While the film “Barbie” may have been a box office success in 2023, it wasn’t enough to offset a concerning trend in Hollywood: a significant decline in women-led films.

According to a study released by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the representation of women, especially women of color and those over 45, in films reached near-decade lows last year.

The study, which analyzed the gender identity, racial/ethnicity, and age of leads and co-leads across the top 100 grossing films from 2007 to 2023, revealed that only 30% of the films in 2023 featured a female-identified actor as a lead or co-lead.

This percentage marked a substantial drop from the previous year, despite women representing more than half of the U.S. population and the movie-going audience.

Cannot compensate

Authors of the study, Katherine L. Neff, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, and Dr. Katherine Pieper, emphasised that while individual films like “Barbie” may receive attention for their representation, they cannot compensate for the lack of diversity in the broader film landscape.

They urged the industry to move beyond celebrating isolated successes and to prioritize systemic change.

The study also highlighted the scarcity of roles for women over the age of 45, with only three films in 2023 featuring female leads/co-leads in this age group.

This figure represented a significant decline from the previous year and underscored the broader issue of ageism in Hollywood.