News YOU Should be Watching: The 51 Percent, Women Shaping the World

It is a wonderful thing to engage with the following content, and here at Clever Alice we want to spread the message and media outlets that provide a perspective that so often goes unheard.

France24 is a television news network based in Paris that reports on international current events. One particular program stands out: The 51 Percent. Presenter and creator, Annette Young, runs the important news cast that covers women’s issues and accomplishments throughout the world that can be viewed online where segments are uploaded after they air every Friday.

All past episodes are free to access on the site. Topics are presented in a concise and compelling manner. Those with small slivers of free time can remain informed and up to date on prevalent issues. Accessible to a wide audience, those in the United States can appreciate the show as it is presented in the English language. 

As for host Annette Young herself, she is well equipped to deliver no nonsense facts and remains as objective in her assessment of global issues that relate to gender. The journalist has had an extensive career, reporting in Australia, the Middle East, and establishing herself in Paris at France24. Her contribution to the network earned her a spot as one of the 20 most inspirational women in the media, acknowledged by UN Women in 2015. She had also received the gold medal for Ricardo Ortega Memorial prize in broadcast journalism in 2018.  She constantly interviews paragons of many industries that help shed light on the current topic of the week, while her research provides credible statistical data that exemplify points of discussion. You can followe her twitter for more immediate updates. 

Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, for example, The 51 Percent most recently hosted Sociologists like Dr. Heejung Chung who examines the role of women during Quarantine. The episode posits that the pandemic has triggered a backwards shift for women's roles in the household. Women are expected to be both active in the labor market from home and take the lead in domestic responsibilities such as house and child care. Thus, spikes of subtle gender inequality are exacerbated by global crises.

The 51 Percent also questions whether female leaders have done a better job in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern, Germany’s Angela Merkel, and Iceland’s Katrín Jakobsdóttir are just a few of the women credited with keeping the spread of the deadly disease at a minimum throughout their respective countries. Factual and insightful, the show is current and relevant and honors the struggles and accomplishments of a gender operating in a patriarchal world. 

Brilliantly, The 51 Percent does not shy away from touching upon uncomfortable truths and controversial topics. Some of these are the increase in domestic violence, reproductive rights, women’s tentative relationships with finance, abortion, and more. 

Prominent on twitter, The 51 Percent support—to name only a few—trending hashtags like #Sharetheload, #WomeninSTEM, and #Womeninmedicine, encouraging women to uncover their strengths through truth and education. Riveting and bite sized content bring awareness to divisive topics and the contribution of women to their communities and problems that plague them while undergoing unjust sufferings and scant recognition. 

 It is imperative to uphold standards for ourselves—to inspire growth and seek knowledge so that we may unite in a time of economic and emotional unrest. We are, after all, 51 percent of the population and our voices are worthy of being heard. Make sure to tune in, catch updates, and stay informed through valuable past content. So let’s hear it for the 51 Percent! Let’s hear it for YOU.