The movie Girl Rising brings us on a journey to get a closer look at what exactly has happened to 9 of the 130 million girls that have, or once had, no chance of getting the education they so desperately need to create a better future for themselves, their families, and the countries they live in. Each girl tells us the story of how they overcame some of the most difficult obstacles they have faced throughout their lifetime.
The purpose of this review is to evaluate some of the aspects of Girl Rising, not only the inspiring and joyful parts, but also the bleak truths that is guaranteed to be much harder to swallow.
To me, the story that made the biggest impact and I felt differently towards than all the other featured tellings, was the one about Yasmin. The Egyptian Girl that got abducted, raped and had to fight her assaulter- when all she and her friend initially wanted to do was to buy juice from a local towns merchant. I was aware throughout the section of the movie that rapes and assaults do happen, but it was the way that Yasmin told the story that shocked me the most. Because as she was talking to the two featured police officers, she didn’t describe herself as a victim. Nor someone who was afraid. She labelled herself as a Superhero, which says a whole lot about the girls’ determination to stay strong even though they go through horrendous experiences.
Saying no to inequality and unfair treatment causes a chain reaction that affects other individuals, and makes them believe in changes for the better. ‘’One girl with courage is a revolution’’ implies that girls that are brave enough to take action against unjustifiable actions, leave a mark in how they and the girls after them are being treated. In the movie we heard about Wadley from Haiti, who never gave up on trying to join a class, by stating that she would not leave until the teacher agreed to let her stay. Actions like this is what’s going to leave dents in the Girls’ education rights history.
The circumstances that the many of the girls featured in the movie live under, is in multiple ways completely different from what the average first-world-country student experience. Like most teenagers in Norway, I can afford and attend school in a safe and educational way. Never have I been denied an opportunity to learn; or felt unsafe while doing so, which really stands in contrast to the relationship between the girls of Girls Rising and their non-guaranteed right to education. The sad truth is that I, along with the minority of teenagers, will never experience the same conditions as many of the children that currently aren’t able to attend such a necessary thing as school.
The realness of the movie, hearing stories told by children who never should have to experience many of the things they’re explaining. Seeing the statistics on how many girls are out of school. How many that are given away to become married to strangers or family members. How many young girls that are being raped and permanently scarred due to the lack of basic protection. These are some of the things that likely will resonate with viewers the most. As one easily could understand, Girl rising’s main goal is to spread awareness and ensure that girls all around the world are educated and empowered. By showing an affected girl’s view on this issue, people who aren’t familiar with the topic might get a better understanding on what’s really happening to the future of the most unfortunate of girls, humankind’s upcoming generations.
Jannike Otterlei 