Prime Video, in collaboration with Ormax Media and Film Companion Studios, rolled out the fourth edition of its O Womaniya! report.

The report aims to analyse the year-on-year growth in the representation of women in the Indian entertainment industry - whether it's on-screen or behind it - including the corporate decision-makers.

The objective was to help identify the gaps, challenges, and opportunities for creating a more gender-balanced and inclusive industry.

The 2024 report analysed 169 films and series released in 2023 across nine Indian languages on streaming platforms and in theatres.

The study reveals a growing gap in female representation between theatrical and streaming content, with streaming platforms leading the way in better representation.

Additionally, a new Gender Equality Toolkit has been introduced, enabling filmmakers to assess their content for gender biases at the early stages of production.

The report evaluated the presence of women in key head of department (HOD) roles across 169 titles. In 2023, women held just 15% of leadership positions in major media firms, a modest 3% rise from 12% in 2022.

The data shows little progress in the hiring of female HODs by male commissioning in-charges. However, it’s worth noting that while female HOD representation under male commissioning remains in single digits, it rises significantly to over 20% when women lead the commissioning process.

Key highlights from the report:

• Only 31% of the titles analysed passed the Gender Equality Toolkit test, which measures whether female characters have agency in their narratives.
• Streaming content performed better, with 45% of its titles meeting the standard, especially when led by female commissioning executives.
• Women held just 15% of key Head of Department (HOD) roles like direction, cinematography, and writing. Streaming had a significant contribution to this, with both streaming films and series having over 20% of HOD positions helmed by women.

• Editing stood out as the leading department for female representation, reaching 18% in 2023, a notable 8% increase from 2022.
• Women accounted for only 29% of the speaking time in trailers, with streaming platforms showing slightly better results. Titles like Made in Heaven Season 2, Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, and Sweet Kaaram Coffee stood out for stronger female representation.

Stuti Ramachandra, director and head of production, international originals, Prime Video, India, said, “At Prime Video, we firmly believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just good to have — it is essential to driving meaningful change. We have worked intentionally and persistently to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable ecosystem, creating more opportunities for women, both in production and within our organisation. In a collaborative industry such as ours, the true impact of DEI can only be realised when it is embraced across the board, with each of us committing to fostering an environment where women are seen, heard, and truly valued. O Womaniya! exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing female representation in the industry. This latest edition of the report calls on all of us to accelerate these transformative efforts—not merely taking small steps, but making bold strides toward a world where opportunities and growth are defined by capability and talent, not gender.”

Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO, Ormax Media, added, “With every edition of O Womaniya!, we have looked at expanding the scope of the report. In this year's edition, the introduction of the Gender Equality Toolkit offers a nuanced perspective on the representation of women in entertainment. The toolkit is designed to be action-oriented, and can help creators and producers evaluate new ideas at their end, from an inclusivity perspective.”