Geena Davis Introduces New Media Literacy Bill
Geena Davis is no stranger to the world of girl and woman advocacy. She’s the founder of the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media, and runs its producing arm, See Jane, which works with entertainment creators to encourage them to include positive portrayals of females and male characters into movies, TV, and other media aimed at children 11 and under.
Now Geena has another thing to add to her resume. She has just joined forces with Senator Kay Hagan and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to introduce a bill that would support efforts to improve the image of girls and women in the media.
Here’s what she had to say about the bill they’re hoping to get passed: “What children see affects their attitudes toward male and female roles and impacts the value they place on girls and women in society. The Healthy Media for Youth Act will help ensure we are creating a positive media environment for all our children.”
The legislation would provide grants to encourage and support media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups, facilitate research on how depictions of women and girls in the media affect youth, and establish a National Taskforce on Women and Girls in the Media, intended to develop voluntary standards that promote healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women in the media.
We’ll keep you posted on the fate of this bill…we hope it gets passed!
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paula silver Said,
July 29, 2011 @ 8:57 am
Great news lets get all the Girls and Youth Organizations involved so they can urge their representatives to vote to pass the bill…engaging youth in the power of getting involved in the democratic process. Girls INc, Girls and Boys Clubs, and the Girl Scouts etc. Use Miss Representation in
Schools to hel teachers and students understand the problem and realize that the Bill can be the beginning of a solution. Bravo Geena Davis and Hagan.