November 2013 - It's a Girl Documentary

“It’s a Girl” Premieres in Hong Kong

November 25, 2013/in Documentary Updates/by itsagirl

Amnesty International’s Premiere of It’s a Girl in Hong Kong with Presentation from Women’s Rights Without Frontiers’ President Reggie Littlejohn

Littlejohn, an internationally-recognized expert and opponent of China’s One-Child Policy, presented after the Hong Kong premiere of It’s a Girl.

Littlejohn is featured in the film, which vividly details rampant coercion under China’s population policy. Screenings of the documentary took place at the Hong Kong Arts Centre on November 18th and 19th.

Littlejohn’s visit demonstrates a growing international opposition to forced abortion as violence against women and is a significant moment for Women’s Rights Without Frontiers.

While Littlejohn has addressed the issue before the United States Congress, European Parliament, British Parliament, United Nations and Vatican, this visit was her first time speaking against forced abortion and gendercide from Chinese soil. Littlejohn’s remarks were broadcast into mainland China by Voice of America.

In connection with the film screening, she met with top human rights leaders, lawyers and legislators to discuss the state of China’s population policy.

“I am thrilled to come to Hong Kong at the invitation of Amnesty International, and to speak at the Hong Kong premiere of It’s a Girl. The timing of my visit occurred just after China’s announcement that it was making a modification of the One Child Policy. I was able to discuss with the human rights community in Hong Kong that this is not a major step forward, as touted by the media. Rather, it is a minor modification that will not end forced abortion or gendercide in China. We need to continue the battle to end these atrocities. I am grateful for the warm reception I received from the Hong Kong human rights community and hope to develop friendships and collaborations with the outstanding activists I met, for years to come.”

Reggie at Amnesty Intl Hong Kong Credit AI2

Reggie Littlejohn speaks in Hong Kong after the Amnesty International
Premiere of It’s a Girl on 18 Nov. 2013 Photo credit: Amnesty International

Sign the Petition Against Forced Abortion in China
https://www.causes.com/chinapetition
Watch Hong Kong: Women’s Rights Organization Says Two-Child Policy Does Not Relax One Child Policy (Video)
http://www.voachinese.com/media/video/woman-rights-20131119/1793194.htm

www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion

Reggie Littlejohn: Forced Abortion in China Will Continue Despite Recent Misleading Headlines

November 18, 2013/in Documentary Updates/by itsagirl

Reggie Littlejohn President, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org

Forced Abortion in China Will Continue, Despite “Easing” of One Child Policy Under the misleading headline, “China to Ease One-Child Policy,” Xinhua reports that China will now lift the ban on a second child, if either parent is an only child. This minor reform will not “ease” the One Child Policy. It will merely tweak it.

All the reasons for this adjustment are economic or demographic: China’s dwindling labor force, the country’s growing elderly population, and the severe gender imbalance. Completely absent from the discussion is the issue of human rights violations. China has not promised to end forced abortion, forced sterilization or forced contraception. The coercive enforcement of China’s One Child Policy is its core.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated: “While we are glad for the second babies who will be born under this adjustment, instituting a two-child policy in certain, limited circumstances will not end forced abortion or forced sterilization.The problem with the One Child Policy is not the number of children “allowed.” Rather, it is the fact that the CCP is telling women how many children they can have and then enforcing that limit through forced abortion, forced sterilization and infanticide. Even if all couples were allowed two children, there is no guarantee that the CCP will cease their appalling methods of enforcement. Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables and forced to abort babies that they want, even up to the ninth month of pregnancy. It does not matter whether you are pro-life or pro-choice on this issue. No one supports forced abortion, because it is not a choice.

“Further, instituting a two-child policy will not end gendercide. Indeed, areas in which two children currently are allowed are especially vulnerable to gendercide, the sex-selective abortion of females. According to the 2009 British Medical Journal study of 2005 national census data, in nine provinces, for “second order births” where the first child is a girl, 160 boys were born for every 100 girls. In two provinces, Jiangsu and Anhui, for the second child, there were 190 boys for every hundred girls born. This study stated, “Sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males.” Because of this gendercide, there are an estimated 37 million Chinese men who will never marry because their future wives were terminated before they were born. This gender imbalance is a powerful, driving force behind trafficking in women and sexual slavery, not only in China, but in neighboring nations as well.

“Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party periodically modifies the One Child Policy, but the coercion at its core remains. Reports of these tweaks — especially when mischaracterized by western media — throw the human rights world into confusion and blunt genuine efforts to end forced abortion in China. On September 9, 2010, for example, TIME ran the headline, “China Could Overthrow One-Child Rule.” Myriad other news sources followed suit. This dramatic headline was based on the fact that China proposed to run a pilot program allowing some couples to have two children. Soon afterwards, on September 25, 2010 – the 30th anniversary of the One Child Policy – a top population control official praised the policy and stated that China “will stick to the family planning policy in the coming decades.” Moreover, despite this pilot program, numerous reports of late-term forced abortions have surfaced since 2010, including the forced abortion at seven months of Feng Jianmei in June 2012.” For a discussion of forced abortion cases that have arisen in 2011-2012, read WRWF’s Complaint to the UNCSW. http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=717

For a discussion of forced abortion and other egregious violations of human rights in connection with coercive population control, read WRWF’s 2013 Complaint to the UNCSW. http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1254

Read the Xinhua Report: “China to Ease One-Child Policy” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-11/15/c_132891920.htm

Reggie Littlejohn, President
Women’s Rights Without Frontiers
www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org
Stop Forced Abortion – China’s War on Women! Video (4 mins)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtuBcJUsjY

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion.

Documentary Film About the World War on Women by “It’s a Girl” Director

November 12, 2013/in Documentary Updates/by itsagirl

Director Evan Grae Davis announces a major new film project carrying on the story begun by It’s a Girl!

Female – The World War on Women is a documentary film addressing the various forms of violence and abuse suffered by women on every continent around the globe. While exploring personal stories illustrating an array of issues such as the feminization of poverty, gendercide, female genital mutilation, child marriage, and the objectification and exploitation of women, experts seek to identify the cultural mindsets and traditions that result in such human rights violations while activists offer hope of change through viable solutions.

Director Evan Grae Davis: “Join me as, together, we renew our commitment to bring justice and equality to millions of women silently enduring unspeakable injustice – to tell the stories that desperately need to be told – add your voice!”

For more information about the new film, CLICK HERE.

“It’s a Girl” Film Director Launching New Film Project About Violence Against Women!

November 5, 2013/in Documentary Updates/by itsagirl

This is a special message from It’s a Girl director, Evan Grae Davis.

On November 12th, I will be announcing a major new film project carrying on the story begun by It’s a Girl! This will be your one and only opportunity to sign up to receive the exciting news!

But first, I want to personally thank you and the hundreds of thousands of others who have joined the It’s a Girl cause and have added your voice to the movement to end gendercide in India and China. Together, we have succeeded in elevating the plight of millions of women suffering under gendercide to a whole new level of action and awareness all over the world!

We started an important conversation with It’s a Girl, asking why 200 million women are ‘missing’ in the world today due to gendercide. But this conversation has led to many more questions about the plight of women and about what can be done to help.

My life will never be the same since I set out on this journey, and the ongoing battle being fought by brave activists and world-changers like the action partners we have supported through It’s a Girl inspires me to want to keep fighting by their side.

My contribution is to tell their stories and those of the women they represent. But I can’t do it alone! I would like to personally invite you to join me as I prepare to announce the next chapter of the story: a second, and equally powerful, documentary film project taking the It’s a Girl cause to the next level!

But you must sign up today to receive coming updates, including the big new film announcement on November 12th.

Join me as, together, we renew our commitment to bring justice and equality to millions of women silently enduring unspeakable injustice – to tell the stories that desperately need to be told – add your voice by signing up today!
Evan Grae Davis

Director, It’s a Girl Movie