January 27, 2025 • 31 mins
The episode explores the vital role of youth in achieving gender equity through empowerment and education, focusing on the GET Project led by Ariella Neckritz, Director of Youth Programs at The Representation Project. It discusses the importance of addressing systemic issues and stereotypes while fostering an inclusive dialogue that equips future leaders with necessary tools for change. Our conversation is an essential primer on the topic of equality that includes key films and curriculum that empower youth. Through the lens of influential documentaries like "Misrepresentation" and "The Mask You Live In," Arielle offers an inside look at how media representation shapes societal perceptions and the critical mission of the Representation Project, founded by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, in combating sexism with compelling narratives and educational campaigns.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we'll discuss gender equity and the
empowerment of students andyoung people so they can shape
the future they envision.
Our guest, arielle AnnetteKreetz, is the Director of Youth
Programs at the RepresentationProject.
I'm Maria McMullin and this isGenesis the Podcast.
Arielle Annette Kreetz pronounsthey.
(00:22):
She is the Director of YouthPrograms at the Representation
Project, where they leadinitiatives to foster gender
equity and empower youngchangemakers.
Ariella developed Gender EquityTraining the project also known
as GET the project and overseesthe Youth Advisory Council.
She was also featured in theRepresentation Project's
(00:42):
documentary Misrepresentation.
They hold a BA in Women'sGender and Sexuality Studies in
Human Services and SocialJustice from GWU.
Ariella was a previous guest onGenesis the Podcast during their
time as Director of ViolencePrevention and Training at
Jewish Women International.
In that role, they helpedlaunch the National Center on
(01:04):
Domestic and Sexual Violence inthe Jewish Community and led
trauma-informed intersectionalinitiatives, delivering over 100
workshops to 6,000 studentsacross 20 universities.
They also managed the NationalAlliance to End Domestic Abuse,
organizing 80 webinars for 8,000professionals in the sexual and
domestic violence preventionfield.
(01:24):
She joins us today to discussher role at the Representation
Project and about the GETProject.
Ariella, welcome to the podcast, hi.
Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks so much for coming backand talking with us again.
I believe just a few years agoyou were on when you worked at
the Jewish Women's International.
(01:45):
Is that correct?
Yes, it is, and so now you'reworking with the Representation
Project.
What is that project?
What is that organization?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yes, so we are a nonprofit organization founded
by Jennifer Sebel Newsom andwe're dedicated to using films,
education and campaigns to fightsexism and challenge harmful
gender norms and stereotypes.
Our films and curricula havereached nearly 30 million
individuals globally, which isjust mind-blowing amazing
(02:17):
including over 2.6 million youth, and our social media
impressions have exceeded 1.86billion.
We're a documentary impact filmorganization, so our films
include Misrepresentation, whichexposes how mainstream media
and culture contribute to theunderrepresentation of women in
(02:38):
positions of power.
The Mask you Live In, whichfollows boys and young men as
they navigate America's narrowdefinition of masculinity.
And the Great American Lie,examining the roots of systemic
inequalities amid growingeconomic disparities.
And our last film, fair Play,which you can watch on Hulu,
(02:59):
takes a deep look at domesticinequality and invisible care
work deep look at domesticinequality and invisible care
work.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, those are all really important topics and I'd
love to be able to learn moreabout each one of those films.
I'd also love to know moreabout the history of the
Representation Project and howit seeks to empower individuals
and communities.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, so we've been around for 13 years and again,
as I mentioned, the organizationwas started by our founder,
jennifer Sebel Newsome, who cameto this work as someone who had
been in the media industry asan actress, you know,
experiencing challenges in thenarrow roles that women were
receiving, and then also, youknow, seeing the parallels in
(03:41):
terms of underrepresentation ofwomen in government and
corporations, and she wanted toreally highlight and talk about
this problem, and so she createdmisrepresentation, which was
viewed, you know, by millionsglobally and really started a
conversation about mediarepresentation and also the way
(04:02):
that, you know, women aretreated in politics and how
women and, I would say, genderexpansive folks and people of
color are underrepresented inpositions of power.
And so from there, you know,conversations bloomed.
Then she filmed the Mask youLive In, which started a, you
know, a huge conversation abouthealthy masculinity and what
(04:27):
does masculinity look like inAmerica, and so that is kind of
the origin story of ourorganization.
We also started doing reportsto have the data to talk about
what are we seeing in terms ofrepresentation?
We started campaigns addressingsexism in Super Bowl ads and
really calling out when we'reseeing companies and
(04:48):
corporations further harmfulsexist narratives and tropes,
and so that created a toolboxfor us to really advocate for a
more equitable world, and that'skind of the origin story of our
organization.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, that's a great yet brief, very brief history of
a really serious project.
So, just for folks who arelistening, because we don't have
anything you know up on ascreen that you can look at
misrepresentation.
The film is actually two words,right, so it's mis M-I-S-S as
in the feminine representation.
So I just wanted to make thatclear in case people go looking
for the film and they're typingit all as one word.
And I also want to learn aboutthe new project that you
(05:33):
launched in September called GetG-E-T the project.
What is that?
What are its components?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So first I'll just share you know I have the
pleasure of being the directorof youth programs at the
Representation Project, where Iget to lead initiatives that
foster gender equity and empoweryoung changemakers, and I had
the great honor to develop theGender Equity Training Project
along with overseeing our YouthAdvisory Council.
(06:01):
So I really get to be a part ofour youth work as someone who
was a youth impacted by thisorganization, and I was actually
featured in the documentary youjust mentioned
Misrepresentation.
So it's been this reallybeautiful opportunity to come
back to the organization andhelp create tools to support
young people, as a young personwho was served by this
(06:23):
organization.
So Get the Project is a newbold initiative from the
Representation Project, designedto empower youth as the next
generation of gender justiceleaders, and it's a full suite
of free offerings that includesa curriculum, an online hub and
youth clubs, and they're eachaimed at fostering gender equity
(06:44):
and inspiring action.
