The CW's Female Superheroes Start 'Shethority' to Inspire Ones in Real Life

When women are empowered, it can often set off a domino effect. More often than not, women who make it want to forge a path for others to reach the same place. One of the newest examples of this comes via the women of The CW's DC Universe shows. Their new online community, Shethority, is spreading a message of intersectional equality and actively encouraging public participation.

Put another way: The women who play superheroes on TV want to harness their on-screen powers to inspire real-life strength in other women. And it's worth noting that their definition of women includes "cis women, trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified.”

Shethority was started by Candice Patton (Iris West on The Flash) and Caity Lotz (White Canary on DC's Legends of Tomorrow), but the dynamic duo were quickly joined by castmates, including Maisy Richardson-Sellers and Tala Ashe (Vixen and Zari Tomaz on DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Juliana Harkavy and Emily Bett Rickards (Black Canary and Overwatch on Arrow), Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh (Supergirl and Alex Danvers on Supergirl), and Danielle Panabaker (Killer Frost on The Flash).

In the month since its launch, Shethority's official website has thrown itself full-force into candid discussions about women's professional and personal lives, their physical and mental wellbeing, and race and sexuality. The Shethority Instagram account already has 119,000 followers, thanks to inspiring content that preaches self-love, leadership, and tolerance in young women and girls.

Caity Lotz recently explained the group's motivations to Entertainment Weekly: "Society has pitted women against each other," she said. "There's always this feeling of 'There's only one seat at the table, and if you want it, you better tear that other girl down.' But if we want to reach equality, we have to lift each other up." By the looks of it, Shethority's version of lifting looks a lot like boosting women and girls straight up through the glass ceiling. Up, up and away!