Makers: Women Who Make America facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Makers: Women Who Make America
Genre	Documentary
Written by	Barak Goodman, Pamela Mason Wagner
Directed by	Barak Goodman
Narrated by	Meryl Streep
Theme music composer	Joel Goodman
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Dyllan McGee, Peter Kunhardt, Betsy West (executive) Barak Goodman, Pamela Mason Wagner
Running time	3 hours
Production company(s)	Kunhardt McGee Productions Storyville Films WETA Ark Media
Distributor	PBS
Release
Original network	WETA-TV Public Television
Original release	February 26, 2013 (2013-02-26)

Makers: Women Who Make America is a 2013 documentary film. It tells the story of how women in the United States fought for equal rights during the last 50 years of the 20th century. The famous actress Meryl Streep narrates the film. Public Broadcasting Service showed it as a three-part TV special in February 2013.

Makers includes interviews with many different women. You'll see politicians like Hillary Clinton and TV stars like Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey. It also features everyday women like flight attendants, coal miners, and phone company workers.

In 2014, PBS ordered a second season of Makers. This was a six-episode series that explored more topics related to women's achievements. It continued PBS's partnership with AOL for the Makers project. The new series started airing on September 30, 2014.

Behind the Scenes of Makers

The idea for the Makers project started in 2004. Dyllan McGee of McGee Media was the founder and executive producer. She first wanted to make a film about Gloria Steinem. But Steinem suggested a broader story. She wanted the film to show the bigger picture of the women's movement.

McGee chose the name Makers to show that the women's movement is always moving forward. It highlights the ongoing efforts of women to create change.

What the Makers Film is About

The first part of the film is called "Awakening." It starts in the 1950s and 1960s. It shows how Betty Friedan's book, The Feminine Mystique (1963), changed things for women in the U.S.

You'll see college student Kathrine Switzer bravely running the Boston Marathon. She challenged the rule that only men could compete. Author Judy Blume talks about how women went to college back then. But it was often just "in case" they had to work. In the 1950s and 60s, it was often frowned upon for women to have jobs usually done by men.

Gloria Steinem remembers that women were "supposed to be pretty and happy all the time." She didn't recall many serious or smart women being celebrated. During World War II, many women worked in factories. This was because so many men were away fighting.

The second part of the film is called "Changing the World." It takes place in the 1970s. The third and final part is "Charting a New Course." It covers the 1980s and 1990s. This section talks about challenges women faced in the workplace. It also discusses the issue of violence against women.

How Makers Was Made

Makers was produced by Storyville Films. They worked with Kunhardt McGee Productions and WETA-TV. AOL also helped sponsor the project.

When Makers Was Released

The documentary is connected to Makers.com. This is a special project by PBS and AOL. It has videos of hundreds of women who helped fight for women's equality. Dyllan McGee said in 2014 that the goal of Makers is to have "the largest collection of women's stories ever assembled." The video project started online in February 2012.

The film first showed at Alice Tully Hall in New York City. This was on February 6, 2013. PBS then broadcast the documentary for the first time on February 26, 2013.

Amazing Women Featured in Makers

The documentary features many well-known women. These include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. Others are Madeleine Albright, Christiane Amanpour, and Carol Burnett.

It also highlights women who are less famous but very important. One example is Maria Pepe. She played a big part in making sure girls could play Little League Baseball.

Name	Image	Notes
Betty Friedan		Betty Friedan's 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, was very important. It helped start a new wave of feminism. She questioned the idea that women should only be happy as wives and mothers. Her book helped many housewives realize that housework wasn't always fulfilling. Inspired by her book, the National Organization for Women was formed in 1966. Friedan was its first president.
Marlo Thomas		In 1966, Marlo Thomas started playing Ann Marie in the TV show That Girl. This was the first American sitcom to show a single woman with a career. Her character didn't live with her parents or depend on a husband. Marlo Thomas wanted to change how families were shown on TV. She was tired of the usual setup: a working father, a stay-at-home mother, and two kids.
Katherine Switzer		In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was a college student. She loved to run, but her school didn't have a track team for women. The men's coach talked about the Boston Marathon, which inspired her. However, the marathon was only for men. People thought long-distance running might harm women's bodies. Switzer decided to sign up for the Boston Marathon as "K.V. Switzer." This was a direct challenge to the men-only rule. A race official tried to pull her out of the race. But Switzer's boyfriend stopped him, and she finished the marathon. News about this event brought worldwide attention to women's sports.
Gloria Steinem		Gloria Steinem helped people understand that gender roles are not fixed. She showed that if there is inequality, it is wrong. She believed everyone is a human being with individual talents. Steinem helped women realize they could be beautiful and still be critical of unfairness. She looked for ways to write about feminism and women's freedom. She realized that magazines she wrote for wouldn't cover women's experiences fully. So, she started ‘Ms.’ magazine. This magazine was a place where women could share their true stories. Steinem also helped connect women from different backgrounds in the feminist movement.

Makers Season 2: More Stories

On January 21, 2014, PBS announced a new six-episode series. This was part of their partnership with AOL for the Makers project. The new series continued to explore the themes from the first documentary. Each episode focuses on a different career field. It highlights important women in that area. This series, called "Makers Season 2," began on September 30, 2014.

Season 2 Episodes and Featured Women