So the curriculum is a freeeight-module curriculum for high
school and college studentsthat tackles key issues such as
media literacy, gender norms,healthy masculinity, body image,
mental health, social mediaconsent, healthy relationships
and sexual misconduct.
(07:05):
And what's great is theseworkshops can be delivered as a
series or individually.
So they're set up and ready forteachers, parents, youth
leaders to present them and havesomething ready to go.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
So let me just ask a question about that.
So just give us an example ofwhat one of the modules might
look like.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So I just had the great opportunity of
co-facilitating a module withone of our youth and it's about
social media and mental health,and so we open it up by kind of
talking to young people aboutsocial media you know, what
platforms do they use, how oftendo they use them and then from
there, we really dive into whatis digital well-being and
(07:47):
talking about building habits tosupport our mental health.
We talk about, you know, whatwe're witnessing with a youth
mental health crisis right nowin America.
We think about cyber bullyingand how do we support friends
who are experiencing cyberbullying, whether that's
connected to gender-basedviolence or just, you know,
bullying itself.
And then we close out by reallythinking about, you know, what
(08:09):
can we do to support ourwellness and our well-being,
where we think about self-care,but also how do we share these
practices of, maybe you know,taking a digital detox or, you
know, encouraging friends toconnect in person.
How do we share these toolswith our community?
Yeah, so it sounds veryinteractive.
Yes, very interactive.
(08:31):
We incorporate videos from ourfilms.
There's lots of space for youthto really share and connect
with one another.
We use TikTok videos, so reallyhighlighting youth-centric
media, and we also have, youknow different worksheets and
activities that allow peoplespace to reflect, connect and
share.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
How long does it take to implement one module?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Each modules are set up to be, you know, an hour to
45 minutes, so the hope is theycould work for a class period,
but I think it would be supereasy to you know take out some
of the activities or maybe someof the discussion questions.
So if you have more limitedtime, there's still ways to
integrate the content and if youwanted to expand on it, there's
(09:16):
lots of ways that you could,you know, make these sessions
longer and add additionalmaterial.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It's great to hear that there are some other
options to extend the learning.
Let's talk about the otherelements of Get the Project.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So we also created an online hub.
We really saw a need.
We know that young people areconnecting online and we wanted
to create a safe space whereyoung people can learn.
We have courses where they canlearn about event planning,
social media for social change,community organizing and
activism, alongside creating youknow, creating a space for
(09:54):
youth changemakers to connectwith each other and ask for
support, ask for help, createmore community, because we know
this work can be lonely, it canbe hard, it can be challenging,
and so we wanted to offer aspace for young people to
connect and share, but also it'sa great place to share
resources.
That's where I'll post about,you know, different
(10:14):
opportunities through some ofour partners, so that hopefully,
it's kind of a space for lotsof different youth opportunity
and connection.
And, additionally, we'restarting a clubs program and
this gives youth the opportunityto bring those modules that we
were just discussing to theirschool, to their community.
(10:34):
All of the modules were createdin connection with youth.
We worked with our youthleaders to develop these
materials, so the hope is thatyoung people can facilitate them
themselves for their community,them themselves for their
community, and so we hope thatthe clubs give them a way to
kind of bridge our mission withmaking that direct impact in
(10:56):
their area.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
That's outstanding.
So when we opened the show, wewere talking about the
Representation Project as anorganization that produces films
, and so now we're talking aboutcurriculum and getting right
down into the classroom with theyoung people who really need
this supplementary education.
So how did that come togetherand what role did young people
(11:20):
play in creating it?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So I'll mention that all of our films include free
curriculum.
We've always believed that itis so important to offer tools
to educate and empower youngpeople and the folks that serve
them.
So you know if, based on thispodcast, you learn about the
mask you live in ormisrepresentation or fair play.
(11:43):
All of these films have freecurriculum and that's something
that we've always been committedto and think is really critical
.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yeah, that's great.
I didn't realize all of that,so that's great to know that.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So we've been in the in the curriculum space and the
prevention and gestation spacefor a while and you know why we
thought, you know, developingthis curriculum especially was
really important is becausewe're seeing all these
conversations about all thesedifferent critical issues and we
wanted to create acomprehensive resource that
brings those conversationstogether.
(12:16):
We know that preventioneducation is so essential
because it equips young peoplewith the knowledge and skills to
really recognize these harmfulbehaviors, challenge stereotypes
and advocate for themselvesbefore issues escalate.
I'll just share some statisticsto try to help us understand the
world young people are livingin right now.
But nearly half of high schoolstudents are experiencing sexual
(12:39):
harassment, one in five haveseriously considered suicide in
the past year, and social mediais only further exacerbating
these issues, with one in fourteens reporting a negative
impact on their well-being and46% feeling bad about their
bodies.
And we're also seeing thatimpact around eating disorders,
(13:00):
with 50% of teenage girls and30% of teenage boys engaging in
unhealthy weight controlbehaviors.
So these statistics reallyillustrate why we need to
address these issues, andespecially right now, and so in
creating the curriculum for me,I really developed tools that I
wished I'd had workshops abouthealthy body image, digital
(13:21):
well-being, healthyrelationships, and so this was
the opportunity for us to buildthe toolbox for the next
generation of youth leaders, anopportunity to create a program
(13:43):
that addresses media literacy,implicit bias, mental health,
consent together, because theseissues are interconnected how we
see ourselves, how we interactwith others and how we engage
with society all influence oneanother.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So let's talk about that interconnection.
How is the fight for genderequity and preventing dating and
sexual violence interconnected?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
The fight for gender equity and the prevention of
dating and sexual violence isrooted in shared underlying
causes harmful gender norms,power disparities and societal
attitudes that devalueindividuals based on identity.
Gender equity seeks to createan environment where people of
all gender identities have equalrights, opportunities and are
(14:29):
treated with respect.
