Davis fights for feminism

Thelma & Louise star Geena Davis is spearheading a new campaign which aims to balance the number of male and female characters on America's children's television shows.

The actress, who won a Golden Globe for her role in US TV show Commander In Chief last week, is the first Hollywood celebrity to promote the See Jane organisation.

Davis, 50, jumped at the chance to voice her concerns about the lack of female characters in children's programming after watching pre-school TV shows with her youngest daughter.

She says: "The ratio (of boys to girls) seemed to be three-to-one or four-to-one, and the female character would be very stereotyped.

"So I started to think, 'What is the message we're sending out to kids?'

"That boys' stories are more interesting, more prevalent and significant, and that girls are peripheral."

Through the See Jane organisation, Davis has commissioned a study to examine gender equality in children's programming.