Sarah Brown: Female Empowerment Is About Equality For Women And Girls

We met up with Sarah Brown at the premiere of Girl Rising

Sarah Brown hosted the UK preview of a feature film on the power of girls' education last night at BAFTA.

She joined Intel, the 10x10 campaign to educate girls, and charity Plan UK to host Girl Rising - a film which tells the story of nine girls around the world, in countries such as Haiti, Nepal and Afghanistan.

The film is narrated by Hollywood stars including Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, and writers such as Marie Claire contributor Zarghuna Kargar have written up the girls' incredible, inspirational and sometimes harrowing stories.

Speaking in conversation with Jude Kelly, the chief of London's Southbank Centre, Brown talked about the impact her own education had on her life and how she campaigns now. The talk was devised by Plan UK as part of their Because I am a Girl campaign. 

IT'S CHIME FOR CHANGE

Talking exclusively to Marie Claire, Brown said: 'I think the film is going to have a large impact. It's come at a great time where we have had cases like Malala where people have been mobilised in support.

'Female empowerment is about equality for women and girls around the world. We don't have that in personal safety, economic opportunity and education. I think we've seen a shift in women's rights over the last century and now we are seeing something where women who have opportunity in their work and home lives want to share that with other women round the world.'

She added: 'Across the nine stories in the film we are talking about millions of girls around the world. Looking at the story of a girl forced into an early marriage, there are 10 million girls a year who have this situation. It's about looking at the individual stories and looking at the sheer number of girls behind them.'

To donate to Plan UK's girl fund go here. 

STARS HIT THE RED CARPET AT GIRL RISING PREMIERE

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