GENDER EQUALITY AND A BALANCED SOCIETY? THE CASE OF GUINEA-BISSAU
WFA 2024 Home Schedule Explore the Film Guide Education Parties News+Reviews GET TICKETS
Why is gender equality necessary for a balanced society? Gender equality, women power, and female eco-business issues in the western African country, Guinea-Bissau, as well as the impact of local traditions, cultures and religions in women’s lives were explored in an interview with the Brazilian of Korean descent director of the documentary “Unite For Bissau: Agroecology And Feminism In Guinea Bissau”, Iara Lee with the journalist-sociologist, Dr. Despina Afentouli.
See the documentary film Unite For Bissau: Agroecology And Feminism In Guinea Bissau on February 24 @12:45 PM at LOOK Cinemas (657 West 57th Street) as part of New York City’s 12th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival. Tickets now on sale!
What inspired you to make a story about Guinea-Bissau?
I have made documentaries about resistance movements in several African countries. Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony like my home country Brazil, so we are connected like brothers/sisters and I wanted to learn about our similar past. I wanted to travel there to investigate that. When I arrived, I found that, although the situation was complicated, feminism in Guinea-Bissau had deep roots in the country’s revolutionary traditions. Oftentimes, women are connecting their struggles for autonomy and equal rights with the need to protect the environment and revive traditional practices of agro-ecology. That combination was very interesting to me. I found in Guinea-Bissau what can be described as a form of eco-feminism that I think has important implications for the world as a whole.
You dedicate your film to Professor Malam Djassi’s final advocacy against female genital mutilation (FGM). What is the message you want to convey through your story to the international audience?
While Guinea-Bissau has some strong strains of feminism, there are also cultural practices in the country that are harmful to women and girls. One of these is Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM. According to a UNICEF report from a few years ago, as many as 400,000 girls and women in Guinea-Bissau have undergone FGM, so this is something that affects up to half of females between the ages of 15 and 49. In the documentary, you can see a variety of local activists who are working to combat FGM. These are not outsiders, but people rooted in their own communities who are pushing for positive change. Professor Malam Djassi is one of these people. He was an Imam who spent many years campaigning for an end to the practice. He was a very important voice in the community. We were able to film him for the documentary before he died, but sadly he passed away shortly thereafter. That is why the film is dedicated to him.
In your film, it is mentioned that Guinea-Bissau has 30 ethnicities that follow different religions and cultures. In your opinion, to what extent is forced marriage of girls and women a practice related to religions, cultures, and traditions?
Like Female Genital Mutilation, the forced marriage of young girls is something that’s a significant issue in the country. Both practices are particularly prevalent among girls and women from rural areas and those with less education.
Forced marriage is something connected to culture and religion but also tied to economics—as girls who come from families who lack economic opportunities can be susceptible to forced marriage. To combat this issue, feminist movements are adopting a multifaceted approach. They are actively engaging with community leaders to challenge and delegitimize the practice by speaking out against it. And they are working to promote self-sufficiency and economic opportunities, aiming to liberate women from situations where they might feel trapped.
Much like with FGM, ending forced marriage will require action that addresses both its cultural roots and the economic factors that perpetuate it. Girls need to get educated, learn skills so they can enter the job market.
Guinea-Bissau gained independence from Portugal in 1973. As mentioned in your film, independence leader Amilcar Cabral said: “Our revolution will never be victorious if we do not achieve the full participation of women”. How can equality between women and men be achieved in Guinea-Bissau?
Amílcar Cabral, a visionary Guinea-Bissaun leader and thinker, was ahead of his time in advocating for women’s leadership. And his commitment to women’s rights during the independence struggle is something that feminist movements today remember well. They are seeking to carry forward that tradition…
As to your question on how equality can be achieved, there are numerous activists, movements, and empowered women who are tirelessly working on many fronts to make equality happen. It’s an ongoing struggle that demands sustained efforts, not just in Guinea-Bissau but around the globe. For me, the women featured in the documentary serve as inspirations for all of us working internationally.
According to your film, since 2015, “Granja Pessube” has only grown organic fruits and vegetables, yet women are not allowed to become entrepreneurs. Why?
I think what you are referring to is a quote in the documentary from a woman who is a leader in the Granja Pessube farmer’s association—which is an organization run by women. The person is pointing out that there are lots of organizations like this where women are taking leadership roles and succeeding brilliantly, and yet there is still a lot of sexism in the wider society and a common belief that women cannot be effective businesspeople. That is not something unique to Guinea-Bissau, it is a stereotype that appears in many countries and regions, and it is something that women all over the world are constantly having to fight against.
The women entrepreneurs in the film are persevering in spite of these difficulties, and they are putting forward a vision of agroecology, ecofeminism, and gender equality at the same time that they are building economic self-sufficiency. These are precisely the types of examples I wanted to hold up, because these women are very inspiring to me.
Despina Afentouli
Dr. Despina Afentouli (www.afentouli.com) is a journalist, sociologist and postdoc researcher with professional work experience in media, academic institutions and public sector worldwide. Dr. Afentouli holds a PhD in Sociology, a Master’s degree in International Journalism, and a Bachelor’s degree in International and European Studies and Translating/Interpreting (German-English). Dr. Afentouli has participated as a speaker, co-ordinator and organizer of educational seminars and cultural events.
About Winter Film Awards
New York City’s 12th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival runs February 21-25 2024 in New York City and includes 82 outstanding films, a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC’s LOOK Cinemas, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 25 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.
Winter Film Awards is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of voices in indie film and our 2024 lineup is 58% made by women and half by or about people of color. Filmmakers come from 23 countries and 41% of our films were made in the New York City area. 13 films were made by students and 26 are works from first-time filmmakers.
Winter Film Awards programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
Visit https://winterfilmawards.com/wfa2024/ for more information.
Source: Winter Film Awards