Behind the Scenes: Bringing Women Rising: Overcoming Patriarchy in America to Life
by Rachel Ryan, Enlight Media
Images from the Women Rising set
In November and December of 2024, Enlight Media and Ohlinger Studios assembled a dream team to produce Women Rising: Overcoming Patriarchy in America, the next installment of In ContextTM. This collection of six video-based modules explores the history of women’s fight for equality in the United States—an essential topic for organizations committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the workplace.
A Production Fueled by Purpose
Filming took place in Brooklyn, NY, where our talented production team worked tirelessly to transform scripts into powerful on-screen narratives. We were honored to collaborate with four women from diverse backgrounds:
Kailey Cartwright, who has 15+ years of experience as an inclusion and belonging learning leader, facilitator and trainer;
Jasmine Banks, who has 15+ years of experience driving successful marketing strategies and achieving business growth;
Meriel Martínez, who is an inclusion and belonging trainer, facilitator, and coach;
and Monica Ohlinger, founder and president of Ohlinger Studios, who contributed her personal perspective, sharing her own family’s multigenerational fight for women’s rights—an addition that highlights the real, lived experiences behind this history.
As narrators, these women brought depth and authenticity to stories of resistance and persistence. Some of the historical figures covered in Women Rising: Overcoming Patriarchy in America include (but are not limited to): Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organizing the first women’s rights convention in American history; Harriet Tubman’s recollection of the Civil War; and Ruth Bader Ginsburg emphasizing the fundamental importance of bodily autonomy.
Women Behind and in Front of the Camera
Bringing Women Rising to life has been an intentional effort to amplify women’s voices in both storytelling and production. Our field producer, Ife Adolena, brought her extensive expertise—gained from working with the Smithsonian Channel, Vox Media, and Viacom—to ensure these stories were told with care and impact. Now, with production wrapped, we’ve handed off these assets to our women-led video editing and animation team. They are in the process of crafting a final product that is as visually compelling as it is historically rich.
Coming Spring 2025
Women Rising launches in Spring 2025, offering organizations a critical, engaging resource to drive meaningful conversations on gender equity. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to bring this vital collection to your teams.