Page 43 - DIVA_1_2011

GENDER AND MEDIA

Interview with Geena Davis, actress and founder of the
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

On 8 March 2011 Louise", and "The
Academy Award-win- Accidental Tourist", for
ning actress and advo- which she won the
cate Geena Davis was 1988 Academy Award
one of the main spea- for Best Supporting
kers during a special Actress -- an Oscar. In
event in New York orga- 2005, she won the
nized by the United Golden Globe Award
Nations Office for for Best Actress -
Series
Partnerships and the Television
Civic
Drama for her role in
Business
Leadership
"Commander in Chief".
Center
Forum: "Investing in Ms Davis works close-
ly with the United
Women
and
Entrepreneurship: Nations' effort to chan-
Solutions to Addressing ge the way media
the MDG-3". represent women and
girls, to encourage the
The event emphasized media to present and
the benefit of partners- investigate issues of
hips between the United grave importance to
Nations Organization, women, and to use a
governments, the priva- "gender" lens when
te sector and civil socie- reporting. As the foun-
ty, and highlights key der of the non-profit
examples of what can Geena Davis Institute
on Gender in Media
be
accomplished
through working toge- (GDIGM) and its pro- ting women. present, and we have data
ther. The programme, gramming arm -- "See Six years ago, when I started that we have been able to
opened by United Jane" -- Ms Davis brings to watch TV with my daugh- bring to the decision-makers
Secretary-
Nations in the industry who are
her media expertise to ter, I realized that in shows
General Ban Ki-moon, advocate for gender and cartoons for children making these programmes
featured leaders from equality and women's there is a big gender dispari- and movies and share it with
the United Nations, glo- empowerment. ty. Nobody seemed to notice them. What is exciting for us
bal philanthropy and and that's the reason why I is the impact it seems to
private enterprise spea- We had the opportunity stared to get involved to have. They are really surpri-
king on the crucial role of meeting Geena Davis change it. I felt that if the sed and they did not realize
of public/private part- in New York, at the UN first thing children see is how narrow the portrait of
nerships in advancing headquarters, where imbalance and portraying a female characters was, or
gender equality and she kindly answered our character in such a poor frankly how few there were
women's empowerment. questions light, they are going to take in the worlds that they are
that in unconsciously and it creating -- how little female
Who has not heard Q: You are a famous will affect their future lives. presence there was. They
about Geena Davis Oscar award-winning So this is basically why I got have been very responsive
the famous award-win- actress. Why did you involved. and eager to make changes.
fling actress? What per- start this institute? We feel that when we do our
haps you did not know Q: What do you consi- next update, on the twenty-
is that she is also a film I have always been very der as being your most five years of research, we
producer, writer, former interested in women's successful project? will finally see a little move.
fashion model, not to empowerment, advocating I think we will have plenty
a woman
mention We have now sponsored the of evidence that this will
for girls. I've been involved
who wanted to make a with girls' sports and getting largest amount of research happen.
difference! She is per- more women involved in on gender and media ever
haps best known for her politics, getting elected to done. It covers a twenty-year Celiha de Lavarenne
roles in "Thelma and office and in general boos- span from 1990 to the
1 2011 Diva 41

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