GIRL WRITES

AET is working across Somalia (Somaliland, Puntland and Central Southern Somalia) to encourage and support girls’ education.

Somalia has one of the lowest secondary level girls enrolment rates in the world. Currently less than 2% of girls attend secondary school and less than 3% of teachers are female. We at AET want to see more girls entering secondary school, less girls dropping out, achieving higher grades and more women entering into teaching careers. We want to see that girls have the same educational opportunities as boys.


In May 2010, a 5 day documentary film making workshop was held for female students and staff of secondary schools from Hargeisa, Somaliland.

The aim of the workshop was to help the girls to write and produce short films exploring issues of importance to Somali girls. None of the girls had ever made films before. They knew nothing of story boards, script writing, interview techniques and editing. They had never even held, let alone used a video-camera before and yet by the end of the five days the girls had written, filmed, produced and edited four short films. A pretty amazing achievement!

“I don’t think but I know I learnt a lot from the workshop. Everything we did was new to me and at the end of the workshop we produced a complete short film… I didn’t think we could finish making the films in 5 days but we did!”

Film Themes:

1) The Importance of Education for Women – two films that explored the difference education makes, not only to women themselves but also to their children and family.

2) Migration – a film exploring the lengths to which Somalis will go in search of a better life elsewhere.

3) Female Genital Mutilation – a film examining the tradition of circumcision of young girls

 View the films via AET's You Tube channel by clicking here
 

The training allowed the girls with a rare chance to engage in a practical workshop and to talk about sensitive issues that perhaps they normally would not be able to discuss. It was an opportunity to be creative and expressive, to learn new skills and to voice their opinions.

 With new skills and access to filming equipment, the girls can continue making their own films, discussing other relevant issues. The workshop was a great success and widely supported by school teachers and heads who came to watch the girls at work during the week. We are now seeking further funding to extend the programme both within and beyond Somalia including showing the girls’ films to rural communities through a mobile cinema unit.