Women and Girls Lead Seeks Empowerment Through Female Leadership Roles

Women and Girls Lead has launched in the US and this September will see this initiative fight against gender injustice.

Women and Girls Lead is a major public media initiative created to support and sustain a “growing movement” in order to empower women and girls. The initiative hopes to educate, focus and connect women worldwide.

The initiative is led by Independent Television Service (ITVS), uniting public media, independent film makers, the government, academia and business.

ITVS is funded by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, a private organisation funded by the people of America.

With over 1 million event participants and 1,000 event partners supporting the initiative, Women and Girls Lead will connect women via television, the internet and in communities.

In communities, Women and Girls Lead will help women and young girls who wish to succeed with cinema programmes by ITVS in more than 100 cities. The website allows women to connect with each other through videos and social media.

Filmmakers from around the world will be producing 50 documentary films showcasing “extraordinary leaders and citizens” on the “front lines” of economic development, violence prevention, business, education and health.

Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis launched her own institute on Gender in Media, looking at gender portrayals of women, and how young girls see these images in the media. Ms Davis is also a member of Women and Girls Lead, as she believes that the initiative shows “positive, empowering and real images of women doing extraordinary things”.

“I think it’s a wonderful undertaking that PB is taking on this great project,” she said.“It’s really getting a great look at real women in all these 50 different snapshots and showcasing the possibilities of what women can do and be.”

Every one of the 50 documentaries will show women taking charge and fighting to change the world for the better. These films include short series such as ‘Half the Sky’, which includes educational film modules and domestic and international outreach.

By Bethan Hâf Marsh

[Image courtesy of david watterson]