Fewer Women Are Creating TV Shows Now Than They Were Nearly a Decade Ago, Study Finds
tags:The number of women working as TV creators and directors on original U.S. shows airing on streaming services has declined, in addition to female characters in major roles, according to the latest “Boxed In” study released Tuesday.
The report, which tracked over 2,500 characters and more than 3,600 behind-the-scenes credits during the 2025-26 television year, was penned by Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.
She found that the amount of women creating shows across streaming plummeted from 36 percent in 2024-25 to 24 percent in 2025-26, which was a stark contrast to the increase the year prior (27 percent in 2023-24 to 36 percent in 2024-25). The new findings indicate that last year’s increases were a momentary surge, rather than the beginning of a positive trend. As for broadcast, women creators also declined slightly from 20 percent in 2024-25 to 19 percent in 2025-26.
“The numbers of women creating shows on both platforms are now lower than they were almost a decade ago in 2017-18,” Lauzen said.
When it came to the percentage of women directing streaming projects, the report found that number also dropped from 32 percent in 2024-25 to 22 percent in 2025-26, following the temporary increase after 2023-24 (23 percent). Women directing broadcast programs also dipped from 18 percent in 2024-25 to 16 percent in 2025-26.
This new study follows a report from The Hollywood Reporter in June that spotlighted the lack of progress in women-held below-the-line positions after a behind-the-scenes video of Sydney Sweeney on the set of Euphoria season three started circulating on social media. At the time, fans were quick to point out that the majority of the crew members seen in the clip were men, while Sweeney was sitting in a suggestive pose.
As for roles in front of the camera, the number of female characters in major roles also declined last year, per the study. For streaming, women comprised 44 percent of major characters in 2025-26, down from 49 percent in 2024-25, and on broadcast, females accounted for 46 percent of major characters, down slightly from 47 percent in 2024-25.
The report also found that male characters continue to have an easier time aging on television compared to female characters. On both streaming and broadcast shows, the majority of women in speaking roles were in their 20s and 30s, while the majority of men were in their 30s and 40s. The number of female characters also experienced a steep decline as they aged from their 30s into their 40s, while their male counterparts didn’t experience a substantial drop until their 50s.
“The emphasis on youth for the majority of female characters foregrounds their appearance, whereas males are able to credibly age into positions of personal and public power, normalizing the perception that men are naturally more powerful than women,” Lauzen added. “The fully-realized characters played by Kathy Bates on Matlock or Jean Smart on Hacks remain the exception, not the rule, for women on television.”
The “Boxed In” report has monitored over 65,000 characters and more than 80,00 behind-the-scenes credits on original dramas, comedies and reality television programs over the last 27 years, starting in 1997-98. It aims to provide a comprehensive historical record of women’s representation and employment in television.