GoldieBlox, a building toy that says their mission is to inspire the next generation of female engineers, has a brand new ad with their Ruby Rails and Goldie Blox action figures playing some iconic action movie roles.

The video also gives a statement to show WHY it’s so important that girls be able to see themselves represented in front of the camera and behind the scenes at the movies.

Only 12% of protagonists in major Hollywood films are female. Even in the background, in crowded wide shots, women only make up about 17% of those shown in live action and animated movies. Among the highest grossing G-rated films of all time, female characters are outnumbered by male characters by three to one.

Move behind the camera and the numbers are sadly similar: in 2014, only 15% of films had female directors, 20% had female writers, and a mere 8% had female cinematographers.

50% of the population is female. This is a problem.

We’re not here to produce the next blockbuster; we’re here to provide a role model in play. When the girls in your life pick up Ruby Rails, we want them to know that they can be a high-flying, fashion-loving programming extraordinaire too. We want them to feel like they can be a boxer, a secret agent, a dinosaur wrangler, or a fighter pilot.

Our girls deserve action heroes with flowing hair and combat boots. Our girls deserve to see themselves on-screen and calling the shots behind the scenes. Our girls deserve more.

 

Whatever you do though….DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS AFTER THE VIDEO. There are some truly vile people in the world. But they definitely show there’s a need to keep fighting for our girls.