Authorship and female representation in Spanish VOD television fiction (2016-2024): women as creators and protagonists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26441/RC24.2-2025-4022Keywords:
TV fiction, gender representation, women creators, Spanish TV series, female protagonism, TV and gender, video on demand (VOD), gender inequality, streaming platformsAbstract
Purpose. This study examines the presence of female creators and the prominence of female protagonists in Spanish television fiction produced for video-on-demand platforms between 2016 and 2024. The main objective is to identify gender inequalities in audiovisual creation and in the configuration of leading characters, as well as to analyze the relationship between the gender of the creative team and the representation of main characters in the narratives. Methodology. To achieve this, a mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis on a sample of n = 222 Spanish series released on streaming platforms. Results and conclusions. The findings reveal a persistent gender imbalance in audiovisual creation, with only 15% of productions being exclusively created by women. In terms of protagonism, although there is a balance between male and female characters, differences emerge in narrative construction: male characters predominantly lead individual storylines, whereas female characters are more prevalent in ensemble narratives. Furthermore, a significant correlation is observed between female authorship and greater representation of women in leading roles. Original contribution. This study offers an overview of Spanish television fiction during the first decade of VOD platforms from a gender perspective. Based on a broad and recent sample, it introduces a distinctive approach that combines authorship, protagonism, and narrative construction to identify trends and structural contradictions. In doing so, it contributes to understanding current challenges to gender equality in audiovisual creation and provides tools for future research.
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