By Ashley Callahan
For over four decades, Women’s Equality Day has been celebrated every year on August 26th. It was originally celebrated in 1973 to commemorate the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment into the US Constitution in 1920. It was this Amendment that granted women the right to vote. Women continue to make significant strides socially and politically. Today, a profound movement of women in the entertainment industry has been catching Hollywood and the rest of the world by storm. In addition, the trademark of a strong, female hero archetype has become a staple in a number of blockbuster films. From Gal Gadot’s character in Wonder Woman (2017) to Julie Andrew’s Maria The Sound of Music (1965), the narrative of a female hero has shown over and over again how courageous and strong women are.
Within the past few years alone, we have seen the first female Jedi in The Force Awakens (2015), the resilient hero Katniss in The Hunger Games (2012), and the wit and clarity of Hermoine in the Harry Potter films (2001-2011). To go back even further, we must also recognize the impact female heroes have had throughout cinematic history. In Gone with the Wind (1939), Scarlett O’Hara faces an unrequited love and difficulties brought on by the Civil War. Audrey Hepburn showed us the feisty, independent spirit of Holly Golightly in the classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). Jodie Foster portrayed the incredibly brave detective, Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and the strong-willed Elizabeth Bennett has been exhibited in several adaptations of Pride and Prejudice over the years. This Women’s Equality Day, we recognize and celebrate the impact women continue to have socially as well as in entertainment!
