Women of substance – why is the media failing to show us the strong women we wish to see?

This blog was written by Caroline Watson, co-founder of Progressive Women for www.thedebate.uk.com

Last week I had the good fortune to spend the day at Wimbledon. As I was flicking through the newspapers I noticed a rather large proportion of pictures of scantily clad female tennis players. Where are the men in their boxers? Ok so I don’t think that’s really the answer. What I really want to know is why are such strong professional women quite often only seen when they play to a sexual ideal? There was also speculation about the women players being ‘bitchy’ and ‘competitive’ (they are professional sports people – aren’t they meant to be competitive??!). This is another dimension to the ongoing debate on how women are portrayed in the media. Previous blogs on the Progressive Women website have recognised the lack of press attention on female sports, and the link between sexiness and media attention for women in the sporting world (WAGs).

At our most recent event, the Secret Feminist Summer Party, one of the recurring questions from guests was on the theme of women in the media. Where are women over 40 on TV and in film? Our guests which included actresses in this age bracket spoke of how challenging it is to get work after 40 and how there are pretty much no roles available to them. Why aren’t the rest of us noticing this? And if we are why noticing this, why aren’t we doing something about it?

A recent survey of 500 British women over 60 by ICM for Stella – the telegraph magazine – found that 62% of women agreed that the media doesn’t accurately reflect the experiences of older people. Just under three quarters of those surveyed agreed that there should be more women over 60 on TV. If you want to do something pro-active you can sign the Petition for Equal Representation of Women in TV and Film Drama.

Another point raised at the Secret Feminist Summer Party was – where are the TV shows and films that offer strong roles to women and have strong female led casts? They are few and far between. Just look at the attention Sex and the City 2 got over the last couple of months. This to me confirms two points i. There is genuine demand for female led shows and films, ii. Female led shows and films are so few that when one does come along it is held up as a beacon of feminist ideal/betrayal because there is little else to compare it to.

On a positive note, I want to recognise the really exciting season of plays at the Tricycle Theatre, in London. “Then” and “Now” are two separate evenings of plays showing on Women in Politics. I went to see “Then” a few weeks ago and it was a fantastic cast (not all women) with strong and diverse characters and actors. The history of women in politics spanned from the dramatic iron rule of Queen Elizabeth I, the struggle of working class women in the era of the suffragettes, to a comedic but thought provoking account of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher. This is interspersed with monologues from female MPs on how they won their seats and their experience in parliament. The Tricycle Theatre is also showing a ‘Women in Politics’ film season to complement the plays. This season demonstrates that there are some seriously exciting productions and topics to explore on stage and screen that so far have been underplayed. It also offers an opportunity to see the strong women roles we are thirsty for and to prove the demand is out there. Hopefully mainstream TV, cinema and theatres will follow suit.