Global Girl Media is a non-profit organization that is headed by women journalists and filmmakers from around the world. Its co-founders are Amie Williams and Meena Nanji, who have each been awarded for their individual film work. This program was started because it was apparent that women around the globe were consistently being left out of the media. It was created to give these unheard young women the opportunity to have their voices be heard and report on what they think is important. Many teenage girls do not have access to new technologies that would allow them to communicate and report to the world, so Global Girl Media provides them with equipment such as computers, cameras, and access to the internet. Along with this equipment being made available to these girls, groups of about ten teenage girls participate in a three week long program in which leaders of the program teach them how to report and blog, as well as inspire the young women to share their opinions. The organization was introduced to communities of underprivileged girls around the world starting in 2010, and as of 2013 has locations in South Africa, Los Angeles, Morocco, and Chicago, and is continuing to spread.[1]
International Locations & Experience[edit | edit source]
Global Girl Media South Africa is the first location of these programs and was started in July 2010. The program headquarters are in the township of Soweto, and it is recognized as being an NGO in South Africa. Global Girl Media Los Angeles was also started in July 2010. These programs were very successful, and in 2011 Global Girl Media Morocco was started in Morocco's capital Rabat. The most recent addition is Global Girl Media Chicago, which was introduced in the summer of 2012.[1]
Not only does Global Girl Media have locations around the globe, but participants in the program have been invited to conferences and meetings all over the world as well. This includes the Sundance Film Festival, the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, and other events in Mexico, Bali, and across the United States. Numerous girls from the programs have also been rewarded for their contributions to global news, and have even gone on to start newspapers and organizations of their own.[1]
Media Outlets[edit | edit source]
Since the introduction of this program in 2010, approximately 120 young women have participated. These girls have collectively produced hundreds of videos, blogs, and reports that have been made available online, on radio broadcast, and occasionally in print. Reports focus on a wide range of topics, such as politics, culture, and the environment. These girls provide a unique perspective on these areas of interest, and are also often found reporting on human rights issues (usually with an emphasis on women) and current events in their community that may be affecting them directly.[2]
References[edit | edit source]
Image from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamala-lopez/thinking-globally-contend_b_612002.html