: Despite on-screen gains, 59% of women in media feel dissatisfied with their career progress as of 2025, with attrition highest among mid-career and senior women due to a lack of promotional opportunities.
: Female characters 40+ are twice as likely as men to have plots centered on physical aging (15% vs. 7%).
: Characters aged 50+ make up less than 25% of all personas in blockbuster movies and top-rated TV.
: Despite being a universal experience for midlife women, menopause was mentioned in only 6% of films, often as a brief joke rather than a meaningful storyline.
Reports for 2024 and 2025 reveal that while overall female leads hit record highs, mature women remain sidelined: