I had the privilege of hearing an outstanding woman speak at a Women’s Fund Grant Awards Luncheon last week. This particular Women’s Fund supports women in the Essex County region of Massachusetts. There are similar Funds throughout the United States, all of whose missions are to provide outreach and life skills to women and young girls.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

“Miss Representation”

The speaker was Jennifer Siebel Newsom from California, who is an accomplished filmmaker and long time advocate for women’s rights and equality. She wrote, directed and produced a documentary called Miss Representation. It exposes the media’s disparaging portrayals of women and it is a brilliant treatise.    The film also reveals the underrepresentation of women in positions of power, in particular in the media industry.

“The Mask You Live In”

Her second film, The Mask You Live In, reveals how our culture narrowly defines masculinity and how this is harming our young boys and, ultimately, society at large.

Through these projects, Jennifer witnessed the overwhelming problems associated with gender stereotyping. She started a non-profit organization, “The Representation Project”, to work with communities, schools, and individuals to overcome gender stereotyping. She has been recognized in Newsweek’s List of Fearless Women Who Shake the World, and in Fast Company’s League of Extraordinary Women.

We encourage every woman, whatever age or station in life, to see Jennifer’s documentaries and to become an advocate to change the way women are portrayed by the media.

Ciao

Lucy and Claudia