In September 2013, The Representation Project was invited by the White House Council on Women & Girls to make a formal commitment at the United Nations, as part of the Equal Futures Partnership.
As described by the White House, the Equal Futures Partnership is “an innovative U.S.-led multilateral initiative designed to encourage member countries to empower women economically and politically. Equal Futures partner countries commit to taking actions including legal, regulatory, and policy reforms to ensure women fully participate in public life at the local, regional, and national levels, and that they lead and benefit from inclusive economic growth.” Commitments were solicited from diverse public and private sector actors.
The Representation Project committed to bring the message of Miss Representation, through screenings and our educational curriculum, to an additional 500,000 young people (ages 13-24) by 2016, with a focus on at-risk and underserved communities. This represents a significant increase in our reach, and we know we can’t do it alone.
We’ve recruited partners with strong community ties to support screenings and enable us to bring the film to a wider audience through their national infrastructure.
In this ongoing series, we’ll highlight these partners and how we’re working with them to spread the movement to dismantle gender stereotypes for all.
Partner Highlight: Feminist Majority Foundation
The Representation Project and The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) share a goal: every girl can achieve her full potential and realize the vision of true equality for women. FMF and The Representation Project have partnered through FMF’s Girls Learn International (GLI) program, which connects US girls to the global movement for girls’ education. In navigating the barriers that can hold girls back in education, media literacy and the role of the media is an important component.
First, all GLI Chapters were introduced to Miss Representation at a meeting of GLI’s national Student Advisory Board. Next, we’re supporting Chapters who wish to implement the Miss Representation curriculum. Thanks to generous grant support nine K-12 chapters who otherwise would have been unable to purchase the film can now utilize the curriculum in their chapter activities. We’re working closely with GLI to track the impact of the film and the ways that Chapters benefit from access to the film.
GLI works with middle and high schools to advance the cause of girls’ education. By using Miss Representation in Chapter activities, girls can explore the media’s impact on their own learning and education as well as the role it might play for girls in other countries.
We look forward to spreading the message to more GLI Chapters and bringing the message of gendered media literacy to more classrooms around the country.
