Hollywood isn’t a place gender roles are typically destroyed but a string of hugely successful blockbusters are proving otherwise.
Last year, the big screen gave us diverse and high-quality portrayals of women and girls in STEM. Those who dismiss the importance of this should know that such portrayals have significant impact on young women and how they view themselves as well as the occupations they pursue.
An analysis by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that there was only one female character shown in STEM jobs for every 15 male characters. Disappointing? Yes. Shocking? Not the slightest bit.
“When girls in their formative years don’t see female characters on screen as biochemists, software developers, engineers, or statisticians, they are less likely to imagine or pursue those career paths for themselves,” Geena Davis said.
To learn more, read "Why these Hollywood blockbusters are inspiring female STEM students everywhere" from Study International.