Women’s History Month: 11 Female-Empowering Movies

women empowerment movies

March is Women’s History Month, so now would be a great time to watch these 11 films that celebrate and encourage women and are available on Netflix. (Please note: you’re welcome to watch movies about women the rest of the year too!) “Princess Cyd” Wolfe Video ‘Princess Cyd’ (2017) Metacritic score: 71 “Princess Cyd” completely knocked my socks off. The premise is simple: Cyd, a 16-year-old girl, spends a few weeks visiting her aunt in Chicago. I usually mitigate my expectations for performances in low-budget independent films, but “Princess Cyd” features some of the most realistic portrayals of women I’ve ever seen on screen. The dialogue perfectly captures the way my own family members might speak to one another, and there’s nothing self-serving about the film. It merely champions, quite successfully, the importance of positive female role models in a young woman’s life. ‘Moana’ (2016) Metacritic score: 81 The tide has turned, so to speak. Instead of the helpless “rescued by a prince” princesses of yesteryear, Disney has made a sincere effort in the last decade to tell stories that will inspire young girls to be strong and independent. Moana plays a Polynesian teenager who sets out on an oceanic mission to […]

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Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan

Women in Hollywood Time's Up

Driven by outrage and a resolve to correct a power imbalance that seemed intractable just months ago, 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives have formed an ambitious, sprawling initiative to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue-collar workplaces nationwide.
Called Time’s Up, the movement was announced on Monday with an impassioned pledge of support to working-class women in an open letter signed by hundreds of women in show business, many of them A-listers. The letter also ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times, and in La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper.

“The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly,” the letter says.

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Fashion Company Transforms Plastic Bottles Into Activewear

The fashion industry receives a lot of criticism for a lack of eco-friendly sourcing and production methods. Girlfriend Collective (GC) has tackled this issue head-on by creating an eco-friendly line of activewear clothing. GC was founded to offer people a completely transparent clothing line. The Seattle based company is built from top to bottom with sustainability initiatives in mind. All of their packaging is recycled and recyclable, and they make most of their clothing with post-consumer products. 

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Julianne Moore To Play Gloria Steinem In Upcoming Biopic

Gloria Steinem Julianne Moore

After decades of tirelessly championing women’s rights, Gloria Steinem’s legacy is finally headed to the screen. Oscar winner Julianne Moore, who won Best Actress for 2015’s Still Alice, will take on the role of Steinem in a biopic based on the activist’s recent memoir, My Life On The Road. The coming-of-age story will chronicle Steinem’s experiences traveling to advocate for women’s equality over the years. According to Deadline, Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe) will direct from a script written by playwright Sarah Ruhl.

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Janie Barnett: Empowering Women Through Music

Janie Barnett

Meet Americana singer-songwriter, Janie Barnett. Janie is no stranger to the many pressures that come with being a woman. She knows what it’s like to be a mother, wife, daughter, therapist, friend, and professional all at the same time. In her life, she has had to balance raising a child, navigating a divorce, and advancing her career. This struggle to stay afloat in the midst of life’s challenges is a theme in Janie’s newest album, You See This River. The songs on this album are a result of Janie’s life-long musical exploration to find her artistic voice. They are pulled from some of the most deeply emotional moments of that journey. With this album, she hopes to empower women who have faced similar challenges in their lives. She seeks to show these women that they are not alone in their journey.

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Art, Data, and Environmental Stewardship

Art, Data, and Environmental Stewardship

Parents and teachers who are searching for ways to engage kids with local environmental issues might look to their community parks or science museums for opportunities. But what about art? Environmental issues can often be overwhelming or disheartening for members of the public, and art offers an innovative way to promote interest that can lead to deeper engagement down the line. This approach presents a particular opportunity for younger audiences, combining activities they love – like coloring, building, and crafts – with the basics of environmental issues.

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How C&A Created the World’s First Cradle to Cradle T-shirt

In June, C&A, the international Dutch chain of retail clothing stores launched a line of T-shirts certified to the Cradle to Cradle standard, meaning that they were designed and manufactured in a way that is benign to the environment and human health, and whose materials can be recirculated safely back into industrial materials or composted into the soil. It represents, in no small measure, the future of product design and manufacturing. Creating a Cradle to Cradle (or C2C) T-shirt — at scale and at an affordable price to the consumer — was no small feat for C&A. It required a board-level commitment, close partnerships with contract manufacturers, an arduous search for replacements for problematic materials and some new messaging to customers.

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Dance Theater Celebrates Role of Women in Social Movements

Dance Theater Celebrates Role of Women in Social Movements

Social movements — whether they concern race, economic equity or environmental justice — often have one thing in common: They are led and sustained by women. That’s a theme at the core of Ananya Dance Theatre’s latest piece, “Shyamali: Sprouting Words,” which looks at the role of women in fostering dissent, and how protest in turn leads to progress. Dancer Felicia Perry said that throughout the dance, there is an analogy between women who protest and the grass beneath our feet. “Grass can be pretty annoying … in the ways that women are annoying when we speak up and we speak out, but we keep coming back.” “Shyamali” features Ananya Dance Theatre’s signature mix of classical Indian dance, yoga and martial arts. The moves are at times dreamy and sensual, at other times fiercely physical. The dancers are beaten down, and they come back.

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Transforming 660 Pounds of Plastic Debris Into Artwork

Transforming 660 Pounds of Plastic Debris Into Artwork

Eko Nugroho, Indonesia’s leading visual artist, has collaborated with such iconic and recognizable brands as Louis Vuitton and IKEA – now, he has created a piece meant to highlight the issue of the plastic pollution of our planet. The piece, called Bouquet of Love, is a 30-by-20-foot installation created using 660 pounds of local plastic debris. It will be installed on a popular beach club in Bali.

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7 Ways to Make Your Home More Sustainable and Peaceful

Sustainabile_living_women_of_green

Take the step towards sustainable living with these 7 tips. Inch yourself each day towards a zero-waste lifestyle while also making your home look and feel more peaceful and beautiful. There are many reasons to make your home more sustainable, and saving money on your energy bills is only one reason. Many people choose to go greener to save the environment for future generations by reducing their carbon footprints. Fortunately, making your home more sustainable may not be as complicated or expensive as you might think. Here are seven key things you can start with today.

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