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The presence of the male gaze in films throughout history has led to the development of several tropes that can be seen in hundreds of films. The male gaze refers to the perspective of heterosexual men portrayed through various media, often due to the large number of men in positions of power in mainstream media. Today, we are breaking down some of the most prevalent tropes in popular films.

• The Cool Girl

  
  Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

  A newer film trope that has been brought to many people’s attention in recent times is the idea of the “Cool Girl”. The ideal “cool girl” is a woman who is traditionally beautiful on the outside but her personality has male qualities. She is seen through the lens of the male fantasy, a woman who is “just like one of the boys” but men can still enjoy her appearance. This trope is so ingrained in today’s society that this expectation that men have put onto women is being perpetuated by women themselves. A few examples of films that explore this trope are Transformers and Gone Girl. The cool girl trope is harmful to women because it prioritizes male qualities over female qualities. As a result of this, women feel the need to focus on trying to conform to a “man’s world” instead of breaking free from that expectation and taking the steps for women to rise in society.

• The Girl Next Door

  
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  The “Girl Next Door” trope is one that has been around since the 1950s. The
  “girl next door” is a woman who is seen as the perfect picture of wholesome and pure. Many times, she wants nothing more than to just live a modest life and have a family. Examples of films that contain this trope include, The Spectacular Now and Meet Me in St. Louis. These films portray women that are willing to morph their goals into whatever the man’s goals and aspirations are. This further emphasizes the idea that a woman’s purpose in life is to serve the man. This particular trope is harmful because it does not allow women to be multidimensional, instead they are only seen as perfect for the man and not as individuals who have many of their own goals and dreams.

• The Transformation Girl

  
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  The transformation girl is a trope that makes a spectacle of an “unattractive” girl — usually sporting curly hair, comfortable clothes, and glasses. She then undergoes a transformation of sorts that includes removing her glasses, straightening hair, and dressing in more revealing clothing. After the transformation, boys begin to flock to them and their lives change in many positive ways. This trope was especially prevalent in the early 2000s and can be seen in movies such as The Princess Diaries.

  This trope is still used today, seen in new Netflix series Insatiable. In the show, an overweight girl undergoes a transformation, becomes skinny, and becomes seen as significantly more attractive to the other characters. The transformation girl trope instills the idea into women’s heads that they need to change to be happy or liked. It also pushes for unrealistic beauty standards.

• The Happy Housewife

  
  “File:Huisvrouw in modelkeuken bezig met het maken van een taart., Bestanddeelnr 252–1641.jpg” by Willem van de Poll is licensed under CC0 1.0

  The expectation of women to hold down a home, care for children, cook and clean, and to do it all with a cheery attitude and smile has existed for all of time. Female characters oftentimes fall into these stereotypes and lack depth as a result. This trope is visible in films such as The Stepford Wives, where women in the town slowly turn stereotypically bland. The representation women get in these roles often includes being submissive to their husbands and engaging in very stereotypical activities like household chores, baking or caring for the children.

  Here at Mariposa Sisters, we believe in fighting for global equality through empowering women to tell their authentic stories. People everywhere should be more aware of the presence of these stereotypes in the media we consume; while any representation of women in film can be beneficial, women are multidimensional and deserve to be uplifted through a more thorough representation rather than cast in specific roles. By becoming more aware of how these tropes can be harmful as well as fighting for a stronger voice in the entertainment industry, women can pave the way for a change in how they are represented in the mainstream media — and in real life.

Five women who have paved the way for females globally

When people think of prominent leaders, many different images come to mind. One might think of someone who is confident, intelligent, tech savvy or any other number of commendable qualities. In recent years, women have been taking the stage around the world and are finally getting recognition for their hard work. Our mission here at Mariposa Sisters is to provide a space for each woman to live freely and speak her truth as her most unique, brilliant self without fear, control or shame.

Several women throughout the years have brought necessary attention to international issues that they are passionate about by telling their own stories. Here are five women who have been inspiring us over the past decade.

