Whovian Feminism

Chances are that there are very few women — if any — directing your favorite TV shows.

In the United States, women direct just 16% of episodes. The only data I could find for the UK is a little old, but in 2011 and 2012, only 13% of drama episodes were directed by women.

The under-representation of women directors isn’t an accident. In May, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asked several government agencies to investigate major Hollywood studios and networks for blatant gender discrimination in their hiring practices. And now the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the American agency responsible for investigating employment discrimination, is reaching out to women directors to ask them to discuss the discrimination they’ve faced.

Their investigation is going to take time. But there are things we can do right now to hold our favorite television shows accountable. 

Fandoms now have incredible access to and dialogues with the cast, crew, and creators of our favorite shows. We need to start demanding that more women be hired to direct the shows we love.

This problem isn’t limited to just one fandom, franchise, or network. If you don’t see one of your favorite TV shows listed above, look up how many women have been hired to direct for that show — then reblog this post and let us know.