woman: we need gender equality, and we need this reflected in national priorities. narrator: it's been a century since the suffragettes, ter 70 years of struggle, finally wothe rit to vote. and yet, at current rates of change, we are still decades away fm globalender equality. in some countries, women are overcoming barriers to leadership. news anchor: women in egypt are exercising their political power. anchor 2: 18 women have won seats in the municipal polls. male news anchor: women can finally take to the roads. woman: they are all aiming to become prime ministers.

this is something that is conceivable now. [cheering and applause] narrator: there's increasing evidence that empowering women and girls everywhere is key to ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for everyone. greta thunberg: we do not have to wait. we can start the change right now. we, the people. narrator: now on "the global mosaic." liz canning is an independent filmmaker who has long focused on women's issues. canning: this is women deliver woman: ♪ let's go! ♪ canning: the largest conference on gender equality ever-- man: ♪ move! ♪ canning: 8,000 people from 169 countries demanding change, unveiling research, and sharing solutions. natasha mwansa: we need gender equality, and we need this reflected in national priorities. woman: ♪ i'ma show 'em

show 'em what i'm made of i keep pushin', climbin' gonna rise up... ♪ woman 2: i think we can do it. woman ♪ i'm spreadin' my wings i got a fight inside i'm a woman on top ♪ helen clark: women's equality is part of the answer to building a better world. woman: ♪ keep movin' ♪ ngozi okonjo-iweala: for the economy, for the community, for the family, for the globe. katherine wilkinson: women and girls are a fierce source of possibility. woman: ♪ go! ♪ wilkinson: if you add up educating girls and family planning, empowering women is the number-one solution to address global warming. melinda gates: empowered women and girls absolutely transform societies. woman: ♪ turn it up, get up move, move, get up... ♪ thunberg: people are striking today in over 150 countries. girl: oh, oh! girl 2: [indistinct] must go! [people chanting "black lives matter!"] gates: we should have female role models at every level of power across the world. [applause]

justin trudeau: we set out, with the rebuilding of the liberal party of canada a campaign to ask her to run, to get out and recruit women. we need to reach out as allies and empower women and break down barriers and get them to run! [crowd cheering and whistling] nana akufo-addo: the majority of the people in ghana are women. woman: yes. akufo-addo: 52% of our population is women. the cabinet that i had, some 30-odd% of them are women. lyse doucet: 30%? akufo-addo: 30%. not enough movement has been made by the 52%. we're not seeing enough dynamism and activism on the part of those who are seeking this new-- [audience booing, groaning] akufo-addo: well, why not? dr. alaa murabit: i have to respond to that. akufu-addo: why not? if you can't make the decisions, you are not able to enforce the views that you want. murabit: you know, i just--i think it's fundamental that we begin to understand how much systems have been shaped to ensure that women do not get to

be in positions of power. doucet: yes. [cheering and applause] murabit: because if a young girl does not feel like she has power over her own body, to go up to her and say, "well, you should run for parliament" is ridiculous. it is disempowering at the most personal level, and we have to advocate and demand for women's reproductive rights. [cheering, applause, whistling] vivian onano: we are talking about gender-based violence. we are talking about female genital mutilation, lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health. we are talking about 62 million girls who are out of school today. how do we expect them to be the leaders of tomorrow? canning: brilliant and powerful people all over the wod are increasing underanding t powerful potential of girls and women. systemic inequalities are very complex, but the simple truth is, gender equity would transform the world. according to research,

supporting and educating girls globally leads to later marriages, smaller families, and higher incomes that are then reinvested into the health and education of those families. this, in turn, creates a positive ripple effect that lifts up entire countries, reducing carbon emissions and creating more inclusive, peaceful democracies. in other words, the most powerful force of change on the planet is a girl. kumba kpakima: hearing the stories of a lot of the young girls who have overcome that great battles--things like being victims of fgm and growing up in environments where they have to trek long miles to get to school, to even drink water-- it opens up your eyes. canning: i met a young woman from london named kumba kpakima. in her short life, she's already overcome major obstacles. women deliver was her

