Women[i] tear down women all the time. It’s a solid truth, a truth which we should no longer have to follow. Throughout history women have been led to believe that the norm is to be a divided body. It’s so easy to name movies and TV show directly depicting this common theme. I won’t deny that these are some of my favourite movies I mean, Mean Girls anyone? It is time to show young girls, who are growing up in an age where screen media is deeply cemented in developed society, that women as one supportive body can conquer all.

I can recall many times where I, myself have torn other women down, and I will not blame media solely for my own personal behaviour, I am much too aware I have made conscious decisions to behave in this way, but I can tell you from personal experience that watching television and movies where leading female characters tear each other down when I was younger, lead me to believe this was the way girls acted. Countless movies and countless television shows solidified this idea for me. I thought this behaviour was completely okay. It wasn’t and it never will be.

Women tearing women down because of their achievements, beliefs, sexual orientation, gender assignment at birth or appearance only divides a body which if sewn together as one, could conquer all oppression and misogyny. A divided party can never work with constant bickering and hatred towards fellow members. It’s time that women stood and fought for a common cause, gender equality, for all genders[ii]. It’s time that media, both screen and social media fought this fight with us.

I look towards you, media to create films and television shows where women are not tearing each other down, where the popular girls are not the mean girls, but in fact powerful intelligent individuals helping the rest of the girls around them. It’s time that the younger girls of the next generation see that pretty girls are not dumb and blonde is just another hair colour. It’s time to bring girls up in a world where women are not a divided body, where gossip is not malicious, but that of achievement and positivity, where celebrities that care only of the money they are making are not role models, but influential women are those seeking and speaking up for a positive change in the world are the true role models of our time.

I am just one voice of millions that are seeking the exact change we need to see in the world, and now that millions of individuals are seeking the change, maybe someone may actually pay attention to the yelling.