• Greta Thunberg

  
  “File:Greta Thunberg at the front banner of the FridaysForFuture demonstration Berlin 29–03–2019 09.jpg” by Leonhard Lenz is licensed under CC0 1.0

  Greta Thunberg is 17 and from Sweden. Greta recognized climate change as a global issue, and she decided to speak out to raise awareness. As a result, she created a global movement known as School Strike for Climate Change. The strike aimed to encourage more world leaders to address issues regarding climate change. She gained the attention of millions of people and prompted young people to make a change in the world. Greta proved that no matter age or gender, anyone can make a difference.

• Serena Williams

  “serena 1” by smarch0987 is licensed under CC0 1.0

  Serena Williams is a world renown tennis player, often referred to as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. She has won countless awards and is a 23 time grand slam winner. Off the court, Serena has also been extensively involved with social advocacy, specifically in the fields of social and racial equality. Through her successful career, Serena has taught us that anything is possible, and she urges women to “dream crazier.”

• Malala Yousafzai

  
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  Targeted for her activism concerning concerning girls’ education in her native country of Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Since then, Malala has raised awareness for women to have the right to education on a global scale. She has published a bestselling book, I Am Malala, and recently graduated Oxford University in England with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. In addition, due to her groundbreaking activism, she won a Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 20.

• Michelle Obama

  
  “First Lady Michelle Obama” by Charles McCain is licensed under CC PDM 1.0

  Michelle Obama is widely known as the former First Lady; however, her accomplishments are far more expansive than just that. Educated at Princeton and Harvard, Michelle is a lawyer who was able to overcome the countless obstacles while growing up in the south side of Chicago. Today, she is an inspiration to millions of young girls around the world and has a bestselling book, Becoming. She is also an advocate for many different social issues, such as poverty awareness, food insecurity, and education.

• Ruth Bader Ginsberg

  
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  Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and also a co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. As a young female law student in the 1950s, Ruth faced many obstacles surrounding her gender. After many tribulations, she eventually made her way to the Supreme Court, where she became the second female justice of four to be selected to the bench. She has since ruled on several Supreme Court cases that have contributed greatly to advancing social issues, such as Obergefell v. Hodges which granted same sex couples the fundamental right to marry in the U.S.

  Now is the time to continue to band together as women and build a network among ourselves. In order to help women thrive, we need to focus on our vision for the future —equality achieved through female empowerment.

The female experience, in a lot of ways, is universal. But there are often differentiating factors, such as race or country of origin, that can highlight the many different versions of how women experience life. Many of these books shed light on this universality, but provide a perspective that is so different from our own, helping us as readers understand what it means to be a female in different parts of the world.

• 1. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

  

  We Should All Be Feminists by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a book-length essay that sheds light on what Adichie believes being a feminist means. Many of the anecdotes that she recounts in this book explore the topic of intersectionality, with particular reference to being a feminist in an African country. The word “feminist” was often used as an insult in her homeland, further allowing Adichie to develop her identity as a feminist which led to the overarching message of this book: that “feminist” is a label everyone should embrace.

• 2. Becoming by Michelle Obama

  

  While not a book focused explicitly on feminist theory, Becoming is a memoir of former United States First Lady Michelle Obama which delves into the themes of feminism in exploring how Obama found her voice as a woman, both in her childhood, and while occupying one of the most powerful positions in the world. The book explores Obama’s personal experiences with intersectional feminism, particularly through her recounting of her childhood in south-side Chicago, and the various personal sacrifices she made in order to support her husband. Ending on an extremely optimistic note, Obama makes it clear that she will dedicate the rest of her life prioritizing herself, her needs, and her personal duty to society.