first assignment as an international journalist. kpakima: i was born and raised in southeast london, and my mom was a nurse, so she was a full-time nurse. she was actually head of her nursing department. my dad was never really around. he was moving back and forth from here to sierra leone. my mom really showed me what a strong woman is supposed to be, like her working full-time as a nurse, and then being able to come home and actually just sit down, talk to us, help us with our homework, help us to understand the world. when i was 15, my mom actually passed away, and as a result of that, i had to go through the system where i was made homeless, and i thought to myself, "how can i survive this? i'm alone, i go to school, and not know where i'll be staying afterwards." i said, "i can't be the only one that's experiencing this. there must be other young people as well who are going through exactly what i'm going through, who feel like they're alone as well. so why not campaign?" so, through there, i actually ended up getting in touch with the "evening standard," and they were like,

"we want to do this massive youth homelessness project and would love for you to tell your story." and we managed to raise a lot of money and raise awareness to youth homelessness. that's how i actually ended up getting into journalism. i feel like me overcoming that at 15, i can literally overcome anything. like, i feel like i'm made of steel, and... [canning laughs] kpakima: understanding that-- canning: what are you going to do in ten years? i can't even imagine. kpakima: well, in 10 years, i'm trying to take over the world. [canning laughs] kpakima: i'm joking. ha ha ha! canning: kuumba and i left women deliver determined to find the people and organizations, using new and innovative ways to empower girls and women and to understand what kind of impact this could have on our world. kpakima: in my research, i discovered a women's rights activist, neema namadamu, from the democratic republic of congo. the drc is rich in minerals used to make

smartphones and laptops, but this wealth has fueled 20 years of war and instability, leading to poverty, sexual violence, and women's rights abuses. neema's organization, hero women rising, takes a comprehensive approach to empowering women. their programs focus on education, safe water, reforestation, and access to sanitary products to ensure that girls can stay in school. [laughter] [scooter horn honks]

[mama leki speaking native language] kpakima: neema and hero women rising are connected to over 62,000 women in 190 countries through a social network called world pulse that aims to unleash the creative potential of women and transform the world. namadamu: when women change, community change. kpakima: through world pulse, neema and her hero women started a petition demanding that the united states use its power to advocate for democratic elections and improved human rights protections for women in her country. they delivered 108,000 signatures to michelle obama, and then senator russ feingold was appointed...

feingold: the advocacy of people like you... kpakima: as the new u.s. special envoy to the democratic republic of congo. canning: hi, kumba. kpakima: hi, liz. wow. canning: we're in dallas, texas. kpakima: it looks amazing where you are. canning: i came here--yeah, it's beautiful, huh? you see the skyline? kpakima: yeah, it looks good. canning: so we came here to find out about ntarupt, which is the north texas alliance to reduce pregnancy in teens. turns out there are more teen pregnancies in the u.s. than any other developed country. in texas, where parental consent

is required to access state-funded contraception, the rates are some of the highest in the nation, and in dallas, the rate is 50% above the u.s. average. terry golitz greenberg: right now in texas, sex education is not required. a--it's not required at all, b--it is not required to be medically accurate. if you look at states that have good sex education, there is a stark, stark difference in the teen birth rates. the more they know, the less they do, so if you give them incomplete information, you're doing them a huge disservice. i was really fortunate to go to a private, all-girls school. we got great sex ed. my kids were in public school. they brought home their textbook, and i was like, "oh, my god, i'm gonna have to tell you everything." why is it that rich girls got all this great information, and everyone else is not? they wanted us to protect our futures. the reason i'm doing this is that every kid

has a future worth protecting. canning: so terry created the annual ntarupt film contest for which local students create videos about what's affecting them and their sexual and reproductive lives. girl: um, yeah. i don't think i'm ready for this. boy: seriously? we've been together for, like, 3 months now. you love me, right? girl: yeah. cat crabtree: i wanted people to realize everything's not like what you see on instagram, but it's not in the curriculum at school, and your parents just are uncomfortable, so that leaves you with your phone. woman: i didn't know there was a video made, and he posted it on instagram. it really made people think different about me. woman 2: i am mocked and belittled and empty. woman 3: i didn't think i could become pregnant at this age.

