Join MALA, the Illinois Humanities Council, and the UN Association in Chicago on International Day of the Girl for the screening of the award-winning documentary The People‘s Girls بنات الناس, which investigates the issue of sexual harassment in Egypt.
There will be a Q&A after the film with co-director Colette Ghunim. Currently located in Chicago, Illinois, Colette Ghunim is a freelance videographer, editor, and filmmaker. Previously, Colette interned at Rotary International as a Digital Coordinator, as well as in the Talent Relations department at Nickelodeon. This is her first in what she hopes to be many documentaries tacking issues faced by communities globally.
SYNOPSIS
Sexual harassment has been a growing problem in Egypt over the last few years, especially in Cairo. UN Women reported that over 99% of Egyptian women have suffered from sexual harassment in their lifetime. Due to the extensive media coverage on the issue, the Egyptian government introduced anti-sexual harassment legislation, making it possible for harassers to face years in prison.
Filmmakers Colette Ghunim and Tinne Van Loon bring you The People’s Girls, a documentary film which through a series of interviews and social experiments takes a closer look at Egypt to see who is to blame for harassment and how women are fighting back. Because patriarchal societies often overlook women’s rights violations, this documentary serves as a catalyst for public debate not only in Egypt but internationally, as prominent cases of sexual harassment frequently occur on a global scale.
There is a suggested donation of $10, which will go towards funding a free screening campaign of the film throughout Egypt, to catalyze both conversation and solutions to end sexual harassment.
