: A 2025 study found that of 225 films featuring women over 40, only 6% mentioned menopause , and those instances were typically played for humor rather than realism. Champions of Change
Research from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media highlights that when mature women are cast, they often fall into limited, stereotypical narratives:
: Progress remains slow, with women comprising only 13% of directors on the top 250 grossing films in 2025. Portrayal and Stereotypes cheyanne rivers milf
Several powerhouse figures and platforms are actively redefining what it means to be a "mature" woman in the industry: Nicole Kidman
: Only one in four films features a female character over 50 who is essential to the plot and not reduced to an ageist stereotype. : A 2025 study found that of 225
Despite making up a significant portion of the population, women over 40 face a "steep drop-off" in on-screen visibility compared to their male counterparts:
: Women aged 60 and older account for just 2% of major female characters , compared to 8% for men in the same age bracket. Despite making up a significant portion of the
: Older women are four times more likely to be portrayed as senile and twice as likely to be shown as physically unattractive compared to older men.