We're showing kids a world that is very scantily populated with women and female characters. They should see female characters taking up half the planet, which we do.
Geena DavisRead
We are in effect enculturating kids from the very beginning to see women and girls as not taking up half of the space.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the importance of teaching children about gender equality from an early age.
Geena Davis emphasizes that societal and cultural influences shape children's perceptions of gender roles. By promoting the idea that women and girls deserve equal recognition and presence, we can foster a sense of equality and fairness from a young age, encouraging future generations to value and respect all individuals irrespective of gender.
Themes
Gender EqualityEducationEnculturationWomenChildren
In practice
Example use cases
A teacher could use this quote to start a discussion about gender roles in class.
More from Geena Davis
All quotes βHaving been in some roles that really resonated with women, I became hyper-aware of how women are represented in Hollywood.
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It's really important for boys to see that girls take up half of the planet - which we do.
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When my friends and I would act out movies as kids, we'd play the guys' roles, since they had the most interesting things to do. Decades later, I can hardly believe my sons and daughter are seeing many of the same limited choices in current films.
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The more hours of television a girl watches, the fewer options she thinks she has in life.
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