The Movie
Educating girls can break cycles of poverty in just one generation. So why are millions of girls still not in school? Girl Rising uses storytelling to inspire action that gets girls into classrooms worldwide.
Full project
Want to know the number one way to improve a girl’s odds in the world? Education.
Girl Rising is a global campaign that uses the power of storytelling to share this simple truth and transform societies. At the heart of it is a groundbreaking film, Girl Rising directed by Academy Award nominated director Richard E. Robbins. Viewers get to know nine unforgettable girls living in nine countries throughout the developing world: Ordinary girls who confront tremendous challenges and overcome nearly impossible odds to pursue their dreams. Prize-winning authors put these girls’ remarkable stories into words, and renowned actors give them voice.
Through film, educational and advocacy videos, screening guides and a free standards-aligned school curriculum, the Girl Rising campaign unites girls, women, boys and men who believe every girl has the right to go to school and the right to reach her full potential.
Education Matters
Fact: Educating girls has a direct impact in reducing poverty. Educated mothers are more than twice as likely to send their children to school and girls with an extra year of education can earn up to 20% more as an adult. With these types of figures in mind, Paul G. Allen and Vulcan Productions supports education-focused initiatives in developing countries, and works with policy leaders to remove the barriers to education that so many girls face: Early and forced marriage, domestic slavery, sex trafficking, school fees, lack of access to healthcare, gender violence and discrimination. Dismantling them doesn’t just mean a better life for girls—it means a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for all.
03.07.2013
"One of the hottest 'cause' documentaries in years."
The New York Times
04.10.2013
"GROUNDBREAKING."
The Huffington Post
10.04.2015
“Social media and marketing phenomenon."
The Daily Beast
Setting the stage for change
We partnered with social venture production company 10 x 10 to identify nonprofit and GMO partners working on the ground. Through them, nine individual girls were identified whose powerful stories set the stage for a groundbreaking film and campaign that’s opening doors to education around the globe. We reached out to some of the most admired artists in the world to raise awareness, inspire action and drive resources to our partners. Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Chloe Moretz, Priyanka Chopra, and other celebrated actresses contributed voice performances to the film. And each girl's story is transformed for the screen through a script written by an acclaimed writer from her native country.
07.16.2014
07.16.2014
More than 3,000 educators from 78 countries and 41 U.S. states downloaded the Girl Rising Educator’s Kit
08.11.2014
We’re not Alone
The Girl Rising network includes global leaders working to empower girls all over the world. And they’re succeeding. Queen Rania of Jordan secured UN high-level panel support in placing girls’ education at the top of the next-generation Millennium Development Goals for 2015; The First Lady of Uganda established a steering committee on girls’ education after an Intel-hosted screening; and together with Girl Rising and the Peace Corps, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a new initiative called Let Girls Learn. This government-wide approach offers unprecedented programs for grassroots leadership and community-led change to dismantle the barriers to education that so many girls face.
09.22.2020
5B
More than five billion global media impressions.
11.16.2015
1.5M
More than 1.5 million YouTube channel views.
Action & Impact
Outcomes:
$5M
$5 million+ raised for girls' education programs and awareness efforts
Outcomes:
$3M
$3 million U.S. AID grant for programmatic work in the DRC, India and Nigeria
Outcomes:
$1.7M
$1.7M in grassroots donations to the Girl Rising Fund
Press
Connected projects
- Educating & Inspiring
- Human Condition
- Pushing the Limits
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life explores the life and work of the legendary neurologist and storyteller.
Learn MoreGuardians of the Kingdom
An interwoven story of two mothers — one human, one whale — and the connections that bind them.
Learn MoreThe Reason I Jump
A cinematic journey into the sensory experience of non-speaking autists, based on the international bestseller of the same name.
Learn MoreX-Ray Fashion
A immersive, multisensory installation exploring the environmental and social impacts of the industry.
Learn More