The Girls’ Agenda is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that advocates for the respect of the rights of girls and women and the promotion of their freedom and dignity.
The cartoon animation movie, premiered on the 26th of August last year,2022, at the Ebunja aims to raise awareness on the negative and destructive impact of female genital mutilation (FGM). The film is intended to be utilise by the orgnisation as a support tool to engage communities to abandon the practice and protect girls.
Depicting the realities of FGM in Gambian communities and advocating its eradication in communities through community sensitisation, the movie fits within this year’s She Awards Gambia’s theme: ‘Celebrating Frontliners Against SGBV’
The film was produced in partnership with RebelVZN, an independent production company specialising in multimedia production, cinematography and audio-visual concepts, which hopes to inspire a renaissance of the film industry in The Gambia, telling stories that highlight The Gambia’s rich cultures and traditions while addressing various ills in society.
Animators mobilised by RebelVZN in the creation of the movie came from Zenks Pro in Ghana, Image n Sound, Xalam Studios and STS Pictures, with an exciting line up of voice actors including adolescent girls.
The film unfolds as Ataema started ‘Kaira Suu’ as a safe home for girls at risk of female genital mutilation in her community. With support from her friend Binta, she welcomes the girls into their home, takes care of them and works closely with law enforcement agents to protect them.
Further, Ataema and Binta work together to rescue Sutay from her family home. They face protests and threats from Sutay’s family but remain firm in their resolve to protect her and other girls from FGM and its related dangers.
The film departs from traditional messaging and demonstrates an example for active protection for girls in communities where FGM is practised. It is a call to action and shows that a new reality is possible when individuals and communities take action and do the right thing.
