type here...
Gender GapResearch/Study

New Academic Study Finds Small Numbers of Women Portraying STEM Characters in Television and Film

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and the Lyda Hill Foundation have recently conducted a study on the portrayals of women in STEM fields in television and film. The researchers found that stereotypes of women in STEM fields are still very prevalent in the entertainment industry today. According to the study, 62.9 percent of STEM professionals portrayed in media are men. The percentage of women portrayed in STEM fields in television and movies has not improved in the last 10 years, according to the study.

In addition to the gender gap in STEM portrayals on screen, the study found that young girls are influenced by the way women are represented in media. The researchers found that 82.7 percent of girls and women thought it was important to see women in STEM professions in television and film, even though women appear as only 37.1 percent of actors in STEM roles.

The researchers also found that women are much more likely to have a STEM career if they know other women in STEM, have STEM women role models, or are encouraged to pursue STEM careers by friends and family. Additionally, the study found that one in three girls have considered a career in STEM, but only one in four said they will actually pursue a creeer in these fields.

The full report “Portray Her: Representations of Women STEM Characters in Media” can be read here.

Related Articles

Latest News

Data Shows High Attrition Rates for Women in STEM Degree Programs

0
For women who began their four-year college career in a STEM discipline, 14 percent dropped out of college and 32 percent switched to a non-STEM major before earning their degree.

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

0
Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Lynne Coy-Organ Is the First Woman President of Husson University

0
Lynne Coy-Organ has been named the first woman president of Husson University in Maine. She has served as the university's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the past 15 years.

Donna Hedgepath Will Be the First Woman President of Wayland Baptist University

0
Current provost of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, Donna Hedgepath, has been named president of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, making her the first woman to be selected for the position.

Three Women Scholars Appointed to Provost Positions

0
The new provosts are Elizabeth Dumont at the University of California, Merced, Marguerite Giguette at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Margaret Brown Marsden at Midwestern State University in Texas.

Latest Job Listings

Lecturer in Stage Management

0
The Lecturer in Stage Management will be responsible for teaching three courses and stage managing three Main Stage shows in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies production season.

Vice President for Finance and Enrollment Services

0
The Vice President for Finance and Enrollment Services is the Chief Financial Officer and principal advisor to the President on all matters related to the management and oversight of business and financial affairs of the College at all campuses and locations, the Foundation, and budgeting oversight for grants.

Assistant Professor in Metabolism Research

0
The Morgridge Institute for Research, in partnership with the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, seeks a joint tenure track assistant professor to lead a vibrant metabolism-focused research program.

Executive Assistant to the President

0
The Executive Assistant to the President plays a vital role in the day-to-day operations of the President's Office at San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), ensuring seamless administrative support that reflects the institution's high standards of professionalism and service.

Acquisitions Librarian

0
The Acquisitions Librarian responsibilities have an emphasis on one-time, profile-based and approval plan acquisitions that support the general collection, Special Collections and Area Studies.

About WIAReport

Tracking the Progress of Women in American Higher Education

Phone: (570) 392-6797

WIA Jobs

Latest Articles

Sonoma State Students Establish Coalition to Save Recently Eliminated Women’s and Gender Studies Program

0
Amidst a period of significant financial turmoil, Sonoma State University in California has recently eliminated its entire athletic department, dozens of faculty and staff positions, and six academic departments, including its women's and gender studies program. A group of students and alumni have banded together to protest the decision and save their department.

In Memoriam: Kathy Dunn Jackson, 1940-2025

0
For more than three decades, Dr. Jackson taught English at Alabama State University. During her long tenure, she served as director of the interdisciplinary honors program and chair of the department of humanities.

Nine Women Professors Appointed to New Positions at Universities

0
Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to [email protected].

Two Women Ophthalmology Professors Awarded for Contributions to Vision Research

0
Dr. Christine Curcio and Dr. Cynthia Owsley, longtime colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, have spent decades studying age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of central vision loss.

Newsletter

Receive our FREE email newsletter delivered each week to your inbox

2025 © Women In Academia Report | a BRUCON Publication