Dating and sexual violencefrequently emerge from systemic
inequalities that perpetuatedominance and control.
Promoting gender equity allowsus to confront and dismantle the
gender stereotypes andexpectations that fuel violence.
For instance, restrictivedefinitions of masculinity can
(14:50):
promote aggressive behavior.
By tackling these harmful normsthrough education and advocacy,
we can cultivate a culture thatprioritizes and values consent,
respect and healthyrelationships.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more and, as a parent of
teenagers, I do think that allof this can be true at some
point for kids in high school.
But I have to wonder how kidsin high school are actually
thinking about, if they'reactually thinking about gender
roles and, if they do, howcritically they go through that
(15:29):
process.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I think that's such a good question.
I know that young people arebeing bombarded with so much
information as they're, you know, receiving.
You know so much through TikTokand social media, through their
schools, through theircommunities.
There's so much messaging and,whether they're realizing it or
(15:52):
not, they're absorbing some ofthat information and I think
it's really critical that wecreate a space for young people
to think about that informationthat they're absorbing and
really talk about gender normsand stereotypes, because they
influence so much of how we showup in the world.
(16:13):
Stereotypes, because theyinfluence so much of how we show
up in the world.
Restrictive gendered rolescontribute to harmful gender
stereotypes, body image issuesand unique power dynamics.
So encouraging thinking aboutthese roles empower youth to
challenge those norms andachieve their full potential.
And I think what we really wantto focus on is how do we create
a world where youth can becomewho they want to be, rather than
(16:33):
conforming to who society tellsthem they need to be?
So how do we create that spacefor them to be their authentic
selves outside of theserestrictive norms or stereotypes
?
And whether they're realizingthose norms or stereotypes
impact them.
I think that can vary fromyouth to youth and that's why we
(16:53):
want to bring Get the Projectto more communities so that we
can create a space for youngpeople to talk about it and
really think about who they wantto be, versus conforming to
these norms and stereotypes.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I think that's a great question how do we create
that world, how do we createthat space?
And I bet that kids today wouldhave a lot of really insightful
answers to that and what theysee the future as for their
generation.
This show right how we createthat world because we could
(17:34):
theorize and we could look atthe feedback from the curriculum
, but it's going to be up to theyouth of today to decide if
they want to take that on, takeon gender roles and gender
equity and just fairness abouthow those roles are seen in
society.
What kind of feedback have yougotten specifically from Going?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
back to your last point.
You know, something that wasreally powerful about, you know,
thinking about that world thatyoung people want to create is
finishing our Youth AdvisoryCouncil experience.
We had the youth create aintersectional feminist zine,
honoring, you know, homage tomagazines, their self-published
magazines, and we had each ofthe youth, you know, submit
(18:20):
different art and stories anddifferent pieces just to share
and kind of reflect on theirexperience and think about, you
know, what did they want toshare with the world?
And I was really moved.
One of our youth, you know,created a piece talking about
(18:43):
like, what does the future ofthis work look like?
And it just made me so excitedto see that there are so many
young people who, you know, seethe world today and really want
to make that impact.
And I think our role as adultsis to continue to lift up those
voices, to celebrate thosevoices and to support those
voices.
And I feel really lucky, as ayoung person who was supported
by an organization, to get tocome back to that organization
and support more young people,you know, and feeling like their
(19:06):
voice matters, that their voiceis heard, but also really
equipping them with the tools tomake an impact.
And so, you know, thanks formentioning that, and I also want
to just shout you out as aparent.
You know, I think so manyparents play a critical role in
bringing these conversations tothe home, and thank you for
mentioning, you know, your kidsand you know thank you to all
(19:27):
the parents who are also, youknow, committing to bringing
these conversations to theirhome space.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and there's certainly there's education that
can happen at school andthrough a curriculum like the
one that you've developed, andhome is a big part of that as
well.
If it's not getting reinforcedat home, then it may not really
stick.
So it's important for parentsto be very engaged in their
children's lives as well.
(19:54):
I understand that you wereintentional about trying to make
this project engaging for boysand men.
Why was that so important toyou?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
We really wanted to ensure that the materials were
engaging for everyone, whetherthat's boys, girls or gender
expansive youth, becauseeveryone is impacted by harmful
and restrictive gender norms andstereotypes.
Our module on healthymasculinities specifically
addresses the effects of normson men and boys, but the
(20:23):
curriculum as a whole wasdesigned to include all young
people in the conversation.
We know that progress can onlybe made when everyone is a part
of the solution.
Everyone has a seat at thetable table, so encouraging all
(20:44):
youth to embrace empathy,vulnerability and respect is
critical to creating a moreequitable world and an equitable
future.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, I think that's the perfect premise for what
you're trying to achieve.
I know this is a curriculumthat can be used in schools, so
how would you like to see theproject used in other schools or
in the wider community?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I'd love to see the gender equity training
curriculum used as kind of afoundational tool by schools,
community centers andyouth-serving organization and
prevention nonprofits.
It can be implemented in aclassroom setting, but also with
an after-school program or by apeer-led group.
These multimedia workshops canbe delivered as a series or
(21:21):
individually, so I think theywould be a great fit for school
assemblies, advisory groups,freshman orientations, dormitory
workshops, affinity cohorts,leadership councils, student
organization or communityoutreach efforts.
So you know, we hope that thistool could be used in a variety
of settings to support, you know, professionals, young people,
(21:44):
in creating space to have thesecritical conversations and build
you know, more supportive, morerespectful, more equitable
communities.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
And the curriculum is no cost correct For schools,
For schools.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
It's completely free for anyone.
So anyone can download thiscurriculum.
If you're a parent, if you're acoach, if you're a sibling, if
you're a student activist, it'scompletely free for anyone to
use, and we welcome people usingthese resources in whatever
(22:20):
ways can serve you know theircommunities.
