‘If You See It, You Can Be It’

Introduction to the Geena Davis Institute

The Geena Davis Institute was created by two-time Academy Award winner Geena Davis about 20 years ago. The institute was founded when Davis noticed the lack of female representation and diversity in kid’s shows and movies after having her daughter. On the institute’s website, Davis calls for urgent attention regarding “race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, older characters, diverse body types and disability representation”, not just in kid’s shows, but in movies and TV shows as well.

The Institute’s Mission and Goals

Davis knows that she can have a positive and lasting impact thanks to her institute, if the industry truly commits to the efforts needed to be made in order to “fix media representation overnight.” The work of the institute includes “rigorous research and strategic partnerships’’ to empower media, studios and especially the industry leaders who really have the possibility to make both authenticity and representation, some of the highest priorities in Hollywood.

Unconscious Bias in the Entertainment Industry

When Davis first started the institute, she spoke with dozens of people in the industry about the lack of female representation. They all said that the issue had been fixed, but Davis realized that it was total unconscious bias. She collected data to show that there was in fact, a great gender disparity. The reaction of the people she spoke with was utter shock, as they had no idea that this disparity existed. They thought that having a lead female character was enough to cover women, and that the rest of the characters could be male.

Expansion of Research and Recent Findings

Now, the institute has expanded the research beyond female representation and one of the latest surveys done in June 2025, focused on API representation in the industry. The key findings do show some progress regarding API representation in media. For example, there was a statistically significant increase in API characters across all types of character roles from 2010 to 2024. API industry professionals who responded to the survey also shared their own perception, with 38.9% feeling that industry-wide efforts to support API representation on screen have gotten better over the past five years.

Challenges Faced by Underrepresented Groups

Despite the progress, there are still many challenges faced by underrepresented groups in the industry. For example, Ambika Mod, star of the show One Day, talked about the difficulties of booking more roles as a woman of color after the show was released on Netflix. Davis acknowledged that the institute has not studied the likelihood of underrepresented groups not being hired again, but it is a fascinating subject that deserves attention.

Representation of Women in STEM Careers

Another important sector of society being studied by the institute is the representation of women in STEM careers. The institute found that when female characters work in STEM fields, they are often shown to have to give up their personal life for their careers, and are subjected to discrimination on-screen. The institute also found that most women who responded to the survey quoted Dana Scully from X-Files as an inspiration, but there is still a lack of women in STEM careers depicted on-screen.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Geena Davis Institute is working towards creating a more inclusive and representative entertainment industry. With its rigorous research and strategic partnerships, the institute is empowering media, studios, and industry leaders to make authenticity and representation a priority. While there is still a long way to go, the institute’s efforts are making a positive impact, and its research is shedding light on important issues such as unconscious bias, underrepresented groups, and the representation of women in STEM careers.

FAQs

Q: What is the Geena Davis Institute?
A: The Geena Davis Institute is a research institute founded by Geena Davis to promote diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.
Q: What are the institute’s goals?
A: The institute’s goals are to empower media, studios, and industry leaders to make authenticity and representation a priority, and to create a more inclusive and representative entertainment industry.
Q: What are some of the key findings of the institute’s research?
A: Some of the key findings include a statistically significant increase in API characters across all types of character roles from 2010 to 2024, and a lack of women in STEM careers depicted on-screen.
Q: What can be done to improve representation in the entertainment industry?
A: According to Geena Davis, if the industry truly commits to the efforts needed to be made, media representation can be fixed overnight. This includes rigorous research, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to authenticity and representation.
Q: How can individuals get involved with the Geena Davis Institute?
A: Individuals can get involved by supporting the institute’s research and mission, and by advocating for greater diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.