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How Geena Davis helped build software to detect sexism in Hollywood

This segment originally aired Dec. 14, 2016, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.

Actress Geena Davis may be best known for her iconic feminist role in Thelma and Louise, but today she’s working to improve the types of roles actresses across the industry are cast in.

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With the help of a $1.2 million grant from Google, the Geena Davis Institute developed the Geena Davis inclusion quotient, software that tracks the numbers of times a woman appears on screen, and how many lines she has.

“One really interesting thing they found early on, which nobody was looking for, was that female characters are on screen less when they’re talking,” Davis told VICE News correspondent Mary H.K. Choi.

Davis said establishing the institute started with her daughter.

“I started watching little kid stuff with her,” Davis said. “It was so eye opening. I think it really made me realize how few opportunities we give women to feel excited and inspired by the female characters.”

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