Decade: A story of women empowerment in a Punjab village

A decade ago, no girl in the village was allowed to receive education, but today every girl there goes to school.

Decade, a film by Atif Ahmad Qureshi and Muhammad Iqbal Akram, focuses on women’s education in the rural areas of Pakistan. It highlights violence against women in Pakistan and the role of culture in perpetuating that violence.

Revolving around a village of Punjab, Thathi Bhanguan, the film starts in the year 1999, when no girl in the village was allowed to get education.

It tells the story of how one woman, along with some other village women, took a stand for their rights and continued the struggle by going door to door and urging them to educate their women. Despite extreme criticism initially, they succeeded in changing people’s minds and perception.

And now, after a decade, every girl in the village there goes to school and women are given the right to make decisions for themselves.

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This film is part of Pakistan Calling,  www.thersa.org/pkcalling  a UK and Pakistan project by  www.thersa.org and thesamosa.co.uk   please visit www.thersa.org/pkcalling  for more films on Pakistani civil society organisations, social entrepreneurs and individuals www.thersa.org/pkcalling - The RSA and The Samosa launched www.thersa.org/pkcalling to promote constructive cross-cultural dialogue between Britain and Pakistan. Show your support by watching the film.