Featured image credit: Instagram / Golden Globes
Women’s voices are already becoming louder in 2018! We will be heard, not just shadows in the background. This is the year of the woman.
Across the media, women of every age are more engaged, energized and resolute than ever. Issues that were long ignored are finally coming to the surface, and women from a wider community are uniting to speak up and use their voices and influence to demand real change.
#MeToo has sparked a heated debate that runs the gamut: from Oprah Winfrey’s appeal for women’s rights to Catherine Deneuve’s admonition to moderation. Finally, a debate about sexism, says DW’s Susanne Lenz-Gleissner.
The Golden Globes has set the frame for the year, celebrating some of the most influential and talented women in Hollywood. As Vogue exclaim, the Golden Globes belonged to women over 50.
Hollywood has had a turbulent year, but arguably one of it’s best for women, with more powerful, classy and sophisticated roles available and more female protagonists, with titles like Wonder Woman, Big Little Lies and Get Out subverting many sexist conventions of Hollywood.
Meanwhile, behind the camera, there are more female-backed productions than ever before, a triumph for gender equality and an indicator of what’s yet to come.
The showstopper of the Golden Globes was perhaps Oprah Winfrey’s appearance to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award. The 63-year-old was the first woman of colour to receive it and delivered a powerful speech which was met with a standing ovation from the audience.
Winfrey quickly set the scene, dedicating her speech to speak out against sexual harassment, racial and gender discrimination,“I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”
She continues to address sexual harassment, “For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak the truth of power to those men, but the time is up!”
“I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon… and when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women many of whom are right here in that room tonight and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure they become the leaders to take us to a time where nobody has to say ‘me too’ again.” Said Winfrey, referring to the viral #metoo campaign on social media denouncing sexual misconduct in light of the Harvey Weinstein allegations.
Watch Oprah Winfrey’s full speech here:
75-year-old Barbra Streisand was another who delivered a powerful speech. The singer and actress also holds the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award and recited a fitting close the show.
“Backstage I heard they said I was the only woman . . . to get the Best Director award, and you know, that was 1984—that was 34 years ago… folks, time’s up!” said Streisand.
The Golden Globes have set a strong start for 2018 as the year of the woman!
