Fundamental Film and COVID-19

Updates from the Activists Featured in Fundamental, Online Screenings, and Staying Connected

COVID-19 has made plain the structural inequalities built into our world. While we’re still learning about the virus and its effects, it’s clear that women, girls, and marginalized communities will be particularly hard-hit. At Global Fund for Women, we are working in solidarity with our grantee partners – those featured in Fundamental and beyond – during the COVID-19 pandemic including by providing many of them with flexible funding and crisis support.  You can read Global Fund for Women’s statement on COVID-19 here on why feminist solidarity and funder flexibility is needed more than ever.

Gender justice activists around the world are serving their communities in this time of crisis, ensuring that movements stay strong, no matter what comes their way. The activists featured in Fundamental are leading their communities’ efforts on a variety of gender justice issues, and their response to the COVID-19 crisis is no exception.  In Kenya, Akili Dada, featured in the episode “Girls at the Heart of It” is calling on political and community leaders to recognize the gendered impact of the pandemic and sharing information on how their community can stay safe. In the U.S., Freedom, Inc., which was featured in the episode “Rising Power”, has launched a COVID-19 response centered on Black, Indigenous, and people of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer direct service providers. In Georgia, WISG is now working on an online platform to discuss and develop recommendations for government lobbying and advocacy in the midst of COVID-19.

In this unprecedented moment, it’s critical to ensure the voices of women, girls, and marginalized communities are heard, and it’s paramount that everyone stays healthy and safe. Stories and film have a unique ability to bridge divides and bring us together as part of something bigger than ourselves – to connect us and create empathy during perilous times. To that end, we hope the Fundamental films serve as tools for organizations and educators to foster connection and spark dialog. Global Fund for Women is pleased to support online and virtual screenings of Fundamental at this time.

Click here to sign up to host a virtual screening.

We want to hear from you – how are you using the films? Please stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and let us know what is #Fundamental to you.