Although women comprise more than half the U.S. population, they still comprise less than one-third of speaking characters in films and fill fewer than 20% of the above-the-line production roles.

The statistics are equally grim to worse for people of color, who in 2017 were cast in just 29.3% of speaking roles, with even lower representation behind the camera.

"The rhetoric in Hollywood may be changing when it comes to inclusion, but the numbers are not," USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism said in a statement about the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative's annual report, released July 31.

The 2018 report, "Inequality in 1,100 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, LGBT & Disability from 2007 to 2017," analyzed diversity and inclusion trends in the top 100 films of each year from 2007 to 2017. 

Of the 48,757 characters in the 1,100 films included, only 30.6% were female speaking roles. Behind the camera, of the 1,223 directors who helmed those films, 43 were women, only seven of whom were women of color. Among all the directors, just 5.2% were Black or African-American, and 3.1% Asian or Asian-American.

2017's Top 100

Among the top 100 films of 2017, the report found that of a total of 4,454 speaking characters, 31.8% were female. Of characters with an ascertainable race/ethnicity, 70.7% were White; 12.1%, Black; 6.2%, Hispanic/Latino; 4.8%, Asian; 3.9%, Mixed Race or Other; and 1.7%, Middle Eastern. American Indian/Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians each comprised fewer than 1% of speaking roles.

LGBT characters and characters with disabilities also remained underrepresented in 2017, the report said. Of the top 100 films, a whopping 81 had no LGBT characters, while 41 lacked any characters with disabilities.

“Those expecting a banner year for inclusion will be disappointed,” said Professor Stacy L. Smith, founding director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and lead author of the report. “Hollywood has yet to move from talking about inclusion to meaningfully increasing on-screen representation for women, people of color, the LGBT community, or individuals with disabilities.”

On the production side in 2017, women held only 18.2% of the 1,584 above-the-line jobs: eight directors (7.3% of the total), 34 writers (10.1%) and 247 producers (21.7%), according to the report.

Diversity Study 2016 | TV's Bad, Film's Worse: USC’s Annenberg School Gives Disney, The CW Good Marks for Inclusion

Drill-Down | Women Onscreen

Younger female characters (13-20 years old) are as likely to be sexualized in films as adult female characters, and all female characters are significantly more likely than male characters to be depicted in sexy clothing or lacking clothing.

While women's numbers onscreen are disproportionately lower than their numbers in society, the onscreen numbers diminish further among women of color and LGBT women.

The report suggested filmmakers could even the playing field for women onscreen by adding just five female characters to scripts each year through 2020.

Read USC Annenberg's Overview |Happy to Fire, Reluctant to Hire: Hollywood Inclusion Remains Unchanged

Read the Full Report | Inequality in 1,100 Popular Films

Read More |MCN's Coverage of Diversity and Inclusion

Last week the nominations for the Oscars were announced. For the first time in history, a woman — Rachel Morrison (pictured) — was nominated for the best cinematography award (for Mudbound). Mary J. Blige was the first person nominated for both an acting performance and original song in the same year (also for Mudbound). Lady Bird, from Greta Gerwig, is the 13th film directed by a woman to be nominated for best picture.

Maybe 13 will be a lucky number for these women role models. I know I certainly hope so. But I also know that going forward we need more than luck — because there is still more work to do.

For too long, women in media have not had the same recognition or opportunities as their male counterparts. In the 90-year history of the Oscars, only one woman — Kathryn Bigelow — has ever won the award for best director. Moreover, not one woman of color has ever been nominated in the category.

Times’s up — in so many ways. Because this isn’t right. It’s apparent that while talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not.

From my seat at the Federal Communications Commission, I see this every day. In meetings and events in Washington and on the road, I can’t help but be reminded. The number of women in leadership roles in the communications sector I encounter is simply too few. The data prove it. While women hold just over half the jobs in the new economy, they hold less than a quarter of the jobs in all science, technology, engineering and math occupations.

In media and entertainment, women account for more than half of moviegoers, but in recent years they have been directors of less than 5 percent of the top-grossing films. Moreover, women represent less than 30 percent of the protagonists on screen.

Furthermore, in media and entertainment, this absence is important. Storytelling is an incredible power. What we see on the screens all around us tells us so much about how we see ourselves as individuals, communities and a nation. The absence of women and women of color — on and off screen — is striking.

So when Oscar night rolls around, we can and should cheer for the almost unprecedented number of women up for awards. We owe it to them — and the many women who wish to follow in their wake — to do more than offer our applause. That means doubling down on incubators, projects and pipelines to build a more diverse future.

But it’s just as important to consider what can be done right now to bulk up the number of women with opportunities to act, write, edit, create, produce and direct. It’s a task everyone can commit to because the adage is true: If she can see it, she can be it. Because while the slate of nominees this year reflects real progress, we still have more work to do.

Jessica Rosenworcel is an FCC commissioner. Follow her on Twitter at @JRosenworcel. Photo of Rachel Morrison on the set of Mudbound by Steve Dietl/Netflix.

Turner Classic Movies has joined up with the non-profit Women in Film on a multi-year partnership aimed at raising awareness concerning the lack of gender equality in the film business and to celebrate the achievements of women in film.

Beginning in the fall of this year, TCM will kick off a three-year commitment each October with an on-air programming initiative created to raise awareness about the historical contributions of women working behind the camera, shining a spotlight on the current lack of women in positions of power in the film business, and promoting resources that empower them to more fully participate in the industry.

In an interview, TCM vice president of brand activations and partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy said the initiative will run for the entire month of October on TCM and will highlight women in the industry from the early pioneers up to the present day. The specific women and films to be highlighted will be announced closer to the October premier date.

McGillicuddy said TCM had highlighted women directors in the past, but this is the first time the network has done something with a partner on this scale.

“The timing seemed right,” McGillicuddy said, adding that the partnership allows TCM to “bring context to the programming in terms of what TCM does, [and] join forces with Women in Film to highlight what is out there in the zeitgeist right now in terms of women in film and the challenges we face in the industry today.”

Women in Film Los Angeles will also partner with TCM throughout this programming initiative to offer research and resources that illuminate the current roles women play in the film industry and promote tools to assist women filmmakers in furthering their careers and the art form. 

“The issue of gender inequality in the film industry is both timely and immensely important to shine a light on, and through this programming effort TCM is proactively taking a deeper look at the role of women in our industry as well as providing insight and resources to inspire more women filmmakers,” said TCM general manager Jennifer Dorian in a statement. “We’re thrilled to partner with such a well-respected organization as Women in Film in order to address and promote the empowerment of women in our industry.”

Women in Film is a non-profit organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women, encouraging creative projects by women, and expanding and enhancing portrayals of women in all forms of global media. Given that women comprise 50% of the population, WIF’s ultimate goal is to see the same gender parity reflected on and off screen. WIF focuses on advocacy and education, provides scholarships, grants and film finishing funds and works to preserve the legacies of all women working in the entertainment community.

“Women In Film is honored to have TCM as our partner,” said WIF President, Cathy Schulman in a statement. “For years, I have dreamed of having a network reach out to our organization with a true interest in our advocacy and the ability to collaborate on programming that will reach audiences everywhere. Now, thanks to TCM, that dream is real.”