Our lives are fueled by our past and driven by our ideas for the future. For many, it feels as if time moves too slowly to catch up to their dreams of a different, equal world. But what is often frustrating about change is that it takes time. Time and perseverance. We are not the first generation to fight for gender equality, nor will we be the last.
In The Mortal Instruments books, our resident firecracker, Clary Fairchild, sums up this process a little differently: “Heroes aren’t always the ones who win. They’re the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don’t give up. That’s what makes them heroes.” Whatever comes our way, we cannot stop pressing for progress – we must not give up the fight.
Freeform’s Shadowhunters appeals to our humanity. With family at its core, loyalty and friendship tie the characters together. Through the show, we see an image of what ‘Press for Progress’ could look like, and in honor of International Women’s Day, we can take a look at the ways Shadowhunters is staying ahead of the curve.
Clary (Freeform)
Shadowhunters has always been a force in the promotion of female empowerment. There is something beautiful about the strength of all the women on the show. Life beats them, pushes them down, and yet they risk it all, again and again, for the people they care about.
Clary Fairchild is a prime example of this. Her life fell apart in front of her eyes – everything changed, and everything she believed to be true was not as it seemed. And yet, she prevailed. She learned and adapted, and she fought every step of the way: for friendship, love, and what is right. We can all draw inspiration from her ruthless determination and gigantic heart.
When Clary met Isabelle Lightwood, they immediately forged a strong connection. Independent, strong, loving, intelligent…Isabelle is always there for her friends and family, no matter what. She stands as a positive role model for both Clary and audience members alike. Willing to stand toe to toe with the Clave, she can also hold her own against a band of demons. And in Clary, Isabelle has found someone to turn to as she continues to guide her in her new life.
Maia (Freeform)
A Downworlder in a separate sphere, from the moment we met Maia Roberts, we knew she was a force to be reckoned with. She was alone in a way Isabelle and Clary were not, but she chose her found-family and how to live her life. She refuses to be mistreated and is willing to fight for not only herself but for the entire Downworld. By taking control, Maia Roberts has shown us the power we can have over our own lives.
It’s not only the young we can look to in this story. Shadowhunters also includes an astounding array of powerful older women. There are mothers willing to go to any lengths for their children – the kind that carries undying love in their eyes when they kiss your cheek, or butter your toast, or listen to your rather boring retelling of your day. Jocelyn Fairchild went to incredible lengths to protect her daughter, shielding her from the Shadow World and re-inventing herself as a mundane. In almost a reawakening, Maryse Lightwood moved on from her solitary, dictated lifestyle and became a respectful, supportive, and more giving maternal figure.
And it’s not just the characters themselves, it’s also the women who portray them, and the directors, writers, and crew who help bring them to life. In crafting the stories we all know and love, there are a lot of incredible women involved. All active and impossibly kind (and patient) with the fans on social media, they are the holders to the best-kept secrets. And we know that as long as they’re with us, our beloved characters will never be led astray or run the risk of becoming unrecognizable. Our passionate female characters will remain strong and complex, and unapologetically so.
Actors like Katherine McNamara, Emeraude Toubia, Alisha Wainwright, Maxim Roy, and Nicola Correia Damude play these empowered characters beautifully, and along with the other female cast members, bring positivity and hope for the increasing representation of indomitable women, and are just as badass in real life.
Shadowhunters writers attending SDCC 2017 (Taylor Mallory)
Writers like Taylor Mallory, Aisha Porter-Christie, Zoe Broad, Jamie Gorenberg, and Celeste Vasquez are the frontrunners in a movement of empowered and empowering professional women. Their work enlightens audiences and promotes women in a way that is becoming more prevalent in society. The women behind the words dictate the ‘and’ each of our beloved characters have alongside them – intelligent and strong, beautiful and powerful.
Directors like Amanda Row, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Catriona McKenzie, Mairzee Almas, and Tawnia McKiernan also put their unmistakable stamp on the show. There are not enough of them, but each of the directors that have contributed to our show deserve our utmost respect. They take charge, bringing their visions to life with stunning episodes that are a joy to watch.
Crew members like Verity Fiction, Stefanie Terzo, and Alyson Silverberg work diligently behind the scenes, and they take charge in their own ways within their various departments. They are just as important, their roles are vital in the clockwork that keeps the show moving on track.
While many women are standing up with movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, the gap is still there, and so are the stereotypes. Shadowhunters presents women stripped down and yet, complex: they are emotional and they are fighters – and they are never alone. Shadowhunters focuses on the unions between women, unbreakable friendships, and respect across the board. There is no jealousy or vanity clouding judgment, no fights for the sake of drama. These women are not merely plot devices to be manipulated.
No one should feel inferior, and we should not be divided, but rather all be seen as simply human beings. Why should anyone accept the boundaries placed on them by other people? Why is it that women are labeled as ‘feminists’ with negative connotations for believing in and fighting for their own rights?
The leader of the Suffragettes, Emmeline Pankhurst, once said, “Men make the moral code and then expect women to accept it. They have decided that it is entirely right and proper for men to fight for their liberties and their rights, but that it is not right and proper for women to fight for theirs.”
There is no doubt that the women of the world could do this alone, but we need allies – in friendship and in love. Equality is a human right, not a ridiculous or unnecessary demand. We see the male showrunners, actors, directors, and crew of this show help the women they work alongside to stand and inspire – they nurture without holding them back. We need everyone to stand, arm in arm; to break boundaries and expectations; break down the walls built up around us; to continue to reinvent the society around us. We need to look to the future, we can’t live in the past.
Maryse (John Medland/Freeform)
There is a wildfire spreading. It’s growing, catching, and soon the whole world will see its light and feel its heat. It is change. We are the matches, we are the flickers, and we will be the flames. Time will move us on like time does – time is the fire in which we burn. And we will progress. We will be the heroes that never give up the fight, like Clary, and Isabelle, and Maia; we will be the heroes that may lose once or twice but keep coming back, like Maryse and Jocelyn. We stand as a force to be reckoned with. Today, on International Women’s Day, we stand together.
Shadowhunters is available for streaming via Freeform for U.S. residents and internationally on Netflix. Shadowhunters returns with Season 3 on March 20th, 2018.
