Poly's GIP hosts 'Brave Girl Rising" filmmaker Martha Adams

By Jacqueline Garrity '19, Global Scholar candidate; photos by Mady Burke '19, Global Scholar candiate

What will you do with your life? Pledge allegiance to yourself. Powerful, poetic, and thought-provoking, this message ignites 17-year old Nasro with inner-strength as she struggles to overcome life in a place where people “have turned into monsters” — Dadaab, Kenya. Filmed on location in Dadaab, "Brave Girl Rising" sheds light on the plight of Nasro and female victims of refugee camps across the global south.

Poly's Global Initiative Program recently hosted a screening of the film, followed by a discussion with producer Martha Adams. Dadaab is the site of a United Nations complex that protects refugees, many of which arrived in 1992 to escape the civil conflict in Somalia. When asked to discuss the making of the film, Adams responded, “We felt as if we were on the frontlines in the fight for girls' rights.” She described Dadaab as one of the toughest places in the world: 25% of girls and women are raped, the average life span is a mere 50 years old, and water scarcity contributes to daily life struggles.

Lack of education among young women in refugee camps is a major problem in Dadaab and is a central theme in "Brave Girl Rising." While the film depicts the hardships Nasro endures in order to attend school, it also highlights her viewpoint: “Education is worth risking your life for.” Even if education’s function is not directly related to potential employment, this Somalian woman understands its relevance to the future: “A mother is a child’s first teacher.” As Adams points out, education is more than a human rights issue; it is an economic and political issue. Education of women is particularly important because of its wide-ranging impact on issues such as infant mortality rate, community stability, and GDP.

Gender violence was another issue addressed. Teaching boys to be “better men” while respecting sensitive cultural and religious norms is a continuing goal of the United Nations. An example of positive change is a “Brother-Sister Club” started by teenage boys in Rajasthan. Member activities include brothers teaching sisters how to ride a bike, how to walk safely to school, and how to do chores. This third activity is especially important because traditionally only girls do household chores, making it difficult for female students to do their homework.

In addition to raising awareness of the plight of women in refugee camps, Poly students asked Adams for her advice to American citizens. The filmmaker’s twofold response: "First, reflect on life; do not take even the simplest things like water or a safe way of getting to school for granted. Equally important, do things differently. Whether it is joining the IRC or thinking about capitalism in a new way, don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Make the future better."
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