Female Change Makers: Part One
At distillery, we believe that content changes the world. We (only) make content to create a positive impact. To celebrate this Women’s Equality Day, we spoke to some of the women at distillery, who’ve they shared inspiring female change makers that have created a positive impact, either for themselves personally or on the wider world.
We believe it is so important to have equal representation of inspiring women. After all, change makers create change makers and you can’t be what you can’t see!
We’ll be sharing a few of their choices in our upcoming series of blogs, starting this week Esther and Lucy…
Esther Yue
Head of Operations
CHOSEN FEMALE CHANGE MAKER(S):
Ms Vibha Bakshi
Award winning Director and Producer
What has she done to create change?
Vibha Bakshi has created films that spotlight the gender violence issues in the hinterlands of India.
Why do you admire her?
I admire her for her courage to stand up to fight against gender violence in a male dominated country. This type of despicable violence and attitudes against women does not only happen in India, it can happen across the globe. In one of her films, Daughter of Mother India, Vibha Bakshi successfully instilled hope for abused victims, empowering them to look beyond their experiences and live their lives to the fullest again.
Why did it resonate with you?
I’ve interacted with victims of such violence in Asia in the past and strongly feel for them, for not having the courage to speak up and not having the appropriate resources to fight their cases.
Is there something they have done that has inspired you in your work/how have they affected your attitude/actions?
Through her work, she has created awareness that such gender violence is COMPLETELY unacceptable. I want to become more sensitive towards anyone who is in distress and be able to offer any help I can, where appropriate.
Lucy Rennie
Director of Strategy
CHOSEN FEMALE CHANGE MAKER(S):
Jane Fonda
actor & activist
What they've done to create change?
Jane Fonda has done a lot, she is always advocating equal rights across various intersectionalities. In response to a best friend’s account of the prolific sexism against secretaries in big institutions of the 1980s, she proactively pitched, produced, and appeared in the disarmingly funny but punchy ‘9 to 5’ highlighting the ridiculous reality. She is resiliently active in the women’s rights movement, she also co-founded the Women’s Media Centre in 2005 - a non-profit to raise visibility, viability and decision-making power of women and girls in media.
Why you admire them?
She’s someone who practises what they preach as an active ally to many marginalised groups & issues (clocking up 5 arrests for peaceful protests as recently as 3 years ago, aged 81!). She also savvily produced the top-selling 80s ‘Jane Fonda’s Workout’, which opened up the male dominated fitness industry to women (AND produced such legendary lines as “no pain, no gain”!). AND she used it all to fund her political activism for economic democracy! She’s also brilliantly articulate, funny, smart & honest in her delivery of both her acting and activism.
Why did it resonate with you?
I remember seeing her infamous but dated workout VHS covered in dust on a shelf, not realising that it was such powerful content in its time. The more I consume her content, the more she rises as a role model, particularly for women’s voices & rights.
Is there something they have done that has inspired you in your work/how have they affected your attitude/actions?
Her resilient commitment to making a positive impact wherever she can, from creating impactful content to sharing an emphatic, genuine smile. And throughout her life, she always values the great people to work/play with along the way. All good things to channel!
If you’d like to see how we can make content that has a positive impact for your brand, or you would just like to have a chat, get in touch.
