Women in Society

They started out on empty fields in small towns and cities across America, a handful of friends and family gathered to cheer them from the sidelines. Through seventeen years of bus trips, concussions, childbirth and family deaths, they survived soaring triumphs and devastating losses. Then one day they woke up to find themselves at the center of the world. They were Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Michelle Akers and Joy Fawcett--cultural icons at the forefront of a revolution that would change the landscape of sports.

Follows Robin Charboneau, a magnetic 31-year-old Oglala Sioux woman living on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. In sharing her story, this documentary will portray the realities of what it means to be a contemporary Native American woman living in two worlds.

A dramatic and timely exploration of domestic abuse, which examines the persistence of violence against women in the US, through the story of Kim, a mother of three in Duluth, MN. Duluth was the birthplace of a revolution in the way society approaches battering, and the film tells the story of the leaders from Duluth who remain on the front lines today. The film also looks at the debate launched by researchers and academics who have challenged the Duluth approach.

Tells the story of Convicted Women Against Abuse, an inmate-led group in a California prison, and its quest to raise awareness about domestic abuse.

Take an unforgettable journey with six actress / advocates and New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof to meet some of the most courageous individuals of our time, who are doing extraordinary work to empower women and girls everywhere. These are stories of heartbreaking challenge, dramatic transformation and enduring hope.

This DVD is based on the book by the same name available at 362.8309 K9292 2010.

"In India and China, where sons are valued and daughters are burdens, millions of babies are killed, abandoned or selectively aborted, simply because they are girls. The result of longstanding traditions and governmental policies, this devaluation of females has led to rampant violence against women and a growing female "gendercide." The film tells the stories of abandoned and trafficked girls, of women who suffer extreme dowry-related violence, of brave mothers fighting to save their daughters' lives, and of other mothers who would kill for a son. Global experts and grassroots activists put the stories in context and advocate different paths towards change, while collectively lamenting the lack of any truly effective action against this injustice."--Container.

"Since 1999, more than two thousand women have been murdered in Guatemala, with the numbers escalating every year. Yet lawmakers and government officials just turn a blind eye ... Uncovers one of the most emotionally wrenching human rights abuses taking place, while exposing the impunity allowed by an inept judicial system"--Cover.

Documentary about a group of brave and visionary women who demanded peace for Liberia, a nation torn to shreds by a bloody civil war, violent warlords, and the corrupt Charles Taylor regime. Includes interviews, archival images, and scenes of present-day Liberia woven together to recount the experiences and memories of the women who were instrumental in bringing peace to their country.

"Every year, hundreds of people are attacked with acid in Pakistan. The majority of these are women, who are left physically and emotionally scarred. Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia, a 39-year old whose husband threw acid on her after she filed for divorce, and Rukhsana, a 25-year-old whose husband and inlaws threw acid and gasoline on her, then set her on fire. Charting the arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, the film also follows plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who put his London practice on hold to return to his home country to help Zakia, Rukhsana and other victims. Saving Face is a powerful look inside Pakistani society, illuminating each woman's personal journey while showing how reformers are tackling this vexing problem though the passage of a new law that punishes convicted acid attackers with life imprisonment"--Publisher description.

When a journalist is stranded in her remote village, Zahra takes a bold chance to reveal what the villagers will stop at nothing to keep hidden. Thus begins the remarkable story of what happened to Soraya, a kind-spirited woman whose bad marriage leads her cruel, divorce-seeking husband to trump up false charges of infidelity, which carry an unimaginable penalty.
Note: This film is in Farsi with English sub-titles.