Women motivated to break barriers after watching Hidden Figures

 Despite annual commemorations on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, GBV is still rampant and limiting the quality of life of millions of women and girls around the world. To encourage widespread conversations on GBV, Women’s Institute for Leadership Development conducted a film screening which saw women and young women watching a film titled “Hidden Figures” which reveals the inspirational untold story of female African-American mathematicians working at NASA during the 1960s.

These African-American female mathematicians served as the brains behind one of the greatest space orbit operations in U.S. history. These women were not just doing something that no African-American women had done before, but something that no-one of any race or gender had done before. They were on the pioneering edge of science and technology, which was thrilling for them. They were called ‘computers’ during the time when a ‘computer’ was a job title then rather than an object on your desk.

The film was inspirational considering that young women had a lot to learn from the screening.

“Using their intellect, these ladies would regularly check each other’s work to ensure nothing left the office with an error. They worked collectively to advance each other as individuals performing calculations to further future space missions and continuing with important aviation research” said Nokuthaba Neshiri as she was alluding to the power of team work.

“Advocate for yourself is one of the lessons that we learnt from this marvelous film” said Sarah as she referred to Katherine Johnson’s determination and talents which led her to be allowed to attend the briefings which were mainly attended by men.

The film encouraged women to ceaselessly and fearlessly take up positions of leadership.