You would be forgiven for thinking this year is the year of women.
News stations and speeches from celebrities and hashtags on social media all point to it being unequivocally, and at last, our turn.
“This year, we became the story,” Oprah Winfrey said while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes this January.
“Time’s up” were the words scrawled across actress Emma Watson’s arm as she appeared at last night’s Academy Awards after-party. Apostrophe or not, the message was the same as the one reverberating through the industry: the time for gender inequality is over.
Women will no longer stomach the abuse of power from horrible men like disgraced filmmaker Harvey Weinstein. We will no longer accept pay inequality. Leading women are the new mainstay for the big and small screen. And women’s stories are finally, finally being told.
You’d be forgiven for thinking, women have reason to celebrate. But the numbers say otherwise.
LISTEN: The Time’s Up movement, explained. Post continues below.
Despite all the lip service to ‘Time’s Up’ and ‘Me Too‘, this year only six women took home Academy Awards. This is the lowest number of female winners since 2012, when only four awards went to women, as reported by TIME.
In 2017, the number was nine.
In 2016, it was 12.
In 2015, it was 10.
In 2014, it was 12.
In 2013, it was nine.
Last night, Frances McDormand took out Actress in a Leading Role for her work in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Allison Janney won Actress in a Supporting Role for I, Tonya.
Top Comments
There are only 24 Oscars categories- so the split between men and women is pretty darn even. I honestly don't see the problem- there will be some years where more men win, some years where more women win. The awards should go to whomever deserves them most- no matter what gender politics are currently going on!
Don't mention the ratings. Turns out self aggrandizement & virtue signalling is boring as watching the grass grow.