Global Girl South Africa 2011 Launches!

Global Girl South Africa training began Saturday! We are so excited for this summer’s program! As I mentioned in my last blog, we received a PEPFAR grant—the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—to work with 10 HIV-positive young women in Johannesburg. The girls range in age from 16-25 and the program will be running through July 16!

Here's what our intern, Annah, had to say about the program: "So far the girls are exquisite, they are energetic, and have passion to raise their voice and make a footprint. I do believe that it takes a woman’s voice to change the world. All the best girls, show us what you've got!!! Have fun and be free to face the world because the universe is inside your hearts.”

Some of the goals laid out in Global Girl South Africa curriculum are to improve and enhance more healthy, complex images of HIV-positive women and girls in new media; encourage the use of social media, video and blogging to engage in, question and advocate for women’s social, cultural and economic rights; build self-confidence and leadership skills among HIV-positive young women; and provide capacity building and new career opportunities for HIV-positive young women by creating linkages and partnerships with community-based media organizations, educational institutions and local government, non-profit and other service providers.

The beats the girls will be covering include HIV/Aids, domestic violence against women and girls, human interest, local culture, and current events. Girls will also have the opportunity to develop their own stories based on their interests and experiences. We’ve learned that some of the best stories come from the girls’ personal lives!

Last summer one of our Global Girls in South Africa told an amazing story about her sister, Busi. Busi was a lesbian who was subjected to “corrective raped”, contracted HIV, and eventually died from Aids. This story informed and inspired our HIV/Aids focused program this summer. You can see for yourself the power of the video report here!

You can also check out some of the great work South Africa has done to prevent the spread of HIV here!

Another great opportunity for our Global Girls came a few weeks ago, when First Lady Michelle Obama visited South Africa to talk to girls at the Young African Women Leaders Forum. One of our own Global Girls, Annah Tseko was elected by the U.S. Consulate/Embassy to be apart of the forum, and you can read her blog about meeting Michelle Obama here!

Be sure to look for upcoming videos and blogs throughout the summer on our website at www.globalgirlmedia.org!

Summer 2011

This past week we interviewed for a film editor position, and only met with two women out of 20 total candidates! If this experience is any indicator of the proportion of women working in media (behind the scenes or in the spotlight) in Los Angeles, then we can continue to be confident that the work and goals of Global Girl Media is essential in promoting the inclusion of more women's voices and perspectives in the production of local media stories!

Women's United Nations Report Program & Network WUNRN released a report showing that from a pool of 500 companies examined in nearly 60 countries, men occupy the vast majority of the management jobs and news-gathering positions in most nations.

A wonderfully surprising statistic from the report reveals that in South Africa, the number of female journalists actually slightly exceeds the number of male journalists. And 75% of media senior management in South Africa are women! However, this is an anomaly compared to neighboring countries and other countries globally where women are still fighting for basic rights and freedoms, such as the right to drive. Stories like these must continue to be reported in order to continue to affect the status of women in society. Without female storytellers, the likelihood of these stories surfacing is much lower.

That said, we’re getting very excited for the start of our 2011summer New Media Academy and News Bureau Program! We received a PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) grant to work with 10 HIV-positive young women in Johannesburg, ages 16-25 from June 25-July 16. We will also be working in conjunction with the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, from July 5-July 26, 2011 to provide training to high-school-aged girls from marginalized communities in Los Angeles. Global Girl LA’s work will also be featured in an international exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center in October, focused on women and girls' rights globally.

Some of the specific stories that the girls will be covering this summer include the return of Iraq War veterans and subsequent effects on their communities. GlobalGirls will be speaking with Dr. Chrisanne Gordon, who works to establish educational, vocational, and employment opportunities for the veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

The girls will also be producing a story about the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, named for the labor union organizer. Some of the Global Girls attend this school and are interested in reporting on its social justice program.

Other stories will evolve as the girls develop their interests and decide which issues matter most to them and why.

All upcoming videos and blogs can be seen at http://www.globalgirlmedia.org !