In honor of the fifth and final season of the CW’s Jane the Virgin airing last week, I thought I would highlight lead actress and my role model: Gina Rodriguez. Gina Rodriguez plays Jane Villanueva, who on the show is a virgin who is accidentally artificially inseminated. However, Rodriguez’s character is much more than that-- she is a strong Latina paving her own way as a single woman and mother.
Being a proud Puerto Rican woman, Rodriguez acts as a role model for Latin women. She has always shown support of her community and chooses characters based on how well her community is represented through them. She is also an active member of the Hispanic community and is passionate about strengthening the position of Latin women in society through her work.
Behind Jane The Virgin, the writing staff is comprised of 10 women and 3 men, 4 of the writers are Latinx, and women direct 50% of the episodes. Due to this, Rodriguez was given the opportunity to direct 3 episodes of Jane the Virgin -- allowing her to fulfill her own dream to direct. Rodriguez carries her passion for equal representation of gender and race into any project she takes on. She states that she is “an activist first.” In an interview with Time magazine, Rodriguez stated, “I refuse to enter a space where it’s not as liberating as [Jane the Virgin]. Are 50% of the writers women? The directors? Are those women intersectional?....No? O.K., let’s change that or find yourself someone else.”
Definition:
Girlboss. A confident, capable woman who pursues her own ambitions instead of working for others or otherwise settling in life.
To me, Gina Rodriguez has rightfully earned the title of “Girlboss.” She consistently pushes for what she believes in and does not settle for anything less. If you haven’t yet seen her work, I recommend binge watching Jane the Virgin over dead week (after you are done studying of course).
By: Audrey Oas