Samantha Wright is director of the “Girl Rising” campaign and has developed her career around international development. In this interview she gives us details of the campaign that aims to mobilize the world for girls' education. Check out.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, your work and what led you to the “Girl Rising” campaign.
My name is Samantha Wright and I am the director of the “Girl Rising” campaign. I worked in international development and started my career at the United Nations. Throughout my career, I have seen the importance and power of confronting harmful social norms, which are the cause of many of the problems we deal with in the field of development. Realizing the importance of transforming these social norms led me to become a storytelling enthusiast, which is something “Girl Rising” does very well. Through our storytelling efforts, we harness the power of quality media and strategic communications to communicate the importance of investing in girls' education in the developing world. Using advocacy tools, we tackle these social barriers and norms that keep girls at a disadvantage. This strategy, together with innovative partnerships, allows us to forge new paths in supporting girls globally.
2. What is the “Girl Rising” campaign? What is the problem you want to respond to and how are you doing it?
“Girl Rising” began with a pioneering film, directed by Academy nominee Richard Robbins, which tells the lives of 9 extraordinary girls, living in 9 different countries, and which was written by 9 recognized writers and narrated by 9 internationally famous actresses. The film inspired and led to a global campaign for action for girls' education, founded by award-winning journalists at The Documentary Group and Paul G. Allen's Vulcan Productions, along with a strategic partner, Intel Corporation. Inspired by the film, the campaign uses the power of storytelling and the influence of its partnerships to spread a simple and vital truth: by educating girls, we will be able to change the world. We are creating a new paradigm in making films about social issues by bringing together production and advocacy from the start. The “Girl Rising” campaign seeks to establish partnerships with progressive non-profit associations, celebrities, political leaders, companies and individuals in order to build a global movement and demand equal opportunities for girls.
3. What motivated the creation of the campaign? How did the idea for the film come about?
The film began with a proposal that the Documentary Group received to make a film about how to respond to the problem of poverty worldwide. During the research phase and interviews with experts, everyone highlighted the long-term benefits of investing in girls. It seemed clear to us that investing in girls' education was the most efficient intervention to solve the problem of poverty.
The campaign developed around the film. We knew that if we wanted to make an impact and create change, we had to have a community-based infrastructure around the film to support the desired transformation. As a result of the campaign, we now have a wide range of supporters across social media who are connecting and communicating the issue of girls' education across borders. It's extremely powerful and helps amplify the impact of the film itself.
4. What has been the impact of the film and campaign in the field of girls' education?
We have been able to screen the film in several countries around the world. To date, we have recorded approximately 2,000 different events, organized by students, parents, community members and various non-profit organizations to raise public awareness about the importance of investing in girls' education. Our success has been the broad and deep engagement of various communities worldwide, the ability to mobilize people and support for this cause.
5. What is the importance of International Day of the Girl?
International Day of the Girl (IDG) was established by the United Nations in 2012 in recognition of the unique rights and challenges they face. The second DIM has the theme “Innovating Girls’ Education”, calling for new and creative ideas as well as technology, “partnerships and policies and, above all, the involvement of young people.”
This year, the International Day of the Girl marks the importance of girls' education and reveals the obstacles they face in staying in school. For us, DIM is an opportunity to show support in a broad and diverse way for this issue, reinforcing that girls' education is not only a correct measure, but also a smart move.
6. Globally, what activities and events are taking place and which countries are involved?
There are approximately 2000 events planned for the month of October, in celebration of the International Day of the Girl, in around 158 countries around the world. Highlights include the actions of 11,000 African women who will ring the peace bell in various places in the West African region in support of girls' education, the film festival that will take place in a refugee camp in Western Sahara, and a photographic exhibition in New Zealand that will discuss the representation of girls in works of art. This is indeed a unique opportunity to reveal several voices in support of girls.
7. What change do you hope to achieve with the “Girl Rising” campaign?
Our aspirations are simple. We hope that our film and campaign inspire a range of successful grassroots, community-level initiatives and top-down policy changes that help make a difference in supporting girls.
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