Educating girls can break the cycle of poverty
10×10 is a global action campaign for girls’ education. At its heart is Girl Rising – an innovative new feature film that spotlights the stories of extraordinary girls around the world, striving beyond circumstance and overcoming impossible odds to achieve their dreams. Girl Rising promotes a powerful truth: educating girls in the developing world can transform families, communities, and entire countries –and break the cycle of poverty in just one generation.
Girl Rising spotlights the stories of unforgettable girls born into unforgiving circumstances. Girls like Sokha, an orphan who rises from a life in the garbage dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to become a star student and an accomplished dancer. Suma, whose song-writing helped her endure forced servitude in Nepal and today crusades to free others. And Ruksana, an Indian “pavement-dweller” whose father sacrificed his own basic needs for his daughter’s dreams. And many more inspiring stories from girls in Peru, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan. Each girl is paired with a renowned writer from her native country: Edwidge Danticat, Sooni Taraporevala, Aminatta Forna and others tell the girls’ stories, each in its own style, and all with profound resonance. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Freida Pinto, Selena Gomez and other acclaimed actors narrate the film.
The girls of Girl Rising demonstrate what research has proven time and again: that education is a pathway out of poverty, an escape from slavery, hunger and disease.
The obstacles these girls confront are ubiquitous – right now 66 million girls around the world can only dream of going to school. They face barriers that boys do not, like early and forced marriage, domestic slavery, sex trafficking, and gender violence. Yet the girls of Girl Rising demonstrate what research has proven time and again: that education is a pathway out of poverty, an escape from slavery, hunger and disease… and the promise of a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Sokha, Suma, Ruksana and the others are daughters, nieces, sisters and friends. What they want most is to be students: to learn. And now, by sharing their personal journeys, they have become teachers. As Suma says, “I feel as though I have power … I can do anything. And I have important things to do.” Watch Girl Rising, and you will agree: One girl with courage is a revolution.
http://youtu.be/BJsvklXhYaE
How can you see the film? It’s easy
The film’s Washington DC premiere will take place on Thursday at the World Bank during a global education event where world leaders will have a private screening. 10×10 is in the midst of developing its international distribution plan, to ensure that people across the globe have an opportunity to see Girl Rising. We will release more information about this once the details are finalized. Please stay tuned and check back on this blog and on the 10X10 website.
Meanwhile, from April 19 to 25, 2013 Regal Cinemas is rolling out Girl Rising for a week-long run in 169 theatres in the United States (PDF). Don’t miss the opportunity to see this beautiful and important film the way it was meant to be seen – on the big screen. Here is a link to buy tickets. I hope you can make it – and, please, spread the word!
10×10 is also partnering with Gathr which has developed an exciting new platform called TOD™ – Theatrical On Demand™. It has built its business on two simple truths: every film has an audience, and movies are much more fun to watch in a theatre, with a crowd. Gathr democratizes theatrical distribution by allowing movie-goers, to ‘pull’ movies of their choice to local theatres, instead of having to settle for only the options that are currently playing. To find out if there are any screenings in your hometown, please go to http://girlrising.com/see-the-film/.
We hope you’ll get involved in helping children learn and grow, and join our conversation on Facebook and Twitter.