The Future is Female: Empowering Young Women to Redefine the Arts Scene
In today’s society, people in the arts and media industry surround us in society. To promote Women’s History Month, we will highlight five young women leading the industry today. Despite the limitations women in the arts and media industry face, these five women are navigating through these challenges while using their activism to promote social change.
Olivia Rodrigo is a 21-year-old musician and actress. She has various achievements under her belt: her first album, Sour, led to four top 10 hits, setting the record for the longest-running debut album in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in the 21st century. She has actively fought for women’s rights with her fame: Olivia Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good is an initiative to support various causes supporting women, including education and reproductive rights, and against gender-based violence.
Another influential figure in the industry is Drew Afualo. Like Rodrigo, Afualo uses her platform to support women’s rights. As a 29-year-old content creator, she found multiple platform-wide successes. She was named Adweek’s 2022 Digital & Tech Creator of the Year, Meta’s Creator of Tomorrow, one of Time magazine’s Next Generation Leaders, and one of Forbes' Top Creators of 2023. Her success highlights her message of female empowerment.
Women in the arts and media industry are already fighting against gender stereotypes and barriers; the following three women also fight against racial barriers. Jenny Lei is a 28-year-old entrepreneur; who founded Freja New York, a luxury line of minimalist bags. As an Asian woman, she is a true inspiration of what entrepreneurial women are capable of achieving. Her start-up brand generated $5.3 million in revenue in 2023 and is projected to double in 2024.. She is featured on the 2025 Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Art and Style.
Golloria George is a 23-year-old social media influencer. Her content focuses on beauty; she spreads the message of makeup inclusivity and representation. Using her 2 million followers on TikTok platform, she promotes the importance of inclusivity in the beauty industry. Like Lei, Golloria George is featured on the 2025 Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Social Media.
Our last influential young leader is Qualeasha Wood. She is a 29-year-old artist; her work incorporates several craft techniques and technologies. Her art explores racial and gender identity aspects of the Black femme body. This artist uses her beautiful work to portray her background and identity, highlighting her gender and race.
These five women are leading the arts and media industry today. They continuously fight the barriers women face, whether stereotypes or negative comments. While advocating for their seat at the table, they courageously fight for women’s rights along the way. Whether by using their respective platforms to raise awareness or simply being an inspirational figure, they are helping women worldwide realize their potential.
As for the future of the arts and media industry, it will only become more vast and diverse as we speak. With the widespread use of social media, people of different backgrounds can become influential figures in the media industry. It is important to have representation for everyone, especially in the arts and media industry. Being able to see a reflection of yourself, whether online or through art, is empowering, and everyone should feel this way about themselves.
Citations
Drew Afualo. American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.). https://www.aclu.org/bio/drew-afualo
Forbes Magazine. (n.d.-a). Golloria George. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/profile/golloria-george/
Forbes Magazine. (n.d.-b). Jenny Lei. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/profile/jenny-lei/
Olivia Rodrigo: Biography, Music & News. Billboard. (n.d.). https://www.billboard.com/artist/olivia-rodrigo/
Olivia Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good. Entertainment Industry Foundation. (2024, September 24). https://www.eifoundation.org/fiscally-sponsored-funds/olivia-rodrigos-fund-4-good/
Qualeasha Wood - Overview. Pippy Houldsworth Gallery. (n.d.). https://www.houldsworth.co.uk/artists/174-qualeasha-wood/overview/
Meet The Author
Kyle Stephenson
