Girl Rising, the movie

I don’t usually post on Mondays, but then I don’t usually go the movies on a Monday night either. That’s exactly what I did, though, a week ago–and it was such an important experience, I had to tell you about it.

The movie? Girl Rising. The story? Nine stories, actually, about nine girls, who together represent the story of millions around the world. Their stories combine to underscore one critical truth: education has the power to change the world.

Girl Rising tells the stories of girls like Sokha from Cambodia, who as an orphan was a child of the dump, forced to pick through garbage to survive–until through a series of miracles, she found her way to school, where she became a stellar student with a bright future ahead.

Here’s the deal: worldwide, there are 33 million fewer girls in primary school than boys. But what happens when you send those girls to school?

• Research consistently proves that educating and empowering girls breaks the cycle of generational poverty.
• When girls receive 7 years of schooling, they marry 4 years later and have 2.2 fewer children.
• When 10% more of its girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases an average of 3%.

Which means that Girl Rising is not just about girls. It’s about all of us, boys too. We focus here on the girls because historically, globally, they rank lowest on the societal totem pole. By raising them up, we raise everyone else up too.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated Richard Robbins, Girl Rising is a beautifully, artfully produced film. Each girl was teamed with a writer from her own country to help tell her story. The writing is gorgeous, and top-drawer actors such as Liam Neeson, Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep provide the narration.

Girl Rising reminds me to thank God that I was born into a time and place that allowed me to become an educated woman. It makes me grateful to see my daughter gaining an education that will probably surpass mine. And it inspires me to give a hand up to those who weren’t born into the fortunate circumstances we were.

Girl Rising. It’s a movie. It’s a movement. It’s a revolution.

Who’s with us?

To learn more, watch the trailer below. Special thanks to World Vision for hosting last Monday’s screening of Girl Rising in my neighborhood. If you’d like to bring Girl Rising to yours or want to donate, visit girlrising.com for more information.