Wherever you are from, whatever nation or clan you belong to, if you a woman, you are part of a tribe called “women”. This thought was the theme of our annual International Women’s Day celebration and film screening, held on Monday, March 14.
We had the privilege of showing the first screening of A Tribe of Women, which is a documentary for Sudanese women’s courageous quest to stop war in Sudan. This film is based on the concept that women understand other women regardless of their ethnicity and tribe, and together can make a real difference in the journey towards peace. The women featured in the film are from different areas in Sudan and come from very different backgrounds. However, al of the women experienced tragedy, fear, and loss throughout the on-going civil wars, and they also share a sense of hope and healing for the future.
Thato Mwosa, a female filmmaker, who is from Botswana, followed My Sister’s Keeper, an organization dedicated to women peace-builders in Sudan, as they launched their Sisterhood for Peace Initiative. Through the camera, we hear the voices of Sudanese women and see their shared experiences lifted up. Their collected voices empowered them to take action to emphasize the importance of ending war in Sudan. Their work has not been easy: ministers at Doha Rounds in Qatar refused to meet with them, but the women showed up anyway. They set up a table in the lobby of the hotel where the ministers were staying and demanded that they held a meeting to listen to what the women had to say. Through Sisterhood for Peace, the women are uniting to bring about real change and real peace.
After the screening, Thato Mwosa, the film maker, Sarah Rial, one of the featured women in the film and the Program Director of My Sister’s Keeper, Gloria E. White-Hammond, executive director of My Sister’s Keeper, and Liz Walker, the film’s producer answered the audience’s questions and talked about their thoughts, process of the action, the film and their wish.
While the first draft of the film is complete, the work of the women (and the film!) is not over! They are continuing their work but progress is slow. This story is not over, so they need support to be able to make aware of the war and women’s experiences in Sudan. To learn how you can support the film and My Sister’s Keeper’s work, go here.
Peace comes only when we join together to work for a better world, and there is a special role for women at the table, which we were really able to celebrate and lift up as we honored International Women’s Day! Celebrate the sheroes in your life all year round!
– Kyoko
PS. See more photos from our International Women’s Day film screening!