• 3. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

  

  Bad Feminist is a book comprised of a series of essays that delve into the complicated nature of what it means to be female in the modern world, and what the word “feminist” has come to mean. Gay explores her identity through this lens and talks about the many things she enjoys that are allegedly at odds with the feminist ideology. The book is divided into five sections that address cultural concerns, as well as concerns personal to the author. Gay describes the book as “not even about feminism per se, it’s about humanity and empathy.” (Time, 2014)

• 4. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

  

  Jean Rhys wrote Wide Sargasso Sea as a feminist and anti-colonial response to the depiction of Mr. Rochester’s wife in Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre. The original character that had been relegated to being simply the “mad woman in the attic” is given an identity, voice, and perspective as a Creole Heiress, Antoinette Cosway. Rhys explores Cosway being stuck in a patriarchal society through an intersectional approach, by commenting on her roots that belonged neither to Jamaica, nor to England. Through this novel, Rhys not only explores these themes, but makes an important feminist statement about the erasure of female voices in many classical novels.

• 5. Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in Muslim Society by Fatema Mernissi

  

  Beyond the Veil is a classic in the fields of anthropology and sociology, specializing in women in the Arab World and Muslim soceities. This book is especially recognized for breaking down the ethnocentric stereotypes Western society has developed towards Islam and Islamic women. Mernissi has, through this book, fought to overcome Western assumptions that Muslim women are helpless victims of both their religion and the men of their religion. She instead argues that a veil covers women across the world and creates a revolutionary space for highlighting the necessity of a global feminist movement.

  These books are key in establishing not only the universality of the feminist movement, but the importance of using an intersectional lens when exploring what it means to be female for women around the world.

Get inspired by these five documentaries that share the experiences of women around the world. Ranging from Oscar nominated documentaries like RBG to the empowering Girl Rising, you are sure to enjoy the films on this list.

• RBG

  
  Image: ‘HDS_2019_PHOTO-3.jpg’ | Found on flickrcc.net

  RBG recounts the true life story of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The film follows her life story, starting from her New York upbringing all the way to her time in the Supreme Court. RBG will give you a new lens into how Ginsberg was able to overcome times in her career where many people underestimated her due to her gender. Ginsberg was able to prevail against all odds, and is an inspiration to women around the world, as illustrated by this documentary.

• Period. End of Sentence.

  
  Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

  Following the story of a small group of women in India, Period. End of Sentence. documents their mission to create low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads which could be easily accessed by women in their community. The film induced more open conversations about the taboo topic of menstruation, and brought attention to how much work still needs to be done in order for womanhood to be embraced around the world.

• Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

  
  Photo by Suliman Sallehi from Pexels

  The 2020 Academy Award winning short documentary Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) tells the story of a group of girls learning to read, write, and skateboard in Afghanistan. This was all possible due to a non-profit organization called Skateistan which provides education to girls who live in poor areas of the country. The documentary features girls making the best of their current situations, having fun with each other despite their daily struggles. This documentary sheds light on the unfortunate realities in third world countries, while also staying optimistic for the future.

• Miss Representation

  
  Photo by Sam McGhee on Unsplash

  This documentary focuses on the lack of female representation in mainstream media. The media’s portrayal of women is often based on sexist stereotypes. The filmmakers interview women that are well known names in media such as Rachel Maddow, Katie Couric, Lisa Ling and many more. Here, we hear about the trials and tribulations they face as women working in the media, and learn from the experiences of young women who are fed up with the unrealistic standards that they are expected to obtain. This is a truly eye opening story and will have you seeing the media in a completely different light.

• Girl Rising

  
  Photo by Terry Boynton on Unsplash

  Girl Rising chronicles the lives of nine girls living in developing countries. The film provides a glimpse of what it is like to be a young woman growing up in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Egypt, India, Peru, Nepal, and Sierra Leone. It closely follows and documents the daily struggles to overcome societal obstacles as a woman, and their fight to obtain an education that could provide them with opportunities they could only dream of.

  Be sure to check out these documentaries — they help amplify the voices of women all around the world!

A reminder of societal contributions made by women of color

The details surrounding the recent Black Lives Matter protests in America have revealed the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to nearly every world issue we’re facing today. Fully understanding people and their struggles often require an approach that takes into consideration multiple factors, such as race, gender, and sexuality.

