International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: The issues of sex, gender and portrayal have continued to be topics of global concern. Many studies have been done in this area but there remains a gap on the disparities in the representation of women in Hollywood and Nollywood films, focusing on Widows (Hollywood) and Sugar Rush (Nollywood). Objectives: The study investigated how women were portrayed in these films through the lens of physical appearance, speech and dialogue, and through the roles they played.
Method: Adopting a qualitative research framework, the study employed textual\pictorial analysis of six characters and interviewed six Law undergraduate students to explore the nuances of female representation in the two film industries. Results: The findings reveal that Hollywood presents women in a more progressive light, portraying them as confident, assertive, and less objectified. Female characters in Widows were not shown in sexually revealing outfits, and their nudity was not exposed, aligning with contemporary feminist ideologies. Conversely, the portrayal of women in Sugar Rush reflects more traditional and patriarchal stereotypes, with characters often depicted in sexually suggestive clothing, objectified, and framed as dependent on male characters.
Conclusion: The study concludes that the Hollywood presents women in a more dignified manner than the Nollywood.
Unique Contribution: The study has offered new insight into the increasing negative portrayal pattern of women in Nollywood and the effect on female audience perception. Hopefully, movies directors, producers and communication experts will find this fresh insight useful in the future.
Key Recommendation: The study commends that the establishment establishment of a global film regulatory and monitoring body is recommended so as to look into the salient negative depiction of both gender and other group of people stereotyped.