Since we just featured AAUW Dialog’s summer reading lists, I wanted to share information about a film that recently debuted in May. Directors Amy Sewell and Susan Toffler produced a compelling documentary, What’s Your Point, Honey?, about seven young women who aspire to one day run for office but who also face inequities in their lives. This film was created to encourage young women to participate in the electoral process. The stars of the film are active leaders on their college campuses or in their local communities. In addition, in 2006 they participated in Project 2024, a summer internship program established six years ago by CosmoGirl!, a popular teen magazine, with the support of The White House Project, an advocacy group that focuses on women running for political office at all levels. Project 2004’s mission is to have an equal number of women and men presidential candidates and ultimately have one of their unique interns become president by the year 2024.
Aside from the interesting premise of the film, what makes it even more fascinating is that the narrators are three young girls between the ages of 8 and 12. They travel around New York in hopes of discovering why there has yet to be a female president. In addition, these young girls provide a different generation’s point of view on the issues.
Currently, women hold only 16.4 percent of the seats in Congress, 72 in the House and 16 in the Senate. According to the research report Differential Gender Ambition in Politics, by Jennifer Feinberg, there are five reasons more women do not run for political office:
- a masculinized political environment,
- heightened media scrutiny,
- expectations surrounding family life,
- struggles with self-esteem and self-confidence, and
- lack of mentors and support networks.
One of the many ways AAUW is combating this disparity is by partnering with American University’s Women and Politics Institute and Running Start on a program called Campaign College. The basic goal is to increase the number of women who run for local, state, and federal office by training them to run for student government offices on their college campuses. This program was recently introduced at the 2008 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL), and we will be choosing several pilots in the fall to start bringing the program to campuses nationwide.
From the trailer, What’s Your Point, Honey? looks like a great film and is now playing in certain areas across the United States. You can e-mail the film website to request that the film be shown at your local theater, or you can buy the DVD as well as other merchandise online. I know I will be doing one of the two!
Do you think there will be a woman president by the year 2024? What are you doing to make this possible?
Thank you for making such a unique film. I actually just ordered the DVD, I can’t wait to watch it! I’ve also heard good things about your other documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom, from friends of mine. I definitely plan on watching that one too. I’m sure both films are worth watching. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I’m sure a lot of people will benefit. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
Thanks for your coverage! My last doc was MAD HOT BALLROOM and I am just as excited about this documentary and hope you all like it. It has inspired me in making it — that is for sure! Since the Mayor of Atlanta didn’t run for office until she was 52, I’ve decided I have about 5 years to seriously consider it! If you can manage a home, you can run a state! Looking forward everyday to the future of women; especially our for our daughters! The DVD comes with a Viewers Guide (think book club Readers Guide) and the college and middle/high school DVDs come with their own study guides! Enjoy the film! Amy Sewell, Director, WHAT’S YOUR POINT, HONEY?