Why We're Creating a Fund for Women
Over the past few years, we’ve seen the number of women coming to our site skyrocket. Women make up more than a quarter of our fans but 95% of production is intended for a male audience.
Let’s face it: most adult companies treat women consumers as a niche audience and even fewer create sexual content that feels authentic, or reflect their desires.We want to launch a revolution in content made by and for women, and we want to see it on xHamster.
The writing is on the wall. Porn’s future is female:
- In the US, the percentage of women visiting the site has grown by an astonishing 4% over the past year.
- College and post-college women are visiting us in much greater numbers than women over 35. We see this as a generational shift that more accurately predicts the future.
- Among major nations, Brazil (34.9%), South Africa (33.7%), Mexico (32.2%) and Argentina (32.1%) are closest to reaching parity in terms of male and female viewers.
- Women aren’t shy, and don’t need ‘softer’ content. They tend to enjoy extreme or hardcore content, as well as stories. In fact, women are more likely to search for “gangbang” than men.
- Top searches for women include “daddy,” “pregnant” and “ladyboy” are the top three search terms for women in the US.
Unfortunately, very few companies or directors are creating content with a focus on women. Those who do are often hampered by lack of access to distribution, or by business partners who treat them as a niche market.
We don’t think that 51% of the world is a ‘niche’ market. In fact, we see it as an opportunity.
Women don’t always feel entitled to pleasure the same way that men do. Women face more stigma about masturbation, and more shame in visiting adult sites. Women generally have less access to the internet, and less disposable income. And, in some cases, women face sites that are actively hostile to their presence.
And yet, they persist! Despite the structural bias, women make up nearly 30% of all adult visitors. We think if we can make production more equitable, we can help close the other orgasm gap.
That’s why, this fall we’re launching the first major initiative to curate and develop xHamster for Women. We’re committing $25K to help finance, reward and foster the development of porn by women, for women. We’re looking for filmmakers who are new and established, young and old, cis and trans, gay and straight, of all sizes, abilities, colors and sexualities.
This isn’t as much about gender, as it is authenticity. Our first priority is to see what turns you on! Whether you shoot it with an iPhone or a RED camera, we want you to send us short clips showing us what you’d like to see. Every month, we’ll award select submissions $500 for exceptional content.
In coming months, we’ll be announcing grants to help small women filmmakers supplement their budgets, and create content that’s not only hot, it’s fair trade. We know that women filmmakers face additional hurdles, and believe that by working with small partners to help close those budgets, we can help foster an ethical porn revolution.
Meanwhile, we’ll be looking for partners with whom we can create larger co-productions.
xHamster’s strength has always been our own users. Unlike other porn sites, we depend on amateur uploads, not big studio content. We have the opportunity to help give not only money, but exposure and an audience to a new generation of women filmmakers.
To all the women reading this, pick up your phones, and start thinking of yourselves as pornographers! (Feels good, doesn’t it? To find out how to submit, click here)
Alex Hawkins
Vice President, xHamster
[email protected]
Let’s face it: most adult companies treat women consumers as a niche audience and even fewer create sexual content that feels authentic, or reflect their desires.We want to launch a revolution in content made by and for women, and we want to see it on xHamster.
The writing is on the wall. Porn’s future is female:
- In the US, the percentage of women visiting the site has grown by an astonishing 4% over the past year.
- College and post-college women are visiting us in much greater numbers than women over 35. We see this as a generational shift that more accurately predicts the future.
- Among major nations, Brazil (34.9%), South Africa (33.7%), Mexico (32.2%) and Argentina (32.1%) are closest to reaching parity in terms of male and female viewers.
- Women aren’t shy, and don’t need ‘softer’ content. They tend to enjoy extreme or hardcore content, as well as stories. In fact, women are more likely to search for “gangbang” than men.
- Top searches for women include “daddy,” “pregnant” and “ladyboy” are the top three search terms for women in the US.
Unfortunately, very few companies or directors are creating content with a focus on women. Those who do are often hampered by lack of access to distribution, or by business partners who treat them as a niche market.
We don’t think that 51% of the world is a ‘niche’ market. In fact, we see it as an opportunity.
Women don’t always feel entitled to pleasure the same way that men do. Women face more stigma about masturbation, and more shame in visiting adult sites. Women generally have less access to the internet, and less disposable income. And, in some cases, women face sites that are actively hostile to their presence.
And yet, they persist! Despite the structural bias, women make up nearly 30% of all adult visitors. We think if we can make production more equitable, we can help close the other orgasm gap.
That’s why, this fall we’re launching the first major initiative to curate and develop xHamster for Women. We’re committing $25K to help finance, reward and foster the development of porn by women, for women. We’re looking for filmmakers who are new and established, young and old, cis and trans, gay and straight, of all sizes, abilities, colors and sexualities.
This isn’t as much about gender, as it is authenticity. Our first priority is to see what turns you on! Whether you shoot it with an iPhone or a RED camera, we want you to send us short clips showing us what you’d like to see. Every month, we’ll award select submissions $500 for exceptional content.
In coming months, we’ll be announcing grants to help small women filmmakers supplement their budgets, and create content that’s not only hot, it’s fair trade. We know that women filmmakers face additional hurdles, and believe that by working with small partners to help close those budgets, we can help foster an ethical porn revolution.
Meanwhile, we’ll be looking for partners with whom we can create larger co-productions.
xHamster’s strength has always been our own users. Unlike other porn sites, we depend on amateur uploads, not big studio content. We have the opportunity to help give not only money, but exposure and an audience to a new generation of women filmmakers.
To all the women reading this, pick up your phones, and start thinking of yourselves as pornographers! (Feels good, doesn’t it? To find out how to submit, click here)
Alex Hawkins
Vice President, xHamster
[email protected]
6 years ago
