“I only go to a movie if it satisfies three basic requirements,” one woman tells another in Alison Bechdel’s 1985 comic strip. In the wake of “Barbie,” the Bechdel Test has hit the mainstream.
Women in Hollywood are facing a challenge: Despite years of initiatives targeting representation, the data on gender parity behind the camera remains bleak.
The history of women’s representation in media, especially in films, has been relatively flawed and limited compared to men. According to Martha M. Lauzen from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, only 33% of U.S. top-grossing films featured solely female protagonists. In comparison, 52% of.