Activists use short films to promote sexual and reproductive health rights
Reach a Hand Uganda and Sauti Plus Media Hub have premiered a collection of eight compelling short films centered on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Justice (SRHRJ) in East Africa.
The fiction and documentary films are part of the Get Reel project – which is facilitated by Docubox, an East African Documentary film organisation dedicated to amplifying voices and fostering social change with support from the Hewlett Foundation and the Wellsprings Philanthropic Fund.
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They films include Unasemaje (fiction), Unyagoni (documentary), Before Sixteen (documentary) Detour (fiction), Jimbi (fiction), Sukari (fiction), 1992 (fiction), and Red Line (documentary) in which filmmakers were immersed in expertise, discussions, and news about SRHRJ, and the resulting films seek to address the urgent yet often overlooked issues surrounding SRHRJ.
Speaking during the premiering of the short films at the International University of East Africa Teddy Chimulwa, the National Project Officer at UNESCO Uganda hailed the role of storytelling in driving home the message.
“These stories are not just entertainment, but also tools for advocacy which will reach policymakers, community leaders, and ordinary citizens to raise awareness and encourage action on SRHR issues that affect Africa and Uganda in particular,” Chimulwa said.
She noted that UNESCO is committed to working with young people to support involvement of their creatives in efforts to use media and storytelling to make the world a better place.
The UNESCO official also asked policy makers and health practitioners to invest more in creating platforms that allow young people to speak out on issues affecting their sexual reproductive health.
Reach A Hand's head of programs, Benson Muhindo underscored the rationale behind the concept.
“As an organisation, we have embraced film as a great tool through which we can change narratives and help audiences go beyond understanding SRHR and towards seeking justice. We have seen young people in communities face these issues and remain silent because they might not be aware of the laws in place to protect them or help them seek justice. Therefore, having such films that show young people that they are not meant to sit and suffer in silence is a powerful medium that needs to be supported,”Muhindo said.