So completely free.
And so is the hub, our youthonline space, so is the clubs
and so is all of our curriculum.
So if you download ourcurriculum for misrepresentation
, the mask, you live in fairplay, great American lie.
All of these resources are free.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Excellent.
Let's talk about results.
What results have you seen frompeople who piloted this
curriculum?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
So the results from our pilot, which we conducted in
two schools and an after-schoolyouth program, have been really
promising.
College students facilitatedthe workshops for high school
students, so it was peer-led,peer-driven and evaluating their
(23:07):
experiences.
Before and after participatingin the gender equity program.
We saw students report, youknow, 25.8% increase in their
understanding of healthymasculinities, a 24.4% increase
in knowledge around the historyof gender justice activism,
which, I'll add.
I think it's so important thatwe honor the people who have
brought us to this moment, toall the trailblazers to all the
people who have done so muchwork to build this movement, and
(23:29):
so I'm really grateful.
We have a workshop about thehistory of gender justice
activism, and I think that's soimportant because we know
women's history is often notlifted up, but also the history
of this movement is not oftenlifted up as we think about US
history, but it's so criticalthat we honor and celebrate
(23:50):
those trailblazers.
Additionally, there was a 14.3%increase about gender justice
issues and a 9.9% increase inhealthy social media use, which
is great to see.
As we know, a lot of youngpeople are struggling and
building that balance withsocial media use, and we also
saw a 7.3% increase in theirability to effectively advocate
(24:14):
for themselves.
We think advocating foryourself is such a critical tool
it is, it's an important skillfor yourself is such a critical
tool it is, it's an importantskill.
But most notably, there was asignificant reduction in overall
sexism scores, dropping from52.5 out of 60 to 38.5.
So these measurableimprovements really demonstrate
(24:35):
that the curriculum is not onlyresonating with students, but
making a real impact in shiftingtheir perspectives and
behaviors.
And I'll just add sinceelection day, researchers at the
Institute for StrategicDialogue have tracked a 4,600%
increase in misogynistic hatespeech online, including phrases
(24:59):
like your body, my choice, andso it is so critical, especially
in this moment, that we offertools to reduce the rise of
sexism.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I couldn't agree more with everything that you just
said, and I did want to ask aquestion about the data and the
outcomes that you reported.
So was that done through asurvey of participants or some
other method?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yes, we did a pre-test and a post-test, and
then we had the data analyzed byresearchers and then,
additionally, like I did,interviews with some of our
youth participants to betterunderstand their experiences and
the impact of the curriculum.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
So cause I'm just trying to get an idea of how it
was compiled and how people whomight want to use this
curriculum in their classroom orfor their workshop how they
could.
Is that tool given to them aswell?
How to collect that kind ofinformation.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yes, everything is set up and ready to go.
So we have a pre-test andpost-test survey and anyone who
chooses to you know facilitatethese workshops in their
community, we're happy to sharethat data with you as we ask
students you know where are like, what school are they at or
what area they're in.
Easily share that data forschools to be able to, or
(26:24):
community centers ororganizations to be able to talk
about the impact offacilitating this program on the
youth in their community.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
That sounds great.
So, beyond the curriculum andfilm and following the
representation project on socialmedia and just really learning
about all of these issues, whatare some ways listeners can
advocate for gender justice?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Some ways that listeners can advocate for
gender justice is to be anupstander and intervene when you
witness sexism.
With the holidays coming up,you know thinking about the
conversations that might happen.
It's a great opportunity for usto show support to those in our
family, our loved ones, when wewitness sexism and call in
(27:03):
loved ones to really talk aboutthese critical issues.
Read books and learn more aboutgender justice issues and the
trailblazers who advanced thismovement.
There's so many wonderful booksand resources, so I highly
encourage folks to dive in,engage in conversations with
your friends, colleagues andfamily members about gender
(27:24):
justice.
So much of how we can create achange is by connecting and
sharing with one another,especially those who we're close
to and connected to, becausethat can make a huge impact.
Share educational resourceswithin your community impact.
Share educational resourceswithin your community.
(27:44):
Get is a great resource.
There's also many otherwonderful resources out there
and I highly encourage you toshare those resources.
Create and repost genderjustice content on social media.
Volunteer for organizations orpolitical campaigns that
advocate for gender equity.
You can start a petition orcampaign for causes that promote
gender justice.
Write your politicalrepresentatives or vote to
(28:07):
support gender justice policies.
Donate or fundraise for genderjustice related causes, such as
domestic violence, shelters ormenstrual product drives, and
continue to listen to Genesis,the podcast supporting media
that shatters the silence ondomestic violence and issues
impacting women and girls.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, that last one, though I mean that's the
important one, right?
Thank you for mentioning that,Ariella.
I think that all of thosepoints are super important and
great ways to just begin yourjourney.
If you're interested inadvocating for gender justice,
Tell us where people can learnmore about the Representation
Project.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
So you can find us at our website, which is
thereprojectorg, and if youwanna learn more information
about Get the Project, thegender equity training, you can
go to thereprojectorg slasheducation slash get.
You can find us on Facebook andTikTok under the Rep Project,
(29:10):
and then YouTube, instagram andthreads.
We're at misrepresentation and,as you pointed out at the
beginning, it's M-I-S-Smisrepresentation.
And then at LinkedIn you canfind us as the Representation
Project.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
So there's no excuse for not being able to find you
guys, because you're everywhere,right?
This is fantastic, ariella.
I really learned a lot aboutthe project and about how the
work you're doing is changingthe lives and hopefully shaping
the future for our nextgeneration of leaders in this
country.
Thank you for being with me andbest of luck in the
(29:48):
continuation of this work.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
I really appreciate the spacethat you're creating within our
movement to spotlight new ideas,important initiatives and
critical work.
So thank you so much for havingme on again.
It's been an honor and so muchgratitude for what you are doing
.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
My pleasure.
