Join us for a discussion on global collaboration and period poverty as we come together to watch the trailer for the compelling documentary Uman Tok: Tailoring Hope, Renewing Futures, which sheds light on the critical issue of period poverty in Sierra Leone. Set against the backdrop of a post-civil war nation, the film highlights the resilience of young girls battling the stigma surrounding menstruation while also calling attention to a local, grassroots NGO (Uman Tok) that facilitates health awareness, education, and sustainability of feminine healthcare. The event will also feature a short talk by the film’s director, Associate Professor of Journalism Stretch Ledford, a panel discussion with journalism lecturer Alison Davis and partners from Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, an information table hosted by the student organization ‘Code Red’, as well as a virtual reality exhibit where attendees can use state-of-the-art virtual reality headsets to enter an immersive experience of Uman Tok’s tailoring shop in Freetown.
The documentary Uman Tok amplifies the voices of girls and women striving for dignity and equity in a context where access to basic menstrual health resources can remain a daily struggle. It also raises critical questions about the enduring effects of global power dynamics and their influence on health and gender inequality in post-colonial nations.
Following the screening, join the filmmakers for an in-depth discussion that will:
Provide historical and social context to Sierra Leone’s current challenges, including its colonial past and the impacts of civil war
Examine the ongoing crisis of period poverty and its intersections with global inequities
Share the personal and collective inspiration behind bringing this story to light
Reflect on the collaborative process of producing this documentary and amplifying local voices
This event is more than a film screening; it’s an invitation to engage critically with the intersections of gender justice, health equity, and global power structures.
The film is produced by students and faculty in the University of Illinois Journalism Department in collaboration with the University of Birmingham (UK) and Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Attendees are encouraged to donate one or more period products to ‘Code Red’ for distribution to women and girls in Central Illinois.
RSVP at this link here: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1548995498