Disney adaptations of popular fairy tales could be behind the discrepancy between the number of women in top leadership positions and that of men, according to bestselling Canadian author Jeanne Martinson.
Ms Martinson, who has written about leadership and diversity, said the key to creating powerful women leaders was understanding the impact of superficial messages shaped by different media, including animated films.
Women all over the world were constantly objectified and over-sexualised, making it harder for them to attain top leadership positions without succumbing to society’s ideas of what women leaders should be like, she said.
“Films, advertisements and other media products, emphasise superficiality at every opportunity.
“Girls are constantly receiving messages telling them to look pretty, be passive and to not trust other women,” she said.
Ms Martinson spoke to The Sunday Times of Malta ahead of a conference held yesterday, which celebrated the 85th anniversary of Business and Professional Women, BPW, where she was a speaker.
If a woman is slightly more assertive, she is immediately labelled as aggressive or even evil. Instead of moving forward, women are constantly being pulled back because of such ideologies
The international organisation seeks to empower women and help them develop leadership skills.
In her book Tossing the Tiara, released earlier this year, Ms Martinson analysed four popular fairy tales and looked at the impact that their interpretation by Disney had on young girls and women.
“These animated films idealise a version of the female body that is completely unattainable, for instance. Look at Cinderella, with her voluminous skirt and tiny waist, it’s an unrealistic version of what women should look like.”
Young girls who idolise such characters grow up with the idea that being pretty is the only way to success and only those who embody society’s view of what beauty is can be powerful leaders, Ms Martinson said.
When they then enter the workforce, women have these images in mind which they believe they need to live up to.
On the wave of Disney’s more-recent animated films, where female characters are in control and ultimately save the day, Ms Martinson insisted these characters are no better than their predecessors.
“At first glance, the new female characters do seem to embody power and leadership. However, if you listen closely to the song lyrics in films such as Frozen, you realise their tone is even more passive than that of characters that came before.”
Ms Martinson said this passivity could be seen everywhere, not just in animated films and this hindered women’s ability to succeed in the same way as their male counterparts, she said.
“If a woman is slightly more assertive, she is immediately labelled as aggressive or even evil. Instead of moving forward, women are constantly being pulled back because of such ideologies.”