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days a week, by call or text at214-946-HELP 214-946-4357.
Today we'll discuss gender equity and the
empowerment of students andyoung people so they can shape
the future they envision.
Our guest, arielle AnnetteKreetz, is the Director of Youth
Programs at the RepresentationProject.
I'm Maria McMullin and this isGenesis the Podcast.
Arielle Annette Kreetz pronounsthey.
(00:22):
She is the Director of YouthPrograms at the Representation
Project, where they leadinitiatives to foster gender
equity and empower youngchangemakers.
Ariella developed Gender EquityTraining the project also known
as GET the project and overseesthe Youth Advisory Council.
She was also featured in theRepresentation Project's
(00:42):
documentary Misrepresentation.
They hold a BA in Women'sGender and Sexuality Studies in
Human Services and SocialJustice from GWU.
Ariella was a previous guest onGenesis the Podcast during their
time as Director of ViolencePrevention and Training at
Jewish Women International.
In that role, they helpedlaunch the National Center on
(01:04):
Domestic and Sexual Violence inthe Jewish Community and led
trauma-informed intersectionalinitiatives, delivering over 100
workshops to 6,000 studentsacross 20 universities.
They also managed the NationalAlliance to End Domestic Abuse,
organizing 80 webinars for 8,000professionals in the sexual and
domestic violence preventionfield.
(01:24):
She joins us today to discussher role at the Representation
Project and about the GETProject.
Ariella, welcome to the podcast, hi.
Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks so much for coming backand talking with us again.
I believe just a few years agoyou were on when you worked at
the Jewish Women's International.
(01:45):
Is that correct?
Yes, it is, and so now you'reworking with the Representation
Project.
What is that project?
What is that organization?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yes, so we are a nonprofit organization founded
by Jennifer Sebel Newsom andwe're dedicated to using films,
education and campaigns to fightsexism and challenge harmful
gender norms and stereotypes.
Our films and curricula havereached nearly 30 million
individuals globally, which isjust mind-blowing amazing
(02:17):
including over 2.6 million youth, and our social media
impressions have exceeded 1.86billion.
We're a documentary impact filmorganization, so our films
include Misrepresentation, whichexposes how mainstream media
and culture contribute to theunderrepresentation of women in
(02:38):
positions of power.
The Mask you Live In, whichfollows boys and young men as
they navigate America's narrowdefinition of masculinity.
And the Great American Lie,examining the roots of systemic
inequalities amid growingeconomic disparities.
And our last film, fair Play,which you can watch on Hulu,
(02:59):
takes a deep look at domesticinequality and invisible care
work deep look at domesticinequality and invisible care
work.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, those are all really important topics and I'd
love to be able to learn moreabout each one of those films.
I'd also love to know moreabout the history of the
Representation Project and howit seeks to empower individuals
and communities.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, so we've been around for 13 years and again,
as I mentioned, the organizationwas started by our founder,
jennifer Sebel Newsome, who cameto this work as someone who had
been in the media industry asan actress, you know,
experiencing challenges in thenarrow roles that women were
receiving, and then also, youknow, seeing the parallels in
(03:41):
terms of underrepresentation ofwomen in government and
corporations, and she wanted toreally highlight and talk about
this problem, and so she createdmisrepresentation, which was
viewed, you know, by millionsglobally and really started a
conversation about mediarepresentation and also the way
(04:02):
that, you know, women aretreated in politics and how
women and, I would say, genderexpansive folks and people of
color are underrepresented inpositions of power.
And so from there, you know,conversations bloomed.
Then she filmed the Mask youLive In, which started a, you
know, a huge conversation abouthealthy masculinity and what
(04:27):
does masculinity look like inAmerica, and so that is kind of
the origin story of ourorganization.
We also started doing reportsto have the data to talk about
what are we seeing in terms ofrepresentation?
We started campaigns addressingsexism in Super Bowl ads and
really calling out when we'reseeing companies and
(04:48):
corporations further harmfulsexist narratives and tropes,
and so that created a toolboxfor us to really advocate for a
more equitable world, and that'skind of the origin story of our
organization.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, that's a great yet brief, very brief history of
a really serious project.
So, just for folks who arelistening, because we don't have
anything you know up on ascreen that you can look at
misrepresentation.
The film is actually two words,right, so it's mis M-I-S-S as
in the feminine representation.
So I just wanted to make thatclear in case people go looking
for the film and they're typingit all as one word.
And I also want to learn aboutthe new project that you
(05:33):
launched in September called GetG-E-T the project.
What is that?
What are its components?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So first I'll just share you know I have the
pleasure of being the directorof youth programs at the
Representation Project, where Iget to lead initiatives that
foster gender equity and empoweryoung changemakers, and I had
the great honor to develop theGender Equity Training Project
along with overseeing our YouthAdvisory Council.
(06:01):
So I really get to be a part ofour youth work as someone who
was a youth impacted by thisorganization, and I was actually
featured in the documentary youjust mentioned
Misrepresentation.
So it's been this reallybeautiful opportunity to come
back to the organization andhelp create tools to support
young people, as a young personwho was served by this
(06:23):
organization.
So Get the Project is a newbold initiative from the
Representation Project, designedto empower youth as the next
generation of gender justiceleaders, and it's a full suite
of free offerings that includesa curriculum, an online hub and
youth clubs, and they're eachaimed at fostering gender equity
(06:44):
and inspiring action.
So the curriculum is a freeeight-module curriculum for high
school and college studentsthat tackles key issues such as
media literacy, gender norms,healthy masculinity, body image,
mental health, social mediaconsent, healthy relationships
and sexual misconduct.
(07:05):
And what's great is theseworkshops can be delivered as a
series or individually.
So they're set up and ready forteachers, parents, youth
leaders to present them and havesomething ready to go.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
So let me just ask a question about that.
