W@W Topic of the Month

January 2008

Role models for children

We need to make our voice heard - and to ensure that girls feel confident to do so as well. We can help by providing role models for our daughters and friends.

But what message are they getting from the media around them? Well known actress, Geena Davis, has spoken out about the poor role models for girls, including in children's films.  Research has shown that in the best selling U-rated films in 1990-2005 there were three male characters for every female. This led her to ask what message this sends out to young children - and to found the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media. 

A report by Stacy L. Smith and her researchers found that male characters still dominate television, movies and other media for young children. In many cases the women in the films had no other aspirations other than romantic love or marriage, and their role in the film revolved around personal appearance and ability to attract a mate.

Does this matter? Yes! Since women and girls make up half of the human race, there is a real need for a wide variety of female characters in our children's earliest media, for both girls' and boys' development.

Click here for further information about the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media, research, and ways to contribute to the 'I Want to See Jane' campaign.

Contributed by Susan Kruse (W@W website coordinator)