Girl Rising

Girl Rising was an inspiring movie that told the tales of nine different girls from different countries and their experiences:

Sokha from Cambodia was the first girl we met in the story. Sokha was porn into extreme poverty and did not have the same opportunities as other children. She grew up in the slums of Cambodia and was forced to scavenge through trash for survival. Throughout her scenes, she is walking barefoot through mounds of garbage. She always wanted to go to school and that remained her dream until she found her way into school. Once in school, Sokha flourished.

Wadley from Haiti story started with her in school, eager to learn and enjoy her peers company. Once the devastating Haiti earthquake occurred, her home and school were destroyed which forced her family to move elsewhere. Her family then moved to a scraped together village made of mostly tented homes. Everyday, Wadley walked by the temporary school in her village, where children's families had to pay for them to enroll. One day, Wadley attempted to sneak into the classroom, jst because thats all she wanted and she could not fight her intense desire to learn. The teacher forced her to leave because her mother did not pay for her to be there. The next day, Wadley went back to sneak in again but this time refused to leave. The teacher, in good heart, let her stay because of Wadley's determination.

Suma from Nepal was born into a very poor family and was forced to take a path she did not want. Suma was a bonded laborer and worked for her master. Suma continued to live a depressed life, expressing her emotions through songs and music. What made matters worse was that Suma's brothers were allowed to go to school, which is all she wanted. At age 11, Suma served three masters and eventually convinced one to allow her to go to school. This event eventually led to her freedom, as Suma's teacher challenged her master to let her go as it was illegal. She eventually was brought back home to her family.

Yasmin from Egypt had a more gut-wrenching story then most. She was attacked and sexually assaulted by a man who originally offered her a ride. Instead of giving her a ride, he brought her to his house and committed these horrible acts. Yasmin was somehow able to escape, saying she used her "superhero" powers. Yasmin and her family never found justice for her attacker, as Egyptian police claimed they would not be able develop a case. Instead of grieving from her violent past, Yasmin uses her imagination to make the pain more tolerable.

Asmera from Ethiopia lost part of her family, her sister and father, at a very young age. Being so, her mother attempts to marry her off in order to give her opportunity and another life. Asmera refuses and tries everything she can to not fall into another life. Through love for her sister, Asmera's brother offered to sacrifice his education to give to his sister so she can become educated and avoid being married off to an older man.

Ruskana of India grows up in poverty living in a street community. Ruskana's family lives in tent huts in the middle of the street. Ruskana doodles in school to let her imagination run wild, in her head her drawings come to life. When her father finds out about her doodling in class, he buys Ruskana a drawing pad and colored pencils and makes her promise she will study hard and draw outside of class, as her father is sacrificing everything for her to go to school. The dangers of her family's community are eminent in a later scene where her father has to chase down older boys from bullying his daughter. Ruskana continues to find hope and happiness in her artwork.

Senna of Peru grew up in a mining town where her father worked. Senna's father insisted she go to school and avoid the life of prostitution. Senna had troubles in school. Her father began suffering of illness caused by the life of a miner. Senna found her passion and happiness in poetry, where she used it to express her emotions and empower herself.

Mariama of Sierre Leone was the first in her family to obtain an education. She began hosting a radio show an helped others through their problems in life and within themselves. Her step father attempted to stop her from hosting the show since she was not abiding by his requests at home. Through convincing her step father, Mariama was able to continue with her radio show and help girls and women around the world.

Amina of Afghanistan is an inspiring story about a girl who attempts to stray from the cultural norm. Amina is slaved to men at a very early age and eventually is given away by her family to marry an older man. Her family uses the money they received from marrying off Amina to buy a new car for her brother. Amina wants a different lifestyle and feels it is unfair that women in her culture are oppressed and not allowed to expose themselves or gain an education. Amina continues to do everything she can to find an education and break free of the customs of her culture.

For the US "girl rising" experience, I believe it is a lot different than what these girls from other countries faced. I believe girls in america have far more opportunity. The social norm in the US is for young girls to go to school, just like young boys, and obtain an education. Girls in the US are allowed to join the workforce and succeed just like men. I believe the Girl Rising experience in the steps women have taken to have better opportunities and lives. Women in the US hold powerful political positions and are large pop culture icons. Women continue to strive for better education and continue to pursue jobs and roles that were formerly always held by men. For example, Hilary Clinton might become the first women president in 2016. The privilege of US women is taken for granted. especially when one hears the struggles of women in other countries.