Female Leads Reach Record High in Shows Made for Children
The Geena Davis Institute has unveiled its See Jane 2024: On-Screen Representation in Children’s Television report, funded by The Nielsen Foundation, which offers a comprehensive analysis of gender, race, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body-size representation in children’s TV shows. The study covers the most popular broadcast, cable, and streaming content consumed by children ages 2-11 in the U.S. between 2018 and 2023, as well as new children’s programming during the same period.
Key findings reveal persistent gender gaps, with male characters outnumbering female characters by over 13 percentage points, and a significant underrepresentation of LGBTQIA+ and disabled characters. Additionally, while characters of color comprise 52% of all characters, this marks a notable decrease from 2022. However, female leads did reach a record high in shows made for children.
The report offers actionable recommendations to improve on-screen diversity, including balancing gender representation in leading roles, showcasing diverse job types, and increasing representation for non-white racial groups, disabled individuals, and different body types. These insights are crucial for fostering more inclusive storytelling in children’s media.
Read the full report and download the toolkit for content creators.
