Los Angeles (AFP)

The proportion of women in leading roles in Hollywood surged in 2019, approaching parity with male roles, according to an annual study on the subject released Wednesday.

Each year, the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Cinema at the University of San Diego dissects the hundred films at the head of the American box office to determine the nature of the protagonists, i.e. characters through whom the story is told.

Last year, 40% of the approximately 2,300 protagonists were women, compared to 31% in 2018, "highest level" since this study was launched in 2002. 43% of the protagonists were men and the rest (17%) was made up of a set of actors.

Another positive point, 45% of female protagonists appeared in 2019 in films produced by large traditional studios, against only 32% the previous year.

"It’s now been two years in a row that we’ve seen significant progress for female protagonists, which signals the start of a positive change in their portrayal. That said, it’s important to note that spectators are always twice as likely to see a man that a woman play a role with dialogues ", notes Martha Lauzen, director of the Center and responsible for the study.

This indicator remains almost stable in 2019, with 37% of women in the main roles and 34% in the secondary roles.

The representation of different ethnic origins in Hollywood can still improve: black women represented 20% of the roles having a dialogue in 2019, Asian women 7% and those of Latin American origin only 4%.

"In 2019, there were female protagonists in all genres, in horror films like + Us + or + The Curse of the White Lady +, dramas like + Les Filles du Dr March + or + Harriet + and films of 'Action like + Captain Marvel +. There is a greater variety of stories told from the perspective of women, "says Ms. Lauzen.

"But stereotypes die hard," deplore the authors of the report, stressing that female characters are more frequently identified by their marital status and less often by professional activity.

© 2020 AFP