AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF NOLLYWOOD PORTRAYAL OF “WOMEN” IN MOVIES

ABSTRACT

The impetus for authoring the study titled: audience perception of Nollywood portrayal of women in movie, originates from strong perceptual criticism of Nollywood movies, even to the extent of saying that the industry’s output should be of no use. As a result, this study was prepared following an empirical study to demonstrate how strong perception criticism for and against Nollywood may be channeled towards the improvement of Nollywood as an art form. The method used in gathering and interpreting data is a survey method as the research design use in the collection of data. According to the study findings, despite Nollywood’s perceived bad themes on women, Nollywood audience members have a generally bad impression of how women are portrayed in movies. Gender inequality and some other major features were shown to be more responsible for how women are portrayed in Nollywood movies. Based on this, it is recommended that movie producers and directors always strive to edit their movies, especially new ones, to ensure that negative portrayal of female characters is balanced or curtailed; that gender-based movies be properly critiqued before their release to the viewing public; and that Nigerian Video and Film Censors Board screen the contents of Nollywood movies to ensure that only acceptable Nigerian/African cultural values- in contingency are depicted.