The West Virginia University Center for Women’s and Gender Studies has partnered with Monongalia County Girls on the Run to shed some light on an important issue affecting girls and women globally.

The organizations have partnered to offer a screening of the film “Miss Representation,” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Gluck Theater in the Mountainlair.

The documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, was aired by the Oprah Winfrey Network. The film explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. The film delivers a powerful message about the media’s role in convincing women that their value and power is linked only to their youth, beauty and sexuality, rather than their capacity to lead.

“It is important for women to understand where the ideals regarding body image and self-worth are coming from, and to start forming their own opinions,” said Allyson Perry, graduate teaching assistant for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

Laurie Abildso, council director of the Monongalia County chapter of Girls on the Run, is excited to partner with WVU and hopes this film will be a springboard for new thinking and community-wide conversation.

Girls on the Run is a national organization that combines training for a 5K running event with healthy living education. Programs instill self-esteem and strong values through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships, and physical training—all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community.

The Center for Women’s & Gender Studies supports teaching, research and advocacy that is based on feminist perspectives and centered on analyses of gender and its intersection with race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age and ability.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations to the Center or Girls on the Run are welcome. For more information, contact the center at wmst@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

BLL 9/20/12

CONTACT: Rebecca Herod, Director of Marketing and Communications
304-293-9264, Rebecca.Herod@mail.wvu.edu

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