diana de la paz: they might not be making the most logical decisions, but they were never given the information to even try to make one, so they were not really even given the chance. woman 4: pregnancy rate around this area is, like, very high. alexis brown: bad things happen, then we start talking about it. no, let's talk about it first, so we can prevent from coming to those bad things. greenberg: people don't really understand what kids are experiencing, and they are really prone to sort of deny it. you can't deny what you're hearing directly from kids, so we wanted to give them a place to express that. woman: ...4, 3, 2, 1. michaela dunagin: i know that with sex came the possibility of pregnancy. i didn't know that there was a lot of physical and emotional pain and suffering attached to it. i got pregnant my freshman year in high school,

and when i found out, i went through a wave of emotions. i was sad, hurt. i felt uncertainty. i was humiliated. i was angry... canning: i was so much in awe of michaela's bravery in telling her story. i wanted to learn more. dunagin: for a long time growing up, like, i had been through a lot, and i felt like, "everything else is going wrong right now, but if i can keep my academics right, then it'll keep, you know, some type of sunshine, you know, throughout the house." my dad went to jail before he got a chance to graduate. a false accusation, and at the wrong place at the wrong time. and my mom got a ged. i wanted to be able to make, you know, the big difference. education, that's the route to go. like, this world is built on education. we don't intend to get pregnant, but it's, like, it's kind of inevitable, except for just don't have sex at all. but other than this, it will kind of be inevitable. canning: how about having sex with contraception? i mean, you

know, teenagers have been having sex since forever. dunagin: yeah, long time. canning: yeah, forever. had anyone explained to you what contraception is, how it works, where you get it? dunagin: i did know you could get pregnant...but i didn't understand the hormonal changes, like, growing into a woman, you know what i'm saying, as opposed to a little boy growing up. you know, he can't get pregnant. i mean, i feel like that was the important part that i missed. we never just sat down and had the conversation like, "ok, here is this, this, and this. and you need to get this, you need to know about this" and etcetera. my dad helped me a lot. he was like, "well, yeah, i wasn't there at first, but, like, i'm here now. it's time for me to make up. i can get you this and i can help you with this. if you need to go to school," he was like, "don't worry about it. i'll keep the baby." man: ♪ i will run, i will rise i will grow... ♪ dunagin: a lot of people are labeled iminals th really aren't criminals. i plan on going to smu to major in paralegal studies. i want to be this big-time international

lawyer, like... [canning giggles] man: ♪ hmm ♪ dunagin: i wanted to be able to defend those people that can't defend themselves. man: ♪ through the ash through the flames ♪ greenberg: if you give a woman power to control her reproductive life, she can make whatever decisions she wants for herself. and if she has goals and other things she wants to do, it gives her the time to do those more easily. i'm not saying that she can't do it if she has a baby when she's 16. she totally could, but you have to have a lot of support for that. we want young women to have the time and the resources to make a contribution that they want to make. kpakima: hi, neema. nice to meet you. namadamu: nice to meet you, too. kpakima: i like your traditional wear. it looks nice. namadamu: thank you so much. kpakima: i just want to know everything. tell me--tell me a bit about your childhood.

namadamu: i born in drc, congo, in south kivu province in a little village. i didn't have any crutches. i didn't have a wheelchair. we don't have a road, don't have a toilet. we don't have any machine to go to bring water, to wash dishes. in our area,ou do all of the work, women do. take care of whole household in the villages. why? because we have this behavior, patriarchal system. [woman shouts] namadamu: wait, wait. stop. women don't have a value they are neglected, they are marginalized. they don't have access to education. welcome.

some of those women never see light like that, artificial light. namadamu: ok. so... namadamu: yes. [woman speaks native language] [computer chimes]

