New study shows female superhero is good for self-esteem

A few days ago, an argument ensued on Nigeria’s Twitter space over the under-representation of female characters in comic stories and its effect on representation and gender equality.

Because comics were written by men for a largely male dominated audience. And men can’t imagine women saving the world, even though women have been saving the world since inception 🙂 https://t.co/siwChpwsGf

— Ozzy Etomi (@ozzyetomi) October 3, 2018

Does the absence of female superheroes and science fiction characters limit the imagination and diversity of storytelling?

No gain in pointing out the fact that superhero and science fiction movies are largely dominated by men… because they actually are.

However, a new study has come up with an insightful perspective on how the presence of female superheroes impact the world: sci-fi and superhero movies are on demand for both boys and girls.

According to a research study commissioned by the BBC and the Women’s Media Center on female representation in society, the presence of strong female characters in TV shows and movies boost self-esteem, and that girls, as well as boys, would love to see more women taking the lead role in shows.

The study, titled “SuperPowering Girls: Female Representation in the Sci-Fi/Superhero Genre”, surveyed 2,431 young people between the ages of five and 19.

Majority of the girls rightfully admitted that they feel underrepresented when compared to their male counterparts.

Wonder Woman was the most favourite heroine for girls, while Batman was preferred by boys.