Too many times, women have been under-represented in the media. With strong and inspirational women like Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Emma Watson, Beyoncé Knowles, Laverne Cox, Nicki Minaj and dozens more to look up to, it’s time that females get the focus they deserve in politics, music, entertainment and more!
Everywhere you look, the ladies are really kicking butt out there!
Politics and Activism:
Today, women hold less than 20 percent of congressional seats. But no worries, the involvement of women in politics is turning the tide! With Hilary Clinton as the early front-runner Democratic primary for the 2016 presidential elections, it’s likely America might just see its first female president in history. And don’t forget about Michelle Obama! Our first lady led the charge in the campaign to #BringBackOurGirls when 200 Nigerian girls were kidnapped for trying to pursue an education. Speaking of education, surely you’ve heard about Malala Yousafzai, an Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Even though she’s a target for the Taliban, Yousafzai continues to spread the word about the importance of education worldwide. In addition, Emma Watson has launched her campaign, He for She as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. The campaign will push for total and complete economic and social equality between men and women. Watch her touching speech on gender equality here! Women are making history and it’s important that female representation grows!
Music:
It’s no secret that women are often sexualized and objectified in the music industry, but despite the unjust hyper-sexualization of these women, they have definitely made a name for themselves when it comes to music and songwriting. For eight consecutive weeks, the top five slots on the Billboard Hot 100 have been taken by all females, including features and collaborations. The number one song even reminds women that “every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.”
- All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor
- Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
- Black Widow by Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora
- Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo
- Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
Not only that, Taylor Swift just became the first artist in history to have three albums go platinum in their first week of debut. It doesn’t stop there; performer, mother, feminist and queen, Beyoncé has been named Pop’s top-earning female artist after making $115 million this year alone. Music never sounded so good!
Television:
Did you know the ratio of men to women on prime-time TV is 5.4 to 1? With twelve Emmy nominations and three Emmy awards (Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Single-camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series), Orange is the New Black is definitely trying to change this imbalance between the sexes. Being the first series to be heavily cast with women of extremely diverse races, OITNB is a prime example of how important female and racial representation is in the media. Did you know that only 10.8% of the speaking characters in the media are black, 5% are Asian and 3.6% are from another ethnicity? The representation OITNB exhibits is important!
WHO RUN THE WORLD?!
There’s no denying it—females are on the rise! Who’s your favorite female role model? Let us know using the hashtag, #CampusCropChat on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
