Six videos to help you talk about women’s human rights in the classroom

By Bashayer Aljaber, Amnesty Speaker Programme Volunteer

Short films and videos can be useful conversation starters for teachers, educators, facilitators or anyone wishing to learn more about human rights. Here are some freely available films about women’s human rights.

There may be content that is unsuitable for some audiences, therefore we recommend you watch each clip in full to check that its suitable before you use it in an educational setting.

Women should be free to choose how to live their lives. This animation demonstrates the importance of making your own decisions concerning your body, sexuality and health.

The current ban in El Salvador results in the detention of many innocent women and girls. This video shows how this ban affected 17-year-old Claudia’s life and violated her rights.

Many countries lack the basic facilities for women to give birth safely - putting both them and their newborn at great risk. This animation looks at maternal mortality in Sierra Leone, where maternal deaths are at an all-time high. Ami lost her mother as she gave birth to her and her twin brother.

An animation following young girls forced into marriage before they are 18 years old - a disturbingly common problem in Burkina Faso.

A seven-minute documentary about girls forced into marriage before they are 18. Nepal is one of the few states in Asia with ‘strong’ laws regarding child marriage, however the rate of early marriage is the third highest in the continent. Despite promises made by the Nepalese Government, 37% of girls are married before they turn 18. 

An animation looking at the ways in which women in Saudi Arabia are restricted from making decisions without the permission of a male guardian. From work, healthcare, travel, relationships - many of these require 'permission' in the Guardian system.

Early and forced marriage robs many young girls of their basic rights. For help and information regarding forced marriage, you can contact Karma Nirvana for specialist advice. Alternatively, Rights of Women offers free legal advice to women on a variety of issues.