Female characters comprised just 12 per cent of protagonists in the top 100 grossing films of 2014, the lowest figure for more than a decade, according to a new study.
Despite acclaimed performances from Felicity Jones, Julianne Moore and Reese Witherspoon helping to produce one of the tightest Best Actress Oscar races, male protagonists still far outnumber their female counterparts on screen.
The 2014 It's a Man's (Celluloid) World report by San Diego State University's Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film revealed that female characters made up just 12 per cent of protagonists in the top 100 domestic-grossing films of 2014.
The figure has fallen by 3 per cent over the past year and is 4 per cent below the number in 2002.
Women made up 29 per cent of major characters overall, and 30 per cent of all speaking characters, the same percentage as in 2013.