Gender representation and power in SUITS:

• Saniya Arshad
• Oct 6, 2024
• 1 min read

In a professional workplace setting, people are often discriminated against based on their color, race, and gender. Similarly, a Netflix series, SUITS, aired in 2011, highlighted gender and power dynamics that women, in particular, face in a male-dominated profession and workplace.

I was intrigued to realize the fact that characters in this series, such as Rachel Zane and Donna Paulson, are portrayed in such a way that they have to dress in a certain manner, wearing fitted dresses and high heels, highlighting more of their appearance rather than focusing on their workplace roles as paralegals and assistants. What I took from it was how their abilities to work and gain success were directly proportional to their physical attractiveness and traditional gender roles, even if they stepped out of their household and tried to establish their career.

This show also portrays an essential aspect of how a black woman can be a confident and powerful team leader in her male-dominated law firm, which was impressive to me because it is almost certainly assumed that women of color struggle to progress in their careers while not being dependent on any male member of their household. However, it also fails to address the independent success of this character, as Jessica Pearson, the team lead, tends to provide a supportive role around Harvey Specter’s career, the main character, sidelining her own career often.

Overall, this show depicts the representation of leadership and gender roles in male-dominated societies and workplaces and tries to make a move to challenge traditional gender roles gradually.