A Girl From Mogadishu : Online
Film Screening + Panel Discussion
ONLINE, 4TH February 2021
In February 2021, AnotherWay Now hosted an online film screening and panel discussion with special guests to mark International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM/C, in collaboration with Orchid Project and Together Films.
From the comfort of their own homes, our audience watched the incredible film, ‘A Girl From Mogadishu’, based on the true story of FGM/C activist Ifrah Ahmed. Then, on Thursday 4th February, we all met on Zoom to have a panel discussion with Ifrah Ahmed herself, plus the film-maker Mary McGuckian, Julia Lalla-Maharajh and Masooma Ranalvi.
We were delighted to host a panel of experts and a diverse audience from all over the world. Orchid Project, founded by Julia Lalla-Maharajh, work tirelessly to end the practise of FGM/C, in culturally appropriate and sensitive ways. Julia moderated our panel discussion and, alongside women’s rights activist Masooma Ranavli, helped us understand the realities of FGM/C around the world, and why their campaigns are so critical.
Our audience quickly became a significant part of the evening, as their questions and comments flooded in during the Q&A session. We heard of how some had struggled to host conversations around FGM/C with their peers, and how the sensitive topics of culture and gender can prevent us from campaigning. Dozens of comments were sent expressing gratitude to Ifrah and Mary for bringing such a difficult topic to our screens, and once again we saw how online events can be (almost!) as moving as in-person discussions.
You can watch the recording of the evening here, including the panel discussion and Q&A from the audience.
“Many thanks to you beautiful women. You are such an inspiration. I admire your strength and determination.”
“Thank you for sharing your personal story. It was so brave and powerful. You immediately make the connection to us all.”
There are steps we can all take to support these wonderful women’s rights organisations
“This was incredibly engaging and informative. Thank you so much for all of the work that you are doing to bring awareness and inspire change to issues I'm ashamed to say I never knew about. THANK YOU!"
“A thoroughly insightful event! Thank you for sharing such important and pressing human rights issues.”
“It was wonderful, so incredibly well held, a complex and vital conversation“
“So many goosebumps!”
We want to thank those of you who helped make this event such a success, whether you were behind the scenes bringing expert panellists to us, or were watching and supporting our panel from the comfort of your own homes.