Page 14 - The Staunch Test
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THE STAUNCH TEST
4. Why does it matter how women are portrayed on screen?
Representation matters. How women, or any other group of people, are
depicted in the press, media, school texts, history books and popular culture can
influence how they are seen and treated in real life, and sometimes, how they
see themselves.
Astronaut Mae Jemison
The first African American woman to travel in space
It is widely recognised that role models are important both in popular culture
and in real life situations. Showing more black people involved in STEM, for
instance, encourages young black people to believe science or technology could
be a career for them. Showing disabled people in roles typically held by able-
bodied people sends an empowering message to those who might have felt
opportunities were more limited than they realised — and to those who might
employ or champion them.
