Only 40% of Women Invited to Join the Academy 

–Nigerian film producer Jadesola Osiberu and screenwriter Shola Dada among invited members.

By Vanessa Obioha 

Since 2019, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has been unable to meet gender parity in its distribution of voting membership invites. That year, the organising body of the Oscars sent out 842 membership invites, out of which 50 per cent were women. In the preceding year, the percentage of women was 49. Subsequent years have seen the academy dangling within the 40 per cent limit. In 2020, female representation was 45 per cent, 2021 saw a one per cent uptick – 46 per cent, and in 2022, the numbers dwindled to 44 per cent.  

As it sent out 398 invites to creatives across the world this year, the academy announced that only 40 per cent were women. This includes Nigerian film producer Jadesola Osiberu and screenwriter Shola Dada. They were invited alongside their make counterparts, Nollywood director C.J Obasi, veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo and Nollywood filmmaker and writer Kunle Afolayan. 

To be sure, AMPAS embarked on inclusive representation across its board in 2016 following the #OscarsSoWhite outcry in 2015. The group had 75 per cent of its membership male and 92 per cent white at the time. The board shifted its goal to double the number of female and minority members by 2020. At the time, the Academy had 6,436 active members, out of which only 6,124 were eligible to vote for the Oscars, which means that the diversity pledge required them to add about 1,609 female members and 515 non-white members.

By 2020, the board announced that it had reached its goal but would continue its inclusivity project with the A25 aperture. It also gave the reason why the number of invitees was halved in 2021 to manage staff resources and provide the necessary infrastructure and environment for members.

There is no better time for the academy to recognise more women in its membership than now, given the incredible milestones achieved by the gender in recent times. Women of colour, in particular, have been achieving feats, notably Chloé Zhao, who won the academy award for Best Picture and Best Director in 2021, as well as Michelle Yeoh for her multiple personality role in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’

These feats achieved by women, especially women of colour from underrepresented groups at the academy, underscore the progress women have been able to attain in the past decade. However, this isn’t reflected in the dwindling representatives in voting members.  Given this trend, while it is 40 per cent this year, there are possibilities that the figure will find a new home in the 30 per cent limits in the future.