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Drama Exec Jinny Howe Celebrates International Women's Day Collection and the Power of Women-Led Stories
Jinny Howe
VP, Drama Development
Entertainment
07 March 2022
Global
Becoming. Bridgerton. Ali Wong: Don Wong. Pieces of Her. Naomi Osaka. The Power of the Dog. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to women-led stories at Netflix. Whether you're in the mood for an empowering drama, a thought-provoking documentary or just a good laugh, we want to have something for you.
That's what our new collection The Story of She, with art created by Twisha Patni, symbolizes. Featuring themes like Women Making History, Kickass Women, Women Who Make Us Laugh and Movies Directed by Women, we curated this collection to celebrate the many facets of female strengths and talents. The Story of She launches today for International Women's Day and runs through March 31. However, the series, films and specials highlighted represent the work we do year-round to find, develop and share a wide range of stories about women and by women with the world. And there are so many that have yet to be told.
To understand more about the impact of women-led stories, we spoke with Netflix VP of Drama Development Jinny Howe who plays a pivotal role in working with women creators to help Netflix develop these stories and bring them to a global audience.
In your role, you hear many story pitches from creators. What do you look for and how important is it to have a balance of the female gaze represented?
The most compelling shows are often an honest reflection of our times and society, so it's important that we embrace the female point of view to reflect the full scope of these stories. Women want and deserve to have their ambition, desire, and needs to be seen and fully realized on-screen. It excites me to think about revealing fresh perspectives in stories that we've heard many times before as with The Crown, Unbelievable and Unorthodox, for example. We're also seeing new creators give voice to incredible stories that audiences have never experienced before like with Natasha Lyonne's Russian Doll - this is changing the game in a way that keeps these stories fresh and relevant for our audiences and for Netflix.
Women creators and stories have been around for quite some time. Why do you think it took so long for them to get recognized for their contributions to the entertainment industry?
I recently worked on a series that was set in the 1970s, and it was a reminder that women have only been empowered for a short amount of time. As society shifts and we see women emerge as multi-layered heroes and breadwinners, we've seen a shift in the entertainment landscape empowering female storytelling and stories as well. Bridgerton is a great example of this - a key learning from having worked on Season 1 is how audiences around the world embraced a show that could have easily been dismissed just as the romance genre often is. I'm also excited for Partner Track - a series releasing later this year inspired by Helen Wan's novel and starring Arden Cho about a woman trying to get ahead in a male-dominated business world. Stories with women at the center are not only important but necessary.
Why do you think women audiences, and audiences in general, connect with these kinds of stories?
I always say a great story is a great story, period. Audiences want to see themselves represented on the screen, and to feel deeply connected to what the characters are experiencing on an emotional level. I've been encouraged by how all kinds of audiences have been embracing complicated and complex female narratives, such as with Alex in MAID. I think regardless of whether you connect to the specifics of her life and journey, that on a very human level you can relate to the struggles and wins that she experiences in a very real way.
How do you think your career has been molded by the women around you?
I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by so many incredible and inspiring women throughout my life and career. My mother, who is pretty fearless, raised me not to be afraid to use my voice, and to never make myself smaller for others. I find myself seeking that energy out in my creative partners and leaders, and have been so lucky to find it in Bela Bajaria, our Head of Global TV, and in creators such as Molly Smith Metzler (MAID) and Debora Cahn (The Diplomat) both of whom I met early on in my career when they were also just coming up.
What advice do you have for women who aspire to be in this industry?
Be bold, be fearless. Your voice matters and is important. There has never been a better time to be a woman in this business. If you look at our roster of creative partnerships, we have such an incredible range of storytellers and creators who have made Netflix their creative home - from powerhouses like Shonda Rhimes, Jenji Kohan, Courtney Kemp and Regina King to superstars such as Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner and Megan Thee Stallion, and up-and-coming voices including Kalinda Vazquez, Georgia Lee, Regina Hicks and Leah Fong. We're just getting started!
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