Forty-three years ago, Ms. Magazine published their inaugural issue with this cover of Wonder Woman marching through Washington, DC with a mission to reverse the gender bias of US politics. To paraphrase Linda Carter, who portrayed the superhero on TV from 1975-1979, we may have come a long way, baby, but our fight for equality is far from over.
As we celebrate those illustrious figures who have held the highest office in the nation's government, let's reflect on the gender imbalance of the presidency throughout US history. Not a single female president in 226 years in our fair land. But it's not a magic lasso that's going to get a woman into the oval office.
What we need is a concerted effort to reverse the socio-cultural structures that keep women from achieving great things in politics. And one of the main ways we can do this is through images and role models.
There is a very good reason why the iconic presence of Wonder Woman has permeated our collective imagination. The phenomenon explicitly demonstrates the POWER OF IMAGES. Especially in this visually-driven age, it is more important than ever to reach young women by holding up a mirror that reflects their gender in empowered roles. This is the driving force behind PiP. Reaching young women through images.