Last night I attended a screening of a fascinating documentary called MissRepresentation at Portcullis House (the big swanky new government building over the road from the Palace of Westminster).
The film itself was a thought-provoking and sometimes moving examination of the way women are portrayed in the media, and the effect this has on the status of women in society, business and politics. It's US-made and focusses entirely on the situation there, but it should open the eyes of men and women living in the UK, where many of the same trends are in evidence.
At the heart of the film is the message is: 'You can't be what you can't see'. Without positive role models, young girls will find it harder to grow up with positive ambitions, struggling with self-worth and more restricted to a narrow choice of proscribed careers paths (which, inevitably, will include marrying someone rich and famous).
A notable element of the film was a number of strong male voices, including the lieutenant governor of California and Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis. On reflection, this shouldn't surprise us - men must be as important drivers for change as women in our society, as at the moment they hold more positions of power and influence, not to mention the money.
What's more, boys and young men must be educated early on that the stereotypical alpha-male behaviour which, by its very nature, subjugates women to a lesser position in society is unacceptable. Believing women are second-class citizens is not a genetically inherited trait, it's learned behaviour, which is easier to steer your son or nephew away from than it is to open the eyes of someone for whom those views and attitudes have become entrenched.
Men must play their role and not stay silent when they see or hear the mistreatment or negative portrayal of women in all realms of our society.
Find out more - watch the MissRepresentation trailer here, or if you have more time check out the first ten minutes here.
Do more - visit www.missrepresentation.org and take the pledge, or even organise a screening so that you can others can see this inspirational documentary for yourself.
