Study Shows That Having More Female Heroes Can Only Be Positive

A new study came out earlier this month that explored the impact of representation in film. BBC America and the Women’s Media Center teamed up for the study and it shows that representation can affect confidence, self-image, and even the career trajectory of children.

So, how did they do the study? Well, they surveyed 2,431 people including girls and boys between 10 and 19 years old as well as parents of children who were between 5 and 9 years old.

You can read the whole study here. However, I wanted to provide some highlights.

• Children and Teens tend to choose role models of the same gender as themselves.

• Girls are less likely to describe themselves as confident, brave, and heard, with a wider gap for Girls of Color.

• 1/3 Teen Girls and 1/3 Teen Boys agree that girls are given fewer opportunities to be leaders

• 2/3 Boys say they enjoy watching female heroes as much as male heroes

• “Girls also say their favorite female sci-fi/superheroes make them feel Strong, Brave, Confident, Inspired, Positive and Motivated, helping to bridge the confidence gap for young women.”

I think that more good female lead sci-fi and superhero films and TV shows should be made. As you know, Marvel and DC are both making a big push for movies based on female superheroes. I know there’s been a lot of love for Squirrel Girl in the last couple of years, where’s her movie?

Let’s just hope these upcoming film avoid making the same mistakes as Catwoman and Elektra.

Who are some female heroes that you’d like to see brought to the big screen? Who are some of your favorite female heroes in TV, movies, or comics?