Women’s Image Network Announces Irena Medavoy Woman of the Year Honoree

LOS ANGELES - Dec. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- December 6, 2015 (Los Angeles) Women’s Image Network, (WIN) announces philanthropist and activist Irena Medavoy will accept its Woman of The Year tribute on February 10, 2016 at The Women’s Image Awards 17.

Medavoy is a philanthropist, activist, and entrepreneur, with a rich history of working to make the world a better place. WIN Founder Phyllis Stuart said: “Irena is very unique to Hollywood royalty; she is warm, well-loved and not only shares our goal to see women attain parity, but Irena also shares her incredible friends. Irena gathered powerful female icons to serve as our illustrious event Co-Chairs including:Ambassador Nicole Avant, Joyce Arad, Rosanna Arquette, Florence Azria, Red Barris, Danielle Del, Roma Downey, Wendy Goldberg, Lysa Heslov, Yue-Sai Kan, Jena King, Lauren King, Lyn Lear, Lynda Resnick, Sybil Robson Orr, Florence Sloan, Jennifer Stallone, Alia Tutor, Cynthia Yorkin and Erica Wertheim Zohar

Before marrying the prolific film producer, Mike Medavoy in 1995, Irena was a working actress and model which showed her that society must not ignore the negative impacts of manufactured female media images and unrealistic beauty ideals.  So, to promote realistic female media images, Irena Medavoy was one of the first supporters of the bi-partisan ‘Truth In Advertising Act’ also known as the "Photoshop law".  Medavoy is a founding board member of The Truth-In-Advertising Alliance, working to pass legislation to outlaw excessive Photoshopping and fight anorexia and bulimia. While Medavoy is also a devoted mother to her eighteen year old son, Nick, Medavoy continues to address women’s issues, gender parity and the rights of women globally to Los Angeles high school and college students and focuses her lectures on the unrealistic expectations and impossible standards created by media's distorted representation of women and girls.

About her WIN tribute Medavoy said: “You say ‘yes’ when you are invited to be honored by an organization like WIN that stands for what you believe in. The Women's Image Awards are recognizing men and women who are standing for the positive image of women and celebrate their artistic achievements. But I equally share this award with every one of my amazing co-chairs who also work to make this world a better place for women and girls.  I learned from my first boss, Tichi Wilkerson, (the first woman editor-in chief of The Hollywood Reporter who also was the very first WIN honoree), about women helping each other, Tichi said the formula to success in life (both personally and professionally) is when women are valued then society benefits. Point each other out.  Raise each other up. Give Credit all around. Connect each other so our strength in numbers multiplies.  Thank you WIN for what you do”.

A native Angeleno, Medavoy received a full scholarship to USC Cinema School, leaving after two years to begin working in Hollywood. Later, she founded Phoenix Enterprises, the first all-female direct response company, manufacturing and producing product for QVC, American Telecast, and King World Direct. She supported Georgie Smith who founded the charity, A Sense of Home, to provides a home for foster kids who age-out of the system at age 18

After 9/11 Medavoy was one of the founders of Team Safe-T an emergency preparedness program for the California public school system, and for years, served as Vice-Chair for Coach for Kids, a mobile medical unit providing free primary health care services for low-income children.  In 2011, the Medavoy family received UNICEF’s prestigious Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award in namesake of its first Goodwill Ambassador, with Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan also being recognized as their 2011 Woman of Compassion.

About The Women’s Image Awards 2015
The Women’s Image Awards honor media artists and others who create dimensional female film and television images. But in addition to applauding competing film and television nominated work, WIN also invites illustrious individuals to receive honoree tributes. Previous WIN Awards honorees are Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Senator Barbara Boxer, Lily Tomlin, Cecila DeMille Presley, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Maria Arena Bell, Jane Campion, Lynn Redgrave, Lauren Shuler Donner, Catherine Hardwicke and Gurinder Chadha.

Bestowing honors on men and women who create dimensional female media images, The WIN Awards applaud nominated television and film, directors, writers, producers and artists who compete in its seventeen award categories.

Now in ceremony year seventeen, the ceremony will be held Wednesday, February 10, 2016 in Los Angeles where WIN will honor deserving men and women who create media that promotes gender parity to advance the value of women and girls.

Since 1993, the charity Women's Image Network has produced The WIN Awards to honor outstanding individuals in politics, business, music and the media who promote gender parity through their creativity and leadership. In addition to applauding actresses, directors, writers, producers and films and television shows, The WIN Awards honor invited honorees who share WIN’s mission to “Foster a World Where Everyone WINs®.

The WIN Awards advance equality for women and girls, an economic and social imperative. Until women and girls are liberated from poverty and injustice, world peace and sustainable development are in jeopardy.

To support, participate, secure tables and tickets or to place a congratulatory program page, please see The WIN Awards website.