Our mission at Mariposa Sisters involves uplifting the female-identifying voice, in this instance Black women, and their often overlooked contributions to their communities.

Here are the stories of three women in the Black community whose efforts have made waves in the fight for racial justice and gender equality in the US.

• Ida B. Wells (July 16, 1862–March 25, 1931)

  

  Wells was an investigative journalist and one of the founding members of the NAACP. Having been born into slavery during the Civil War before being freed, she spent her life reporting and covering incidents of racial segregation and inequality. She was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on the horrific cases of lynching at the time. Wells was also an active member of the suffragette movement.

• Jane Bolin (April 11, 1908–January 8, 2007)

  

  A woman of many firsts, Bolin was the first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law school, the first to join the New York City Bar Association, and the first to serve as a judge in the United States. She used her platform to fight against racial discrimination from within the system, and she was especially passionate about advocating for the rights of children of color.

• Ava DuVernay (Born August 24, 1972⁠)

  
  This image by Mariemaye is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

  In this new day and age of the film industry, DuVernay has played an instrumental role in offering a new perspective for a wide audience. Not only is she the first black woman to win the directing award at the Sundance Film Festival, but also the first to be nominated for both a Golden Globe Award for Best Director and an Academy Award for Best Picture. Her artistic contributions, through the film Selma, the documentary 13th, and the Netflix drama When They See Us have highlighted the state of racial inequity in the United States today.

  The current political climate serves as a reminder to pay attention to the women who have created art, resources, and paved paths for future generations. It’s important to remember these women, understand why their historic contributions are often overlooked, and learn how to uplift black women in the future.

In the ever-changing intersection of American technology and business, new innovations and ideas seem to pop up at the speed of light. From the Apple iPad to SpaceX launching multiple rockets and developing a reusable launch system to AI, VR, and digital work spaces, these breakthroughs push us further as a society — lots of times in terms of work efficiency — and allow the growth of our collective knowledge.

However, a seat at the table in these large-scale technical feats can be hard to come by for women and minority groups — especially women of color. Women make up less than half of the US workforce, 47% to be exact. In the tech industry, women take up only 25% of computer-related tech roles. White women hold a 30% share in entry-level professional occupations, whereas women of color only hold 18%. The pay gap also remains strikingly unequal across male and female populations. For every dollar a man makes, white women make 76 cents, black women make 64 cents, and hispanic women make 54 cents (Huffington Post 2017). The problem doesn’t end there — we still have a lot of progress until women of all ethnicities, sexualities, and backgrounds get equitable access to opportunity.

We found a list of five apps made by women, for women that inspire us and many other women to feel safe, heard, and empowered in their professional lives. Despite the difficulties women face, we believe apps and ideas like these have the potential to fundamentally change the statistics listed above. The women behind these apps know a few things and users can feel assured knowing that their experience is understood and their success will be fostered and encouraged.

• 1. Gender Fair

  

  Though not yet released, this app gives the user a looking glass into which brands and companies offer the most gender-inclusive spaces. Before buying a product or engaging with a company, women can scan products they wish to purchase, which brings up a rating of the product and the company behind it — all based on how focused the company is on integrating gender equality. Not only is this a great tool for women who want to invest their money in companies that have equitable practices, it could also be a great way to weed out potential employers.

• 2. The Riveter — Come Together

  

  The Riveter app helps women navigate the workforce and build their careers by providing an online community where they can share their stories to a diverse community of working women and receive answers from industry executives. Members get a personal experience and utilize the provided connections and community to seek help with pressing questions related to women in the workforce. This includes but is not limited to wage negotiations, work-life management, career shifts, and any problems related to gender bias in a professional environment. The Riveter strives to be inclusive and seeks to help women of different races, sexualities and ages — keeping in mind these factors greatly influence a woman’s experience in the workplace.

