: In 2025, the number of top-grossing films featuring female leads hit a seven-year low, with only 39% of the top 100 films led or co-led by women.
: Women in their 40s accounted for only 15% of major female characters in 2025, whereas men in their 40s saw their representation rise to 29%. This allows male actors to "age into" positions of professional power while their female counterparts often "age out" of leading roles.
: In key Head of Department (HOD) roles like directing and cinematography, female representation dropped from 15% in 2023 to 13% in 2024 .
: Women now hold 18% of Director/C-suite roles in major media companies, a 6% increase from the previous year.
: A 2025 Geena Davis Institute study, "Missing in Action," found that menopause is almost entirely absent from cinema. Of 225 films featuring women over 40, only 6% mentioned menopause , and when they did, it was typically used as a shallow comedic device. Behind-the-Scenes & Executive Leadership
Progress for mature women in decision-making roles is "sluggish" but present in some sectors.
: Executives, often in their 60s and 70s themselves, are frequently hesitant to hire older talent for fear of being perceived as "over-the-hill" in a youth-obsessed market. Menopause Representation and the Big Screen
The representation of mature women (aged 40+) in entertainment and cinema in 2026 remains a complex landscape of persistent underrepresentation, "unconscious bias," and emerging cultural shifts toward authenticity. While veteran actresses like Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep continue to break records, broader industry data reveals a stagnation in lead roles for older women.
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