So just give us an example ofwhat one of the modules might
look like.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So I just had the great opportunity of
co-facilitating a module withone of our youth and it's about
social media and mental health,and so we open it up by kind of
talking to young people aboutsocial media you know, what
platforms do they use, how oftendo they use them and then from
there, we really dive into whatis digital well-being and
(07:47):
talking about building habits tosupport our mental health.
We talk about, you know, whatwe're witnessing with a youth
mental health crisis right nowin America.
We think about cyber bullyingand how do we support friends
who are experiencing cyberbullying, whether that's
connected to gender-basedviolence or just, you know,
bullying itself.
And then we close out by reallythinking about, you know, what
(08:09):
can we do to support ourwellness and our well-being,
where we think about self-care,but also how do we share these
practices of, maybe you know,taking a digital detox or, you
know, encouraging friends toconnect in person.
How do we share these toolswith our community?
Yeah, so it sounds veryinteractive.
Yes, very interactive.
(08:31):
We incorporate videos from ourfilms.
There's lots of space for youthto really share and connect
with one another.
We use TikTok videos, so reallyhighlighting youth-centric
media, and we also have, youknow different worksheets and
activities that allow peoplespace to reflect, connect and
share.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
How long does it take to implement one module?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Each modules are set up to be, you know, an hour to
45 minutes, so the hope is theycould work for a class period,
but I think it would be supereasy to you know take out some
of the activities or maybe someof the discussion questions.
So if you have more limitedtime, there's still ways to
integrate the content and if youwanted to expand on it, there's
(09:16):
lots of ways that you could,you know, make these sessions
longer and add additionalmaterial.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It's great to hear that there are some other
options to extend the learning.
Let's talk about the otherelements of Get the Project.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So we also created an online hub.
We really saw a need.
We know that young people areconnecting online and we wanted
to create a safe space whereyoung people can learn.
We have courses where they canlearn about event planning,
social media for social change,community organizing and
activism, alongside creating youknow, creating a space for
(09:54):
youth changemakers to connectwith each other and ask for
support, ask for help, createmore community, because we know
this work can be lonely, it canbe hard, it can be challenging,
and so we wanted to offer aspace for young people to
connect and share, but also it'sa great place to share
resources.
That's where I'll post about,you know, different
(10:14):
opportunities through some ofour partners, so that hopefully,
it's kind of a space for lotsof different youth opportunity
and connection.
And, additionally, we'restarting a clubs program and
this gives youth the opportunityto bring those modules that we
were just discussing to theirschool, to their community.
(10:34):
All of the modules were createdin connection with youth.
We worked with our youthleaders to develop these
materials, so the hope is thatyoung people can facilitate them
themselves for their community,them themselves for their
community, and so we hope thatthe clubs give them a way to
kind of bridge our mission withmaking that direct impact in
(10:56):
their area.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
That's outstanding.
So when we opened the show, wewere talking about the
Representation Project as anorganization that produces films
, and so now we're talking aboutcurriculum and getting right
down into the classroom with theyoung people who really need
this supplementary education.
So how did that come togetherand what role did young people
(11:20):
play in creating it?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So I'll mention that all of our films include free
curriculum.
We've always believed that itis so important to offer tools
to educate and empower youngpeople and the folks that serve
them.
So you know if, based on thispodcast, you learn about the
mask you live in ormisrepresentation or fair play.
(11:43):
All of these films have freecurriculum and that's something
that we've always been committedto and think is really critical
.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yeah, that's great.
I didn't realize all of that,so that's great to know that.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So we've been in the in the curriculum space and the
prevention and gestation spacefor a while and you know why we
thought, you know, developingthis curriculum especially was
really important is becausewe're seeing all these
conversations about all thesedifferent critical issues and we
wanted to create acomprehensive resource that
brings those conversationstogether.
(12:16):
We know that preventioneducation is so essential
because it equips young peoplewith the knowledge and skills to
really recognize these harmfulbehaviors, challenge stereotypes
and advocate for themselvesbefore issues escalate.
I'll just share some statisticsto try to help us understand the
world young people are livingin right now.
But nearly half of high schoolstudents are experiencing sexual
(12:39):
harassment, one in five haveseriously considered suicide in
the past year, and social mediais only further exacerbating
these issues, with one in fourteens reporting a negative
impact on their well-being and46% feeling bad about their
bodies.
And we're also seeing thatimpact around eating disorders,
(13:00):
with 50% of teenage girls and30% of teenage boys engaging in
unhealthy weight controlbehaviors.
So these statistics reallyillustrate why we need to
address these issues, andespecially right now, and so in
creating the curriculum for me,I really developed tools that I
wished I'd had workshops abouthealthy body image, digital
(13:21):
well-being, healthyrelationships, and so this was
the opportunity for us to buildthe toolbox for the next
generation of youth leaders, anopportunity to create a program
(13:43):
that addresses media literacy,implicit bias, mental health,
consent together, because theseissues are interconnected how we
see ourselves, how we interactwith others and how we engage
with society all influence oneanother.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So let's talk about that interconnection.
How is the fight for genderequity and preventing dating and
sexual violence interconnected?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
The fight for gender equity and the prevention of
dating and sexual violence isrooted in shared underlying
causes harmful gender norms,power disparities and societal
attitudes that devalueindividuals based on identity.
Gender equity seeks to createan environment where people of
all gender identities have equalrights, opportunities and are
(14:29):
treated with respect.
Dating and sexual violencefrequently emerge from systemic
inequalities that perpetuatedominance and control.
Promoting gender equity allowsus to confront and dismantle the
gender stereotypes andexpectations that fuel violence.
For instance, restrictivedefinitions of masculinity can
(14:50):
promote aggressive behavior.
By tackling these harmful normsthrough education and advocacy,
we can cultivate a culture thatprioritizes and values consent,
respect and healthyrelationships.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more and, as a parent of
teenagers, I do think that allof this can be true at some
point for kids in high school.
