“It’s a Girl” Premieres at British and European Parliaments
It’s a Girl held its UK premiere at the British Parliament on October 30. The screening was co-hosted by Lord Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Howe of Idlicote with various MPs, leaders of NGOs and other invited guests in attendance.
In his opening remarks at the screening, Lord Alton connected the gendercide in India and China with the recent shooting of a young girl in Pakistan:
The story of an amazing 14-year-old young woman, Malala Yousafzai, recovering in a Birmingham hospital after being gunned down by the Taliban in Pakistan, for campaigning for the right to schooling and education, illustrates the horrific nature of the intolerance to which many young women are subjected.
That discrimination begins even before birth, when the three most dangerous and deadly words which can be uttered are the words “It’s a girl”.
An engaging panel discussion followed the screening, with director Evan Grae Davis, producer Andrew Brown, and Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers responding to a wide range of questions. Of particular note was the diverse audience, with representatives from both pro-choice and pro-life leaders present. There was a strong desire to find common ground and work together in opposition to end gendercide.
The team then traveled to Brussels for a premiere screening at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Gay Mitchell in a packed auditorium.
During the Q&A following the screening, Reggie Littlejohn of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers applauded the European Parliament for recently passing a resolution that “strongly condemns . . . the practice of forced abortions and sterilizations globally, especially in the context of the one-child policy.”
The resolution further states that “the EU has provided, and still provides, funds for organizations involved in family planning policies in China,” and “urges the Commission to ensure that its funding of projects does not breach” the European Parliament’s commitment against coercive population control.
These two screenings at the British and European Parliament were significant opportunities to present the urgency for action against gendercide in front of global leaders, with members of the respective parliaments and other influential leaders in attendance at both screenings.
Join us in petitioning other world leaders to take action against gendercide: