Cal Poly Pomona psychology and sociology Professor Faye Wachs will help lead a panel discussion about how the coverage and portrayal of female athletes in the media play pivotal roles in the empowerment of women.

The "Media Re(presents) Women and Sport" forum, sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the US National Committee for U.N. Women, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 1212 Seventh St. in Santa Monica.

Wachs is part of panel that includes Michael Messner, a professor of sociology and gender studies at USC; Dawn Ellerbe, associate athletic director for Marketing, Branding and Fan Development at Cal State Northridge; and Julia Landauer, a champion driver on the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing circuit.

Carole Oglesby, professor emeritus from Temple University, will moderate the event. A question-and-answer session will follow the forum.

"While many write off sports as 'just fun and games,' many more recognize that it is a key forum in which critical debates about social inequality occur," Wachs said. "Promoting equity in sports for women and in sports media is an important part of addressing gender relations, here and abroad."

Panel members, using their personal experiences, research and published material, will describe the current environment in the U.S. and the prospects for change in the portrayal of female athletes in the media.

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the United States National Committee for U.N. Women seeks to harness sports as a means to empower women on local and global scales.

For more information or to sign up for the discussion, go to the chapter's Facebook page.