Nollywood stars, Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah, have advocated for the rights of young Nigerian girls through filmmaking.
The actors made the charge at a leadership platform tagged #AsaharamiSpeaks organised by the Sahara Group.
The event, which held at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Lagos on Wednesday, had accomplished entrepreneurs, actors, movie directors, producers and girl child education advocates as panelists.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Enhancing girl child empowerment through the medium of film’, Rita said filmmaking has the potential to shape the narrative of young girls in Africa.
“As practitioners, we need to ensure that the medium of film captures their experiences and that of others who surround them to tell the most compelling stories.”
Speaking directly to girls desirous of seeking careers in filmmaking, she said, “Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability in your chosen field and believe in your talent to get you through the hard times and bad times. Movies and the media have the power to tell stories and effect change in order to project the Nigeria and the world we want to see tomorrow.”
Ramsey’s opinion on the subject indicated the need for boys all over the world to treat girls with respect.
“It is so important to train our boys from an early age to respect the girls and women in their lives. How we raise our children really does set the tone for future gender dynamics,” he said.
Another Nollywood actress, Dakore Akande, who joined her colleagues on panel, noted that girls and boys should be treated equally.
“The responsibility of ensuring this rests with parents and I believe we can use the medium of film to shape the narrative we desire for girls and boys alike.”
The panel discussion also gave the participants a chance to show their more vulnerable side, much to the appreciation of the audience.
Akerele-Ogunsiji, who also founded Rise Network stressed the need for a change in the perception that drives society today.
She said ‘“We need to move on from a society that is male, pale and stale. Girls are raised to be more responsible and ready for the real world. In the corporate world there has been a recent paradigm shift. Most of the highest managerial positions are occupied by women.”
Zuriel Oduwole, who had spent some time sharing her film making experience with 90 girls in three West African cities was also present at the event.
She urged the beneficiaries of the project to, “never give up on their dreams and use their film making skills to share stories that will enhance girl empowerment.”
One of the students from the Extrapreneurs Filmmaking explained that her ambitions in professional film making were greeted with some cynicism at home. “My father doesn’t believe in film making but I want to prove him wrong by having a successful career” said Oyelami Azeezat a eighteen year old student and resident of Surulere.”
On a closing note, Sahara Group-Head of Corporate Communications, Bethel Obioma, said #AsharamiSpeaks will deploy digital media and a series of panel discussions to bring together key influencers, thought leaders, civil societies and organizations from a cross-section of industries and interests to inspire conversations that address global issues.