But I have to wonder how kidsin high school are actually
thinking about, if they'reactually thinking about gender
roles and, if they do, howcritically they go through that
(15:29):
process.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I think that's such a good question.
I know that young people arebeing bombarded with so much
information as they're, you know, receiving.
You know so much through TikTokand social media, through their
schools, through theircommunities.
There's so much messaging and,whether they're realizing it or
(15:52):
not, they're absorbing some ofthat information and I think
it's really critical that wecreate a space for young people
to think about that informationthat they're absorbing and
really talk about gender normsand stereotypes, because they
influence so much of how we showup in the world.
(16:13):
Stereotypes, because theyinfluence so much of how we show
up in the world.
Restrictive gendered rolescontribute to harmful gender
stereotypes, body image issuesand unique power dynamics.
So encouraging thinking aboutthese roles empower youth to
challenge those norms andachieve their full potential.
And I think what we really wantto focus on is how do we create
a world where youth can becomewho they want to be, rather than
(16:33):
conforming to who society tellsthem they need to be?
So how do we create that spacefor them to be their authentic
selves outside of theserestrictive norms or stereotypes
?
And whether they're realizingthose norms or stereotypes
impact them.
I think that can vary fromyouth to youth and that's why we
(16:53):
want to bring Get the Projectto more communities so that we
can create a space for youngpeople to talk about it and
really think about who they wantto be, versus conforming to
these norms and stereotypes.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I think that's a great question how do we create
that world, how do we createthat space?
And I bet that kids today wouldhave a lot of really insightful
answers to that and what theysee the future as for their
generation.
This show right how we createthat world because we could
(17:34):
theorize and we could look atthe feedback from the curriculum
, but it's going to be up to theyouth of today to decide if
they want to take that on, takeon gender roles and gender
equity and just fairness abouthow those roles are seen in
society.
What kind of feedback have yougotten specifically from Going?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
back to your last point.
You know, something that wasreally powerful about, you know,
thinking about that world thatyoung people want to create is
finishing our Youth AdvisoryCouncil experience.
We had the youth create aintersectional feminist zine,
honoring, you know, homage tomagazines, their self-published
magazines, and we had each ofthe youth, you know, submit
(18:20):
different art and stories anddifferent pieces just to share
and kind of reflect on theirexperience and think about, you
know, what did they want toshare with the world?
And I was really moved.
One of our youth, you know,created a piece talking about
(18:43):
like, what does the future ofthis work look like?
And it just made me so excitedto see that there are so many
young people who, you know, seethe world today and really want
to make that impact.
And I think our role as adultsis to continue to lift up those
voices, to celebrate thosevoices and to support those
voices.
And I feel really lucky, as ayoung person who was supported
by an organization, to get tocome back to that organization
and support more young people,you know, and feeling like their
(19:06):
voice matters, that their voiceis heard, but also really
equipping them with the tools tomake an impact.
And so, you know, thanks formentioning that, and I also want
to just shout you out as aparent.
You know, I think so manyparents play a critical role in
bringing these conversations tothe home, and thank you for
mentioning, you know, your kidsand you know thank you to all
(19:27):
the parents who are also, youknow, committing to bringing
these conversations to theirhome space.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah, and there's certainly there's education that
can happen at school andthrough a curriculum like the
one that you've developed, andhome is a big part of that as
well.
If it's not getting reinforcedat home, then it may not really
stick.
So it's important for parentsto be very engaged in their
children's lives as well.
(19:54):
I understand that you wereintentional about trying to make
this project engaging for boysand men.
Why was that so important toyou?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
We really wanted to ensure that the materials were
engaging for everyone, whetherthat's boys, girls or gender
expansive youth, becauseeveryone is impacted by harmful
and restrictive gender norms andstereotypes.
Our module on healthymasculinities specifically
addresses the effects of normson men and boys, but the
(20:23):
curriculum as a whole wasdesigned to include all young
people in the conversation.
We know that progress can onlybe made when everyone is a part
of the solution.
Everyone has a seat at thetable table, so encouraging all
(20:44):
youth to embrace empathy,vulnerability and respect is
critical to creating a moreequitable world and an equitable
future.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, I think that's the perfect premise for what
you're trying to achieve.
I know this is a curriculumthat can be used in schools, so
how would you like to see theproject used in other schools or
in the wider community?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I'd love to see the gender equity training
curriculum used as kind of afoundational tool by schools,
community centers andyouth-serving organization and
prevention nonprofits.
It can be implemented in aclassroom setting, but also with
an after-school program or by apeer-led group.
These multimedia workshops canbe delivered as a series or
(21:21):
individually, so I think theywould be a great fit for school
assemblies, advisory groups,freshman orientations, dormitory
workshops, affinity cohorts,leadership councils, student
organization or communityoutreach efforts.
So you know, we hope that thistool could be used in a variety
of settings to support, you know, professionals, young people,
(21:44):
in creating space to have thesecritical conversations and build
you know, more supportive, morerespectful, more equitable
communities.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
And the curriculum is no cost correct For schools,
For schools.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
It's completely free for anyone.
So anyone can download thiscurriculum.
If you're a parent, if you're acoach, if you're a sibling, if
you're a student activist, it'scompletely free for anyone to
use, and we welcome people usingthese resources in whatever
(22:20):
ways can serve you know theircommunities.
So completely free.
And so is the hub, our youthonline space, so is the clubs
and so is all of our curriculum.
So if you download ourcurriculum for misrepresentation
, the mask, you live in fairplay, great American lie.
All of these resources are free.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Excellent.
Let's talk about results.
What results have you seen frompeople who piloted this
curriculum?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
So the results from our pilot, which we conducted in
two schools and an after-schoolyouth program, have been really
promising.
College students facilitatedthe workshops for high school
students, so it was peer-led,peer-driven and evaluating their
(23:07):
experiences.
Before and after participatingin the gender equity program.
