In 2012, Independent Television Service (ITVS) launched the Women and Girls Lead Global (WGLG) project, working in Bangladesh, Colombia, El Salvador, India, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, and Peru. ITVS set out to test the idea that high-quality, emotionally compelling international documentary films focused on development issues and solutions could be used in diverse country contexts to help inspire and model women’s empowerment and gender equality. At the heart of the project’s theory of change is the idea that international documentaries about women and girls acting as agents of change can help spark “breakthrough conversations” on challenging, culturally sensitive topics and pave the way for community-driven solutions to gender inequities. APEP served as ITVS’s evaluation partner throughout the five-year project. This final report summarizes findings on the project’s reach and impact over five years, and draws broader lessons about the utility of WGLG’s film-based model for fostering social change.
