Author Tanya Lee Stone on "Girl Rising"
Girl Rising is an organization that aims to illuminate the stories of girls worldwide who are fighting to get a fundamental education. Their film and Author Tanya Lee Stone’s book, Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time, stress that the importance of educating girls lies in the fact that females make up 50% of the global population and their education affects society as a whole. Recognizing and removing obstacles faced by girls in developing environments can not only diminish poverty and mortality, but also support innovations in technology and medicine. The film focuses on nine girls from developing countries whose educations are challenged by obstacles, like child marriage and child labor. Stone’s book delves deeper into Girl Rising’s research by providing the reader with stories about more girls who were interviewed by the film producers and organizers. Here is a Q & A with Stone:
What inspired you to write this book?
I went to see the film when it came out in 2013 and I immediately knew I wanted to collaborate with the film makers to see if I could expand the content into a book.
How did you come into contact with Girl Rising team to write this book?
I cold-emailed the producers and explained my background and previous projects and asked if someone could get in touch with me about my idea to write a book.
Which of the areas that the girls are from have you traveled to and how many of them have you been able to meet?
I have not traveled to any of the countries the girls are from; instead, the film producers gave me all of their raw video interview footage from which to work. Traveling to meet them just wasn’t a viable option.
Do you have a favorite character/story?
No, I don’t have a favorite. Each girl’s story is memorable and unique; they are all inspiring, including the ones who didn’t fit into the film or the book.
You write that these stories have made you ‘angry, cry, and hopeful’. Can you say which stories or story evoked the highest levels of each of these feelings?
Honestly, they all did. The obstacles and choices these girls have faced are truly hard to imagine and trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is quite a moving experience.
What did you find to be the most difficult aspect to understand of any of these stories? Did you recognize any similarities between your path in education and theirs?
I think one of the most profound things to understand is that, from afar, we can be quite judgmental about what people should or shouldn’t do when we really don’t have a deep enough understanding of some cultural realities. For example, it might be easy for some in Western cultures to hear a story about an Ethiopian woman marrying off her 12 year old daughter, but in that mother’s reality, it can be a loving choice and the best future she can imagine for her child. Affecting change is a good thing but needs to be approached with sensitivity and understanding.
In terms of the similarities of educational paths, we all deserve the right to an education, and any girl who is able to get a good education has an equal opportunity to a better life.
Whose story do you relate to the most and why?
It is hard to really relate to any of the stories, in the way most people mean that, when my reality is so much different from girls who live in some of the impoverished and discriminatory places we cover in Girl Rising. And at the same time, there are ways to relate to all of the stories because, at the core, each girl is simply trying to live a healthier, safer, and more sustainable life by getting an education.
How do you think the girls in the US compare to the girls in the stories?
We certainly have some of these problems in the United States and any person who suffers from issues such as modern-day slavery or child marriage is in severe distress no matter where they live.
How do you think higher education in the US, which is not free, compares to the stories of these young girls fighting to get basic education?
It really doesn’t compare; what we’re talking about is primary and secondary education; the foundation of an education, which is different than higher education.
How did you react when you learned that Senna from Peru became pregnant at 18?
When Senna became a parent, she also became more committed than ever to doing well with her studies and continuing her education. She is now in college, and is a devoted mother who has the support of her family as she heads into this new chapter of her life.
How did you react when you learned that Ruksana and her family were still living in their pavement dwelling in Kolkata?
We try to be very sensitive to the situations that these girls live in, and we follow the lead of our NGO partners on the ground that work closely with the girls and the communities. Girl Rising provides a lot of support for the families so they can continue to educate Ruksana, her siblings, and other children in the community.
It’s great that you include the various methods that everyone can use to get involved in this effort to educate girls. If you could do something more for one of these girls or for this cause, what would it be?
I have a strong interest in music and theater, and might like to get involved in some kind of creative project that could be channeled into good works.
You write that you wanted to delve deeper into the research, but thought that it might be overwhelming for the reader. You updated us on Sokha’s story at the Random House Teacher’s Event (October 2016, NYC)- she was accepted to university in Chicago. How will you continue this project? Will you continue to follow up with the girls for another book?
There are no current plans for another book, but it is wonderful to be able to follow Sokha’s adventures in Chicago!
You have written other books on gender, diversity, and STEM, like Almost Astronauts and Courage Has No Color. Why are these topics important to you to get out to the public?
I am drawn to stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things who have not had their stories told—and this usually means women and people of color as the white male stories are well covered in our history books. I think it is important to fill in some of the missing gaps in our histories and have a more rounded understanding of our world.
You were an editor before becoming an author. How did your parents, a professor and a librarian, influence your career choices? Aside from encouraging you to read, did they help you in the process?
Growing up in a household where reading and literacy were important was a huge part of my upbringing, as was my father’s own sense of adventure when it came to education. He never hesitated to pull us out of school to go on an educational field trip and learn from people doing interesting things—like visiting an architect building an energy-efficient envelope house, or an artist building a playground from recycled industrial materials. This foundation of my education is an integral component of why I live my life as a continual learner.
What are you writing now or planning on writing?
I have three picture books coming out in the next three years—one is about Ada Lovelace, another about Rosalind Franklin, and the third is about the true story of how Monopoly was invented and became so insanely popular. I also have a longer book for older readers coming out that involves a World War II story and Japanese paper balloon bombs.
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