This year’s International Women’s Day challenges communities around the world to work for #BalanceforBetter. Today encourages the world to honor the important contributions women make to society, politics, and the economy. #BalanceforBetter demands dedicated action to improve gender equality. The team behind Netflix’s hit reboot, SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER answered the call by compiling an empowering video and resource kit for International Women’s Day 2019. Complete with a video discussion guide and thematic team-oriented games, the team behind SHE-RA delivers a positive toolkit for young people who want to help #BalanceforBetter. Executive producer Noelle Stevenson and voice actors Aimee Carrero (Adora/She-Ra), Lauren Ash (Scorpia), Marcus Scribner (Bow), Karen Fukuhara (Glimmer), Merit Leighton (Frosta), and Krystal Joy Brown (Netossa) discuss why diverse and positive representation is important for making a better and more gender-balanced future.

Restoring Balance in Etheria and Beyond

In the first season of SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER, Adora learns how to fill the role of She-Ra. But in order to restore balance and save the planet, Adora and her friends Bow and Glimmer must unite the Princesses of Power throughout Etheria and defeat the Hoard. The cast of characters provides audiences with rich representation: diverse bodies, creative superpowers, and many passions and interests. For example, Perfuma is a tall but delicate princess who can magically grow plants. Glimmer is the tenacious teleporting princess of Brightmoon who demonstrates remarkable loyalty and leadership. The princesses and their friends demonstrate a full array of personalities and identities. By working together and supporting one another, the friends can accomplish their goals. SHE-RA gives audiences of all ages a show with exciting and powerful representation.

With talented artist and writer Noelle Stevenson at the helm of an all-female writers room and majority-female crew, SHE-RA does more than restore balance to Etheria. The show and the team model ways in which balance can improve our society. Consequently, SHE-RA perfectly embodies International Women’s Day 2019’s theme. Indeed, SHE-RA’s creative team helps balance gender in an industry dominated by men. Moreover, the men who do participate in making SHE-RA exceptional (like voice actor Marcus Scribner) rise to the occasion of working for equality alongside women. Shows like SHE-RA give audiences an invaluable image of what positive social change looks like.

SHE-RA and International Women’s Day 2019

By teaming up with International Women’s Day 2019, the SHE-RA team sends an important message about education and empowerment. Along with the video discussing SHE-RA and gender equality, the educational materials include tools for teaching young people about gender equality. The toolkits encourage audiences to find balance in themselves in order to help protect the rights of others. The cheerful, team-oriented games and activities promote self-reflection in a way that is accessible to children. Moreover, by giving children a space for gender-affirming play, the materials help break down toxic-masculinity.

If you haven’t watched SHE-RA yet, it is worth any cartoon-enthusiast’s time. More importantly, it is worth any feminist’s time, too. Indeed, in our world, gender inequality intersects with racial, economic, social oppression. It is a joy to see a universe created by young women where women’s leadership and friendship thrives.

Check out the SHE-RA International Women’s Day video here!