We saw students report, youknow, 25.8% increase in their
understanding of healthymasculinities, a 24.4% increase
in knowledge around the historyof gender justice activism,
which, I'll add.
I think it's so important thatwe honor the people who have
brought us to this moment, toall the trailblazers to all the
people who have done so muchwork to build this movement, and
(23:29):
so I'm really grateful.
We have a workshop about thehistory of gender justice
activism, and I think that's soimportant because we know
women's history is often notlifted up, but also the history
of this movement is not oftenlifted up as we think about US
history, but it's so criticalthat we honor and celebrate
(23:50):
those trailblazers.
Additionally, there was a 14.3%increase about gender justice
issues and a 9.9% increase inhealthy social media use, which
is great to see.
As we know, a lot of youngpeople are struggling and
building that balance withsocial media use, and we also
saw a 7.3% increase in theirability to effectively advocate
(24:14):
for themselves.
We think advocating foryourself is such a critical tool
it is, it's an important skillfor yourself is such a critical
tool it is, it's an importantskill.
But most notably, there was asignificant reduction in overall
sexism scores, dropping from52.5 out of 60 to 38.5.
So these measurableimprovements really demonstrate
(24:35):
that the curriculum is not onlyresonating with students, but
making a real impact in shiftingtheir perspectives and
behaviors.
And I'll just add sinceelection day, researchers at the
Institute for StrategicDialogue have tracked a 4,600%
increase in misogynistic hatespeech online, including phrases
(24:59):
like your body, my choice, andso it is so critical, especially
in this moment, that we offertools to reduce the rise of
sexism.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I couldn't agree more with everything that you just
said, and I did want to ask aquestion about the data and the
outcomes that you reported.
So was that done through asurvey of participants or some
other method?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yes, we did a pre-test and a post-test, and
then we had the data analyzed byresearchers and then,
additionally, like I did,interviews with some of our
youth participants to betterunderstand their experiences and
the impact of the curriculum.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
So cause I'm just trying to get an idea of how it
was compiled and how people whomight want to use this
curriculum in their classroom orfor their workshop how they
could.
Is that tool given to them aswell?
How to collect that kind ofinformation.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yes, everything is set up and ready to go.
So we have a pre-test andpost-test survey and anyone who
chooses to you know facilitatethese workshops in their
community, we're happy to sharethat data with you as we ask
students you know where are like, what school are they at or
what area they're in.
Easily share that data forschools to be able to, or
(26:24):
community centers ororganizations to be able to talk
about the impact offacilitating this program on the
youth in their community.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
That sounds great.
So, beyond the curriculum andfilm and following the
representation project on socialmedia and just really learning
about all of these issues, whatare some ways listeners can
advocate for gender justice?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Some ways that listeners can advocate for
gender justice is to be anupstander and intervene when you
witness sexism.
With the holidays coming up,you know thinking about the
conversations that might happen.
It's a great opportunity for usto show support to those in our
family, our loved ones, when wewitness sexism and call in
(27:03):
loved ones to really talk aboutthese critical issues.
Read books and learn more aboutgender justice issues and the
trailblazers who advanced thismovement.
There's so many wonderful booksand resources, so I highly
encourage folks to dive in,engage in conversations with
your friends, colleagues andfamily members about gender
(27:24):
justice.
So much of how we can create achange is by connecting and
sharing with one another,especially those who we're close
to and connected to, becausethat can make a huge impact.
Share educational resourceswithin your community impact.
Share educational resourceswithin your community.
(27:44):
Get is a great resource.
There's also many otherwonderful resources out there
and I highly encourage you toshare those resources.
Create and repost genderjustice content on social media.
Volunteer for organizations orpolitical campaigns that
advocate for gender equity.
You can start a petition orcampaign for causes that promote
gender justice.
Write your politicalrepresentatives or vote to
(28:07):
support gender justice policies.
Donate or fundraise for genderjustice related causes, such as
domestic violence, shelters ormenstrual product drives, and
continue to listen to Genesis,the podcast supporting media
that shatters the silence ondomestic violence and issues
impacting women and girls.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Well, that last one, though I mean that's the
important one, right?
Thank you for mentioning that,Ariella.
I think that all of thosepoints are super important and
great ways to just begin yourjourney.
If you're interested inadvocating for gender justice,
Tell us where people can learnmore about the Representation
Project.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
So you can find us at our website, which is
thereprojectorg, and if youwanna learn more information
about Get the Project, thegender equity training, you can
go to thereprojectorg slasheducation slash get.
You can find us on Facebook andTikTok under the Rep Project,
(29:10):
and then YouTube, instagram andthreads.
We're at misrepresentation and,as you pointed out at the
beginning, it's M-I-S-Smisrepresentation.
And then at LinkedIn you canfind us as the Representation
Project.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
So there's no excuse for not being able to find you
guys, because you're everywhere,right?
This is fantastic, ariella.
I really learned a lot aboutthe project and about how the
work you're doing is changingthe lives and hopefully shaping
the future for our nextgeneration of leaders in this
country.
Thank you for being with me andbest of luck in the
(29:48):
continuation of this work.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
I really appreciate the spacethat you're creating within our
movement to spotlight new ideas,important initiatives and
critical work.
So thank you so much for havingme on again.
It's been an honor and so muchgratitude for what you are doing
.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
My pleasure.
Genesis Women's Shelter andSupport exists to give women in
abusive situations a way out.
We are committed to our missionof providing safety, shelter
and support for women andchildren who have experienced
domestic violence, and to raiseawareness regarding its cause,
prevalence and impact.
Join us in creating a societalshift on how people think about
(30:31):
domestic violence.
You can learn more atGenesisShelterorg and when you
follow us on social media onFacebook and Instagram at
Genesis Women's Shelter, and onX at Genesis Shelter.
The Genesis Helpline isavailable 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, by call or text at214-946-HELP 214-946-4357.
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