Educate girls and change the world. That’s the core premise of Girl Rising, a film which premiered in Johannesburg this week as part of technology company Intel’s social action campaign to empower young women around the globe.
The film, from Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Richard E Robbins, showcases the critical importance of giving girls in developing countries a proper education.
Statistics released by CNN in April 2013 show that putting all children in school in these countries could prevent 700 000 HIV cases each year. Girls with eight years of education are four times less likely to be married as children, and a child born to an educated, literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of eight.
The Girl Rising project was borne out of a collaborative effort by film-makers 10×10 and Intel, and follows the inspirational stories of nine girls from around the world who triumph over adversity to achieve an education.
The film is narrated by nine actresses, including Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Alicia Keys, Cate Blanchett and Freida Pinto.
Videsha Proothveerajh, country manager of Intel South Africa, says the state of girls’ education worldwide is “staggeringly depressing”: some 66-million girls are not in school; 14-million girls under the age of 18 will be married this year alone; and 150-million girls are victims of sexual violence each year.
“Through Girl Rising, we hope to do more than just spread awareness. We aim to change the state of girls’ education worldwide,” says Proothveerajh. “We believe that Girl Rising is a documentary like no other. It is a call to action to governments, to NGOs, to ordinary people. We want people to make Girl Rising into a true social action movement.”
The stories are inspirational, and move many audiences in tears. We meet Senna, a 14-year-old poet in a Peruvian mining village, and Jasmin, a rape victim in Cairo. Wadley, and eight-year-old Haitian girl, keeps going to school even when her mother can no longer afford the tuition.
“At Intel, we believe young people are the key to solving global challenges. A solid maths and science foundation coupled with skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving is crucial for their success,” says Proothveerajh.
“Since 1999, we have reached countless students, learners, women and children, with a focus on providing the skills needed to be economically active in today’s information society.”