75 people celebrated with us the 100th International Women's Day by saying STOP ! To the trafficking and sexual exploitation of young girls!

The 8th of March 2011 : a symbolic day!

Tuesday the 8th of March, 2011, was a special and symbolic day: one of the days of the year that really carried some meaning. It was the 100th Anniversary of the International Women's Day. To mark this occasion, the theme proposed by the UN was: “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. To know more about the events that took place on this day throughout the world, you can visit the UN site and the International Women's Day site.

CCI celebrated the event...

To mark International Women's Day, CCI organised an evening screening of the film BAS! (STOP!) Beyond the Red Light at the Cinema Beaubien. This film gives a voice to young girls who have been liberated from sexual exploitation in Mumbai, India. Our challenge during this evening was to witness the difficult daily reality lived by so many women in the world. By the voice of the 14 young girls in the documentary, it also creates a message of hope that puts education and professional training at the centre of a happy future that respects human rights.

…with the screening of the film BAS! (STOP!) Beyond The Red Light at Cinéma Beaubien

The spectators were welcomed in the foyer of Cinema Beaubien by all of the CCI team. A stand was set up to welcome the public, offer information and reply to all questions. Entrance was free. After a short welcome, the public were able to watch the documentary BAS! Beyond the Red Light. At the end, a questions and answers session allowed the public to discuss with Mme Karine Cloutier Levesque, the acting general director of Children's Care International, as well as Mr Denis McCready, the film producer. On leaving the room, the public were asked to leave a message to the young girls in the film, as part of the project “Correspondences”. The messages of support will be translated and then sent to the young girls from the documentary in India.

A successful evening!

By all accounts, the evening was a success! Over 75 people were present in the room. People were touched by the documentary and appreciated being able to ask their questions at the end. The “Correspondences” project allowed spectators to offer a concrete message of solidarity by writing to the young girls. This link has woven a bridge between Montreal and Mumbai, giving a strong and lasting symbolic impact to the evening. The event also resulted in $300 of voluntary contributions. This money will contribute to financing a project of education and social reinsertion that is being led by AIPE with the young girls of the documentary.