What changes have taken place in the image and status of women in movies and magazines (newspapers)?

Changes in Image and Status of Women in Movies
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Changes in Image and Status of Women in Movies
Introduction
Over the past several years, the perception of women in various fields has gradually changed. This has in turn resulted in an increased visibility and hence roles of women in the public sphere. Just like in most industries where women are underrepresented, the film industry is not an exception. Mass media has typically been a representation of the society at large. It is a reflection of what the larger society is all about, and acts like a microcosm of the same too. For example, only 10% of women were portrayed in magazines and movies. Additionally, 5% of women were portrayed in various advertisement of companies. Women have not only been underrepresented but also depicted to be inferior to their male counterparts. Most of the movies produced before the year 2000 depicted women as submissive, weak, stigmatized, and marginalized. In recent times, however, several movies have tried to change the trend. By citing a few movies, this paper shall highlight some of the significant shifts in the image and status of women characters in recent times, especially in the dimension of gender inequality.
Gender Inequality of Women in Movies
The development and sustenance of egalitarian societies has always been the ideal model upon which several governments strive to achieve. The film industry constitutes part of the media which generally plays a crucial role in either promoting reform in this gender balance debate, or hampering it. The balance between men and women in the film industry still remains a challenge for many. Kunsey (2018) acknowledges that there is a serious gap in the balance between the two genders, even though there is a slight improvement over the past few years. Even though that is the case, a lot still remains to be done in order to really close this gap.
Over the past 3 years, there have been several movies written, directed and produced. However, from a sample of around 250 movies done by Thompson (2018), only slightly over 17% had women as either their directors, cinematographers or writers. It paints a stark picture f just what exactly ails the film industry when it comes to gender roles and inequality. There is still a serious level of suppression against women in the film industry, perhaps due to the fact that most of its positions are held or controlled by men. The perception around having women taking central roles in various movies has often been quietly derided by those at the helm.
Rise of women protagonist characters
The main goal of modern democratic states is building egalitarian society. Mass media has played a significant role in shaping the rights of men and women. Increasing the legal awareness of women is first step towards establishing an egalitarian society. Media has played an important role in reaching different spheres. These spheres include economic, philosophical, and psychological awareness of human rights. Different convention and conferences have publicized some of the stereotypes labelled against women today. For example women were portrayed in a narrow range of characters. Women were also associated with sex objects, household activities and some...