Gender as represented in spec script sales

Recently we have seen quite a few studies and analysis pointing out gender inequity in the entertainment business including independent films, television, even the theater. Now we can add spec scripts to the mix.

Kudos to Susana Orozco who went through every single transaction in The Definitive Spec Script Sales List from 1991–2012 and discovered this:

The results are generally consistent with other areas of significant under-representation with women.

What is the deal here? Does this mean there are fewer women interested in screenwriting? For example, only 28.9% of applicants for the 2013 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting were women, but women writers involved in only one out of eight spec script sales translates into 13%. And if the trend noted above is correct, the numbers are actually going down.

Is this situation systemic? If so, what can be done about it? What are your thoughts on the matter?

Many thanks to Susana Orozco for taking the time and effort to aggregate this data.

Note: It is impossible to track every single spec spec transaction. The numbers here are based on the best information available.

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