Honor Diaries: The Stories of 9 Women’s Rights Activists
Honor Diaries a groundbreaking film that tackles the sensitive issues of women’s rights and violence in Muslim-majority societies.
http://www.clarionproject.org/news/honor-diaries-film-about-womens-rights
Honor Diaries is a groundbreaking interfaith film, co-produced by Women’s Voices Now, the Aha Foundation, Karma Nirvana, Council of Muslims Facing Tomorrow, and Clarion Project, that tackles head on the sensitive issues of women’s rights and violence in Muslim-majority societies. It brings together nine women from different backgrounds with unique expertise to share their stories. Honor Diaries won the St Louis International Film Festival Interfaith Award, and was an official selection at the Chicago International Film Festival.
The film discusses gender inequality, honor-based violence, forced marriage, and FGM. The women in the film come with awareness and understanding of the complex cultural issues at play, and are therefore able to attack ‘political correctness’ taboos that restrict dialogue and prevent true acknowledgement of the abuses perpetuated worldwide against women and girls. The 9 women that are followed in the film all have fascinating and troubling first-hand experience of the subject matter. Although the film does not focus on scenes of violence, FGM, murder, rape and spousal abuse are all discussed in depth, and by those with personal experience of it. For allowing these stories to be told alone, Honor Diaries is worthy of praise.
Honor Diaries does not merely show the problems faced by women in Muslim majority societies, but highlights the efforts made by the women to fight injustice. By starting with a conversation, the film acts as a catalyst for change in enabling women to begin to openly challenge oppression. Honor Diaries provides a platform to these women exclusively. Western audiences will be on the whole unfamiliar with the concepts of Honor discussed in the film, and the ways in which culture and tradition play an integral part in the lives of the women discussed. One of Honor Diaries’ great strengths is that is acknowledges that problem, and explains in a patient and clear way the embedded and patriarchal nature of the cultures being discussed. This must-see movie challenges the viewer’s perceptions in order to drive home its central message: that culture is no excuse for abuse.
Watch the Honor Diaries trailer
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