Ellevate Network’s San Diego chapter held a screening of Miss Representation a few weeks ago at the Women’s Museum of California for a Women’s History Month Brunch Celebration, also a part of International Women’s Day. I like just about every word in that sentence, so I was very excited I was able to find time in between work and school to attend!
Jennifer Siebel Newsom wrote and directed Miss Representation, which “exposes how mainstream media and culture contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.” The movie included numerous interviews with teenage girls and powerful women in Hollywood, government, academia, and more, including Katie Couric, Rosario Dawson, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Condoleezza Rice, and Rachel Maddow. The fact that so many extremely busy woman made time to be included in this project speaks to the importance of this cause. That was very impressive and stood out in my mind while watching the movie. The film was made in 2011, long before this era of Trump, #TimesUp, and #MeToo … imagine how many more women would want to be involved in a sequel. It was an eye-opening experience to see so many negative stereotypes in media compiled into a short time frame. After the screening, our group had a great chat about overcoming stereotypes and advancing women in leadership.