Grant #63
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
February 13, 2014
“We are in effect enculturating kids from the very beginning to see women and girls as not taking up half of the space.” – Geena Davis
Academy Award winner Geena Davis is not only one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, but also founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. This forward-looking activist and her organization are at the forefront of changing female portrayals in children’s media and inspiring a new generation of young women to dream bigger.
While watching children’s entertainment with her young daughter, Geena Davis was astounded by the dearth of female characters. Fueled to take action, she commissioned the largest research project on gender in film and television ever undertaken. The disparity confirmed in the research was disturbing, maddening, and enraging. They discovered that in family films, there is only one female character for every three male characters and in group scenes, only 17% of the characters are female. The result? A repetitive viewing pattern for children that ensures these negative stereotypes are ingrained and imprinted over and over.
Enter SeeJane.org: the hub of the Institute’s research that is uniquely positioned to spotlight gender inequalities at every media and entertainment company.
It should come as no surprise that the AWB team is ready to go to bat for Geena Davis and her incredible work within the entertainment industry to alter how girls and women are reflected in media.
WATCH the See Jane PSA, “If She Can See It, She Can Be It,” and then make sure to visit the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media on Facebook and Twitter.