[busy signal beeps] [computer chimes, line ringing] man: hello? [namadamu speaking native language] [man speaking native language] [laughter, chatter] [man online speaking native language]

kpakima: not far from marunde, in a remote region called mindembway, recent conflict has displaced tens of thousands, driving them into near starvation. [crowd singing in native language] kpakima: empowered by a global community, these women are speaking out in protest. [women shouting] kpakima: hero women rising has created a new petition demanding that the united nations and congolese authorities offer protection and humanitarian aid. canng: all over the world, including the u.s., women and girls benefit from making connections, so ntarupt worked

with the texas women's foundation to create a young women's advisory council, or the ywac for short. girls of color who aspire to become leaders are required to nominate themselves for consideration as ywac fellows. if selected, they are provided with 7 years of mentorship, networking, sisterhood, and other things girls need to reach their full and amazing potential. woman: sometimes i can't imagine, like, me doing things that big... woman 2: mm-hmm. woman: so just really embracing who i am and embracing just the woman god has called me to be. woman 3: yay, yay! mary valadez: that is our leadership for the future. that is where the ideas are. that is where we need to invest. kierra byrd: being able to overcome so many generational barriers-- [baby coos] byrd: yes, i did. ha ha! and really making sure that i step into my own power and not do things just to appease other people.

canning: what inspires you about this work? valadez: well, i was once a young woman of color. heh heh! i'm now an older woman of color. heh! woman: oh, my god! you got into georgetown? woman 2: georgetown! [all cheering] valadez: to have had this type of opportunity, oh, my god. just to have had it. canning: yeah? valadez: yeah, kinda tears me up. byrd: i went into it thinking it was just another club to be a part of, but it's essentially become something that's really empowering and has helped me become a great leader in my community. canning: from the age of 5 through 13, kierra was moved from home to home, suffered various kinds of abuse, and struggled to find stability. byrd: i was determined i was going to finish school, like, regardless. it's like my brain was just closed in on that. woman: ♪ this is where these winding roads have led... ♪

canning: through her repeated, brave efforts, kierra found herself a home... woman: ♪ i can see a day of gold... ♪ canning: with a foster parent who is now her adopted mom. byrd: yesterday, i became the first person in my family to obtain a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and sciences, with a major in criminal justice. woman: ♪ and i will rise up i will not fall ♪ byrd: i immediately plan to go straight into my master's program, which is public leadership. i just want to be able to serve to the maximum potential that i can, to look your abuser in the eye, and without guilt, say, "yes, this happened to me, and no, i do not condone or think this was ok." woman: ♪ this will be the day ♪ byrd: i feel like, if i could do that, i can now do anything.

canning: i thought about all the women we've met and how they embody the transformational power of girls and women. namadamu: when women change, community change. change is beginning now. malala yousafzai: the first pakistani and the youngest person to receive this award. [applause] kpakima: me overcoming that at 15, i can literally overcome anything. like, i feel like i'm made of steel, and... [canning laughs] kpakima: understanding that-- heh! canning: yeah. kpakima: prepares me for everything else that life could throw at me. mwansa: we can't have girls being married off. we can't have girls not accessing education. no, we need gender equality, and we need this reflected in national priorities. [cheering and applause] tina tchen: now, you don't often know that you're living in a historical change moment. we know we are in one now. this is the moment. woman: ♪ ...the day ♪

thunberg: people want to know what will happen and how are we going to move forward. and we don't know how long this is going to go on because we can't predict, so we just have to adapt and--and see what happens and...and change our behavior and plan from there. i feel like many people...have--we-- they have not lost their sense of hope. we have just anged the way we--we do ings, and we may be just saving it for later at the moment. announcer: funding for this program was pvided by the novo foundaon anthe minerva nolte estate. ■x■xn x

lydia feng: chinese youth are living in a brave new world. they're richer, better educated, and more connected than ever before. but they're also under constant pressure to compete and to conform. male: [speaking in foreign language] zhao jia: [speaking in foreign language] male: [speaking in foreign language] lydia: we've collaborated with chinese filmmakers to bring you three intimate stories of young people