WONDER WOMEN = WONDER MEN

TIFFANY SHLAIN -- 50/50

Did you ever wonder how most civilizations in our world became ruled and run by men? How did gender inequality evolve -- and why did females yield their power? Why did it take so long for Wonder Woman to get some respect at the box office? And why is now such a pivotal time in our history for women’s rights?

Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain turned her wonder into a film, 50/50: Rethinking the Past, Present & Future of Women + Power. The documentary explores the 10,000-year history of mankind & womankind, checking out the power plays, the power struggles, and the pendulum swings of dominance.

The biggest Wonder Woman fan we know, and perhaps the world’s most avid collector of Wonder Woman memorabilia, Co-Founder of Women Moving Millions Jacki Zehner, is one of 50/50's executive producers. It is the latest in a long line of Zehner’s works towards gender equality in the world.

According to a 2015 San Diego State University study, only 20% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and cinematographers working on Hollywood films are women.

But it’s not just limited to the Hollywood system: a more recent study found similar ratios in the independent film industry.

The Geena Davis Institute, a research and advocacy organization, and Gamechanger Films, a production company totally focused on backing female filmmakers, are two of the strongest most prolific forces in driving the film industry towards gender equality.   

Shlain doesn’t let the inequalities get in her way as a filmmaker. But she does wonder: “What’s it going to take to get to a #5050 world?” She’s not just thinking of politics and board rooms -- she’s thinking of gender balance for everyone.  

50/50 The Film, which premiered simultaneously live at the most recent #TEDWomen and 275 TEDx’s around the world, as well as online on Refinery29, is now the centerpiece for a global conversation about gender equality.

Now, when we find a rise in political and religious pressures that put women’s rights at serious risk, threatening everything from healthcare to education to economics and more, the quest for gender equality has become even more mission critical.

On May 10, 2017, Refinery29 partnered with director Tiffany Shlain to celebrate the first inaugural 50/50 Day — a global celebration of the continued fight for gender equality. More than 11K gatherings were held worldwide, with thinkers, leaders, and organizers in 65 countries, sounded an urgent call for change.

Refinery29 hosted a live discussion about gender equality with a diverse panel of feminist thought leaders, including renowned advertising exec & Founder of Make Love Not Porn Cindy Gallop, media blogger & Co-Founder of TheLi.st and Change the Ratio Rachel Sklar, Co-Founder and CEO of WIE and founder of The Other Festival Dee Poku, MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle, and CNN political commentator Sally Kohn.   

One of the simplest most powerful answers to the question of “What can men do to help?” came from Gallop: “It’s very easy. Just 2 things: Listen to us. And believe us.” Why is that so hard to do?

Learn more about how you can help get the world to 50/50. Visit Shlain's website for more information about how to join the global initiative. And check out #Gettingto5050. 

Imagine a world where women and men were truly equal -- in their rights, in their power, in their pay, … in everything… Help make it happen! Sign up for 50/50 Day 2018 (It’s free! It’s powerful!)

Check out BN story about Tiffany Shlain’s Character Day, now in its 4th year, which activated over 93,000 events in 125 countries and all 50 states this past fall. The next Character Day is set for September 13th, 2017.

And check out the BN review of Shlain’s award-winning feature documentary, Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology, which explores interdependence and what it means to be connected in the 21st century.

Read more about Beautiful Wonder Women in Wonder Woman Mermaid Empowers Women & Girls, Wonder Women Begin As Wonder Girls, and Wonder Woman Horse Whisperer.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS: 

1. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. “50/50 Rethinking the Past, Present & Future of Women + Power.”
2. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. “50/50 Rethinking the Past, Present & Future of Women + Power.”
3. Image: Courtesy of Jacki Zehner. Jacki Zehner in her Wonder Woman shoes and dress.
4. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. Still from 50/50 the Film. Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain reads history books.
5. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. Still from 50/50 the Film.
6. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. Still from 50/50 the Film.
7. Image: Courtesy of Refinery29. Tiffany Shlain.
8. Image: Courtesy of Let it Ripple. “50/50 Rethinking the Past, Present & Future of Women + Power.”
9. Image: by Lauri Levenfeld. Tiffany Shlain. Courtesy of The Project for Women.
10. Image: by Lauri Levenfeld. Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain. Courtesy of The Project for Women.
11. Image: Courtesy of Moxie Institute. Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain.
12. Image: by BN App - Download now!
13. Image: Courtesy of Moxie Institute. Still from Connected film by Tiffany Shlain.