PWA hosted a screening of Girl Rising, a documentary about girls in developing countries who have overcome nearly impossible odds to pursue their dreams of an education.

According to the founders of Girl Rising, educating girls has been statistically proven to enhance their entire community. With that mission in mind, Girl Rising created a documentary film of the same name, highlighting the stories of nine girls from around the world and their pursuit of education. In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Proskauer Women’s Alliance, led by former co-chairs Lindsay Roshkind and Alyse Stach, held a screening of the film along with a Q&A with the film’s senior producer Kayce Freed Jennings.

On March 24, 2015, the film was shown to Proskauer lawyers and staff, presenting a moving portrait of girls living in the developing world who confront tremendous challenges in order to follow their dreams. “For Women’s History Month, it seemed fitting to highlight how educating just one girl can have such a broad impact on entire communities,” says Alyse. “It was great to be able to share these stories with our colleagues.”

Girl Rising was founded by the Documentary Group, a collection of journalists looking to tell meaningful stories. When they began to hear about the statistical evidence surrounding girls’ education – which shows that when girls are educated, communities thrive and economies grow – they were shocked that they had not previously heard about it, and eager to spread the word. “Education gives kids a sense of agency,” Kayce says. “We wanted to create a film that would be a genuine vehicle for change.”

The Documentary Group selected nine girls and partnered with nine women writers from the girls’ home countries, such as renowned Peruvian author Marie Arana, in order to tell their unique stories. In the film, which was directed by Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins, the stories are narrated by famous actresses, including Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, Freida Pinto and Cate Blanchett.

In the Q&A following the film, Jennings noted that the organization makes an effort to keep in touch with the girls featured in the film and to provide them with resources. In addition to using the film and the stories of the girls as a tool for education and advocacy, the Girl Rising Fund raises money to help its partners on the ground to further girls education in developing countries.