I just love the Women Media Center’s newest campaign - Name It. Change It. Designed to proactively reach out to media to make sure they pledge not to engage in sexist attacks (particularly against women candidates and all women in the media).  Bloggers and journalists were invited to add to a growing list of media who have taken the equality pledge. These writers and pathway-makers will be the eyes and ears of Name It. Change It. in  reporting incidents of sexism, to take direct action towards equality.

Now there are a lot of political women in the media these days that I may not necessarily like or agree with for one reason or another.  However, when women support women, others will stop attacking them.  If you remember that a few days ago we celebrated the 90th anniversary of women’s right to vote, it makes you take a new look at the women candidates running for office during November’s midterm elections.  Many have already begun to experience one of the biggest obstacles to their electoral success:  The toxic manner in which they are portrayed in the media.  And many women journalists have long sat as silent victims to all kinds of attempts at limits and stopgaps.  I was browsing through a magazine the other day and pulled out three or four ads that were right in line with the kinds of media portrayal that often exists in our age.

This, from a woman’s point of view must become unacceptable and is one of the reasons why Women’s Media Center, Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation, and Political Parity have partnered to launch Name It. Change It., a national campaign to ensure media accountability.  The Name It. Change It. project aims high: To remove one of the most serious barriers to America’s representative democracy.  When women demand the respect they deserve either for their ideology, their occupation, or their appearance – they honor the generations who have gone before and they protect the generations to come.  Is a smiling woman in high heels vacuuming a real depiction of the women you know, respect and cherish?  Not unless she reaaaallllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy loves vacuuming!  So it is these kinds of images that block true reform – where the idea is more powerful than the speaker.  Where we are judged by the content of our character and not by the color of our blush.

Yesterday, the Women’s Media Center conducted a press conference launch where they made a public plea for active involvement. The mobilization of an active online community to hold media accountable for sexist coverage is one of the top priorities and a viral video also premiered.  A new Sexism Alert System (SAS) will measure media coverage that is “Just Plain Sexist,” “Really Damn Sexist,” or descends into “Severe Misogyny” — and hold outlets accountable for these incidents.  Sexism can be overt or subversive and where it exists, it must be eradicated.  Through Name It. Change It., you too can help prevent the next “cleavage”/”ice-queen”/you-name-it smear and change it to coverage of policies and values.  Join the Women’s Media Center here!  Sexism is a very real obstacle for many of today’s working women – regardless of which generational group they belong to.  When you see it, call it out.  Call it what it is.  And “Be Wholly You” – call it over!