Representation is the act of speaking or acting for someone else, or the way something is shown or portrayed. It can also mean a picture, symbol, or description that stands in for a real thing.
From Latin *repraesentatio* meaning 'an image or likeness', from *repraesentare* 'to make present, show'. The word came into English through French in the late Middle Ages, growing in use as politics, art, and law became more formal.
Representation literally means 'making something present again'—like bringing an absent person or idea into the room using words, images, or symbols. When people talk about political representation or media representation, they're really asking: who gets to stand in for whom, and how accurately?
The term 'representation' is central in discussions of political and social inclusion, where women and gender minorities were historically excluded from voting, office-holding, and cultural visibility. In law, media, and politics, 'representation' often encoded a default male subject, with women treated as exceptions or special interests rather than full constituents.
Use 'representation' with attention to whose voices and identities are included or excluded; specify groups (e.g., 'gender representation in leadership') rather than assuming a default. Avoid implying that one token woman or minority person provides full representation for an entire group.
When discussing representation in science, politics, arts, or media, explicitly acknowledge the work of women and gender minorities who expanded access, such as suffrage organizers, early women parliamentarians, and pioneering women in film and journalism who fought for on-screen and behind-the-camera representation.
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