the country have experienced some form of sexual abuse in the workplace. This includes the wage gap, sexual harassment, verbal abuse and more. However, we rarely pay attention to the women we assume are living glamorous lives in Hollywood.

According to USA Today, 94% of women in the American film industry have experienced some form of sexual assault. This includes editors, directors, producers and actresses. This only adds another drawback to being a woman in the film industry.

Photo: Vanilla Bear Films on Unsplash

Women Are Still Making It happen

While women have worked hard to get to the big screen and stay there, they continue to persevere.

In 2019, there were more women in the film industry than ever before. According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego University, women have been enrolled in 20% of roles in the top 100 films. This increased from 16% in 2018 to 20% in 2019. And while there is still a long way to go, since men still dominate the industry, women are making it happen.