Film Review. A Schedule for Change: Shining a Light on Gender Inequality in Schools.
Through powerful narratives and stop-motion animation, A Schedule for Change exposes the silent struggles of young women navigating gender inequality in today’s school system.
By Rachel Robles
The Film.
The Film Review.
Schedule to Change is a transformative documentary about gender equality within the school system through the lens of our youth. Directors Bernadette Berbon, Juliette Lin, and Jacqueline Aguirre, reveal the harsh realities of dealing with periods, dress code, sports, and sex education. These issues often go unheard of but actively affect the young women of America. In our school system, many female students face discriminatory behavior simply because of gender. From hearing negative comments about their bodies to not being taught important lessons about their autonomy, many girls know this is a silent issue that is often overlooked.
This documentary sheds light on and lets the voices of our youth be heard. The narration is mostly students sharing their experiences, frustration can be heard and expressed through the screen. The horrific stories and comments being made about these young girls are an experience that many girls face unfortunately. They bring up excellent points about the male counterparts not receiving as deliberating lessons or not even being acknowledged. Rather it continues to be a system against anti-feminist ideals that continue to plague and harm our youth. Patriarchal rulings continue to paint women as the issue rather than treating everyone equally.
A segment of the documentary that left me utterly shocked was the conversations about women learning their autonomy and sex education. In one segment of the documentary one young female reveals her experience in health class stating, “It wasn’t so much sex ed; More like one day you’re going to bleed and a male might take advantage of you, he might say these things, and do these things, you tell him no.”
To have this be taught to you while you are in the fifth grade is devastating. In this segment girls, one by one, state how they never learned about their menstrual cycles, birth control, and how to be safe rather than abstain. The conversations surrounding these topics paint women as the problem rather than trying to educate the next generation of females on how to be safe. Health education is needed just as any other subject. Due to the lack of respect towards education about women’s bodies, many schools approach this subject by not fully educating. In seeing these topics as taboo, harsh lessons about abstinence, and having to dress appropriately, many young women are having to learn about discriminative patriarchal ideals.
The documentary does a fantastic job of using its imagery to create compelling images that reveal a powerful message about inequality in the school system. A Schedule for Change stands out as a unique and thought-provoking project due to its use of stop-motion animation in delivering its powerful message. The choice to use this way of storytelling adds a distinct childlike quality to the storytelling, in creating poignant content it deepens the emotional impact of the messaging. The creative approach not only captures the attention but evokes a sense of innocence highlighting the urgency and the gravity of the issues. Representing the girls as dolls delivers a compelling message symbolizing the societal expectation for girls to embody perfection. Pairing this with the raw and honest narration of their frustration within the school system, it creates a striking contrast. The juxtaposition of the doll’s appearance with the harsh realities of the girl’s voice amplifies the emotional depth and highlights the challenges for young female students.
Overall this documentary was beautifully crafted offering audiences a glimpse into the realities of today’s school system. By shedding light on the unspoken challenges faced by female students, this documentary not only amplifies their voices but also challenges viewers to reflect on the systemic changes needed to foster a more inclusive educational environment. It is a call to action for educators, policymakers, and communities to listen, learn, and advocate for meaningful reform.
“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”
Meet The Author.
Rachel Robles is a Latinx communications major at CSUF and WVN Film Collection intern through the LA County internship program. She has directed films like Para Siempre to amplify marginalized voices and is dedicated to crafting impactful narratives.
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