In a resounding push for gender equality the lasted edition of O Womaniya! report has been unveiled, led by Ormax Media and Film Companion, and backed by Amazon Prime Video. This extensive study probes into the representation of women within India’s diverse media and entertainment sector.

A meticulous assessment of 156 films and series, spanning both streaming and theatrical releases in 2022, across eight Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali and Gujarati) offers a panoramic view of the representation of women in content production, marketing, and corporate leadership. While streaming continues to lead the way with streaming films and series outperforming theatrical films on all parameters, the overall progress in female representation since 2021 has been sluggish. For instance, women hold a mere 12% of the 780 Head of Department positions across key departments like direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design. The low representation extends to the boardrooms of India’s top 25 media and entertainment firms too, as only 13% of the 135 Director/CXO positions are held by women.

For the complete report, visit www.owomaniya.org

Taking note of the slow progress, industry leaders, from Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vikramaditya Motwane to Nikkhil Advani, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, Gayatri & Pushkar, and more have come forward to take pledges to improve female representation.

Talking about the significance of the report and pledges, Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video said, “O Womaniya! represents a collective effort to unite the industry and collaborate on enhancing female representation. The latest edition of the report strongly underscores the urgency of accelerating these transformative efforts. It’s heartening to witness not only the committed support of partners but also the active participation of influential figures from the industry, including both men and women. They have not only pledged their personal commitment but also made broader corporate level commitments to champion greater female inclusivity.”

Sharing his thoughts on the latest findings in O Womaniya!, Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO, Ormax Media said, “Like the previous edition of the report, streaming continues to pave the way for female representation, however, the sub-par performance of theatrical films should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. I am glad to see the industry take note of the data and come together to pledge better representation, underscoring their genuine desire to see a positive change.”

Speaking about the report, Anupama Chopra, Founder & Editor, Film Companion said, “We are thrilled to see greater participation from the industry, with key individuals taking on specific targets and actions to take this conversation forward. The steps taken to bring change may seem small but each step, each action matters, and with every edition of the O Womaniya! report, we believe we are moving a step closer to a more equitable ecosystem.”

Along with Prime Video, the report has been supported by other partners from the industry including Clean Slate Filmz, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Jio Studio, Producers Guild India, RSVP, SonyLiv, Tiger Baby, and Zee5.

To discuss the findings of the report and figure resolutions, leading names from the industry, including Kriti Sanon, Zoya Akhtar, Vikramaditya Motwane, Alankrita Shrivastava, Hansal Mehta, Juhi Chaturvedi, and Aparna Purohit got together for a roundtable hosted by Anupama Chopra.

Watch the full roundtable here:

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