OUR LAND, OUR STORIES is our media training and environmental advocacy project that brought together Global Girl reporters from South Africa, Greece and Los Angeles for two weeks in April, 20205 to share resources, build inspiration and collaborate on a multi-media reporting project about climate change and its impact on women and girls. Sponsored in-part by SONY CREATE ACTION and the AFRICA EUROPE FOUNDATION,
The overall objective was to utilize media and storytelling to raise awareness about the intersection between gender-based violence and climate change. The program was designed to provide the necessary information, training and resources for young women to position themselves as advocates and leaders in the fight for climate mitigation and the eradication of GBV. Stay tuned for the four-part video series, but here are some photos from the training.
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GGM Los Angeles EMMY AWARD WINNING documentary short film “Under the Scarf”
One globalgirl from LA tells us what it’s like to move there from Bangladesh and attend school wearing a hijab, as well as her thoughts on immigration.
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ACTIVISTA: LENEE RICHARDS
For this second in the Activista Series, we talk with SUPER STAR campaign manager Lenee Richards– the woman in charge of Holly Mitchell’s campaign for LA County Supervisor. She tells us what motivates her work…and her view that being authentic & embracing who we are is the key to our power as women and as leaders.
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MELANCHOLY FILM
This is the inspirational story of Sinoxolo who bravely shares her journey after being diagnosed with clinical depression.
Sinoxolo Mdingi believes everyone can be happy, no matter the position you are in. With her great family support structure and learning how to speak about her feelings, she has been able to conquer her depression and is a step closer to living the life she has always imagined. -
NEWSWEEK: SOPHIA RISING: THE STORY OF ONE GIRL DEFYING THE ODDS
FROM NEWSWEEK
Author: Laura Powers
A new film is changing the narrative of young woman and girls in Africa. Produced by young women, “Sophia Rising” follows the story of Sophia, a nineteen year old in Northern Kenya, as she escapes child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and limited access to education to graduate high school and apply for university. The film was written, filmed and produced by Kenyan and Tanzanian girls, as part of the UNEARTH project, is a collaboration between BRAVE, Global Girl Media, and Samburu Girls Foundation, and puts young women and girls at the center both as the subject and as the storytellers.
The challenges that Sophia has faced are not uncommon. At 14, her family (predominantly her uncles) pressured her to marry a 58 year old man. With the support of her father, she was able to avoid that life and attend school instead but not all have been as lucky. According to UNICEF, in 2014, 23% of women in Kenya were married before the age of 18. Sophia’s older sisters were married by the age of ten, and there is pressure for her younger sister to follow suit.
With the pressure to marry at a young age, receiving an education can be challenging. In Northern Kenya, 19% of girls start school, let alone finish. But studies have shown that higher rates of young women with an education and an independent income reduce violence against women and improve overall economic strength. Women often bear the brunt of negative impact from climate change, political violence and economic downturns, but without access to education, it is difficult for them to enter spaces where there voice will be heard on these issues.
As the film and Sophia’s story highlights, women in these difficult situations are not without agency. Without being handed the space to speak out, women in places like Kenya are increasingly creating their own spaces to tell their stories. Non profits are supporting these efforts, like Fempo in Democratic Republic of Congo, which gives women the training and tools necessary to run for public office.
One of the co-producers of the project, BRAVE, has discovered a unique way to support young girls and provide them with skills and self-confidence to speak out: Travel. BRAVE takes young women and girls facing violence, child marriage and FGM and takes them on a trip across their country, which is often the first time these girls have left their communities. India Baird, the founder and director of BRAVE, says, “BRAVE uses the challenge of travel and adventure in wild places to create opportunities for girls, and works with those who can provide the resources, knowledge, experience, and safety that girls need to lead.” The trips create a safe space for them to speak about their experiences, while learning about things like conservation, advocacy and even filmmaking. By learning from other girls in different situations, as well as discovering the experiences of people in other parts of the country, these young women gain understanding of issues that they face, and brainstorm solutions.
