About Us
I am currently entering my senior year of HS and conceived of this project as a participant in the Pangea Network’s Global Young Women’s Leadership Challenge, a year-long US-based program for high school age girls. The program includes a summer conference, mentoring, monthly meetings and workshops throughout the year. The centerpiece of the program is for each participant to develop and demonstrate the leadership skills necessary to design and implement a community service project they are passionate about.
My passion for equality began as early as grade school when I would notice someone who I felt was being treated unfairly, disregarded or dismissed, or made to feel they weren’t being heard or understood. My interest in theater and the performing arts arose about the same time as I created and directed my own grade school play that reflected my own experiences and interests as a young girl, making sure I cast EVERYONE so that all could participate and have a voice. As time passed, I began to notice that women’s voices were being underrepresented in media and film.
This underrepresentation matters more broadly to society. Issues of public policy that impact our lives as women seem to be going backward as women’s voices are dismissed. One recent example is that the all-male South Carolina Supreme Court passed legislation that severely restricts women’s reproductive freedom. This was only accomplished when two previous women members left the bench. So women’s voices and perspectives are critical, not only in the performing arts but in all areas of society. If we don’t raise awareness and identify steps to change this dynamic, society as a whole will suffer.
While I am encouraged to see more women directors and screen writers telling their stories rather than performing in scripts that someone else (mostly men) wrote for them to perform, there is still a need for new stories to be told through women’s perspectives and women need support to continue bringing their voices into the fold in a meaningful way. Participating in Pangea gave me an opportunity to draw attention to this issue. Rather than start from scratch I wanted to build on the work of the Geena Davis Institute that has done significant research and awareness raising on the issue of women being underrepresented and unfairly compensated.
I hope that you will donate to this important cause and support this work.
Click below to Donate: