"There's no women!"
When I first read the Girls Make Media story about the girl who noticed women were entirely absent from a recent issue of a Canadian news magazine, I felt torn.
I was glad she was developing the critical thinking skills that allowed her to notice this surprising truth, but also saddened and angry. When it comes to media, it seems the choice of women and girls is to either be portrayed as passive, unrealistically thin, and highly sexualized - or to be invisible.
According to a recent survey we commissioned, 90 per cent of Canadians agree that exposure to hypersexualized images is a problem for girls.
Given the power of media to teach, it's no surprise that, as one researcher says, "Girls live with the pervasive sentiment that they are not as important as boys."
What do you think? Have you seen ads that you felt were inappropriate? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or Twitter using #cdnwomen!
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SPOTLIGHT: GEENA DAVIS, GENDER, AND MEDIA
Six years ago, actor Geena Davis was watching
television with her two-year-old daughter and was shocked at the lack of female
characters in children's programs. She was galvanized into action.
Today, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is the only research-based organization working within the media and entertainment industry regarding the portrayal of women and girls in children's entertainment.
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WHAT CAN PARENTS DO
Media literacy is an important protective factor, especially for girls.
"It's important for parents to talk to their children about what they're seeing in the media," says Beth Malcolm, Girls' Fund Director at the Canadian Women's Foundation.
"The highly sexualized images in advertising, TV, music videos - everywhere, really - contributes to a sharp drop in girls' confidence and self-esteem as they move into their teen years. When girls are unhappy with their bodies, they're much more likely to develop eating disorders, start smoking, and engage in early sexual activity."
Research shows that young people spend up to ten hours a day consuming media.
"As parents," Malcolm says, "It's unrealistic to expect we can always control the images our children see. But we can help them to develop the skills to critically analyze the messages, and challenge them."
TO GET STARTED, DOWNLOAD TIPS & RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
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GIRLS MAKE MEDIA!
"You can't be what you can't see,"
says Ann Dort-McLean, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta, quoting from the recent documentary Miss Representation.
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Girls learn media skills
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"That really sums up the whole concept of media literacy."
From her office in Fort McMurray, Dort-McLean oversees the Media Smarts program for girls, which is supported by the Canadian Women's Foundation. At Media Smarts, girls aged 9-11 learn to critique and challenge the messages they see in films, television, music videos, advertising, video games, and social media. Read more about how Media Smarts is teaching girls to think critically. |
Thanks to you, girls across Canada are learning to think critically about media, be more self-confident, and feel better about being a girl. That strong foundation not only helps them survive adolescence, but allows them to thrive and succeed throughout their entire lives! Sincerely,
Beverley Wybrow
President and CEO
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