Before this week, I knew little about GlobalGirl Media (GGM). I came across GGM on Instagram and saw the post about the international summer academy. As a young journalist, I decided to sign up with the aim of developing my writing and research skills. However, after this week, I have realised that I am going to gain much more.
When I met the group of girls for the first time on Zoom, the geographical diversity was clear. From Afghanistan to South Africa to the UK, the academy truly is international. As we spoke about the issues that women face in each of our countries, my feminist awareness expanded. Although I know that there are gender-based problems across the world, it is easy to be absorbed only by personal problems that you face in your own country. It was inspiring and uplifting to unite with other young women from across the globe and hear their own stories.
In this past week, we have covered several topics, including research and blogging. I particularly enjoyed listening to Bridgit Pickering, who discussed filmmaking. Prior to this week, I had a bit of interest in making documentaries. I have no experience in filmmaking so I have never really considered pursuing a career in it. However, as I listened to Bridgit Bickering talk about filmmaking, I realised that perhaps it was something that I wanted to pursue. We have spoken much about filmmaking and we have watched various trailers, such as ‘For Sama’ by Waad al-Kateab and ‘Motherland’ by Ramona Diaz. It became evident to me that the power of visual journalism can change the world.
I have learnt much from this first week and I look forward to developing further skills. I am also grateful to have met and connected with inspirational young women from all over the world, who are just as passionate as I am for fighting social injustice.
AUTHOR: guest blogger, Isabella
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