• 3. Joonko

  

  Joonko is a software program that allows companies to expand their diversity efforts and minimize possible bias challenges through AI. Founder Ilit Raz understands firsthand the difficulties women and minorities face in the workplace and knows change is past due. In order to combat inevitable diversity and inclusion biases, Joonko uses AI to prescribe unique situations related to biases and suggest ways to combat the problem. Through forward thinking and a real need for equitable change, Joonko proves to be a powerful program that can help implement company diversity in real, actionable ways.

• 4. Adalab

  

  Adalab is a digital company meant to help young women learn the ropes of the tech world and gives them an avenue to succeed in the tech industry. Founded by Ines Vázquez & Rosario Ortiz, this app is named after Ada Lovelace, famous for being the first known female computer programmer in history. It provides a set of courses that teach women about computer programming, web development, and IT among other highly sought after skills. The app also has a social network feature and gives women a space to connect with other individuals interested in tech.

• 5. PowerToFly

  

  PowerToFly is an online community dedicated to providing its female users with jobs and events to aid with landing a dream job. They work together with various startups and Fortune 500 companies to promote diversity and inclusion, including American Express and GitLab, both to improve diversity practices within business and connect women with jobs that value them and their work. Founded by Milena Berry and Katharine Zaleski, they understand that progress will be slow unless we take actionable steps to improve opportunities for women in tech. They are the medium between the job seeker and the company and the tool with which change can happen at a faster rate than we’re accustomed to.

• 6. Emerj

  

  Designed to help connect women with mentors, Emerj has bridged the gap on the issue of work related topics.With the ability to search any criteria, women in the workplace can now confidently get tips within their own communities, as well as ask a specific question with a 1-on-1 chat with a female mentor. To ensure each woman can get satisfactory expertise, filters for their specific job industry and local area are provided. To have such a tool at the tip of your fingers can mean the difference between leaving and staying, with the intentions of each employee becoming happier and more productive than ever. For organizations, the dashboard empowers smarter, data-driven decisions. Emerj challenges current market norms, unleashing your people potential, helping companies grow exponentially.

• 7. Woices

  

  Confrontation in the workplace isn’t the easiest thing to overcome, but Woices makes sure your voice is heard. Revolutionizing employee engagement, participation and involvement, this app helps to empower employees by enabling them to share their ideas, honest feedback, and report incidents without the fear of consequences, embarrassment or hesitation. Woices believes people should be able to fearlessly voice their opinions. With the implementation of this app, companies are able to improve workplace culture in the most effective way.

• 8. Bumble Bizz

  

  Networking shouldn’t have to be hard, especially when it comes to your gender. From the creator of Bumble, it’s work-focused partner, Bumble Bizz, has the same female-first approach to networking. The app includes a feature called “Women in Bizz”, allowing its women users to solely connect with other professional working women. Networking and building professional relationships with other working women in your local area is now as easy as swiping right.

• 9. Seneca Connect

  

  Women empowering women is what the Seneca Connect app is all about. From “fast forwarding” women’s careers through networking, they also provide a platform to shop from women-owned businesses and announcements of inclusive women-focused events. Named after the famous Seneca Falls Convention and based on the book “Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose,” this app features advice from women leaders, as well as highlights a curated news feed. Seneca Connect is the first app to provide daily inspiration and insights from women leaders, along with purpose-driven and actionable podcast programs, women-focused news and events.

• 10. Stylebook

  

  Are you working in Corporate America and need to look professional with a stylish flare, but don’t seem to have the budget to achieve a refined look? Well, Stylebook has you covered from head to toe. In your efforts to look fashionable while on a budget, Stylebook stylists’ handpick staple pieces and accessory items that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already fabricated in your wardrobe, making your closet whole. Now, you can feel confident about your workplace attire and not worry about breaking the bank.

  At Mariposa Sisters, we are committed to building up women and their ideas. In order to achieve equity in the workplace, we need to do our part as women and lift each other up. We can start by utilizing the resources listed above — we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!