Ek Disha Foundation Presents Premiere of Petals in the Dust

HOUSTON: March is Women’s History Month and March 8, marks the 105th International Women’s Day (IWD). Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement.

And although there is much to celebrate, progress towards gender parity, the 2016 IWD theme, has slowed in many places due to cultural and social biases. To accelerate progress toward parity and achieve substantial economic benefits will require action not just on gender inequality in the world of work, but in society as a whole and on attitudes and beliefs about the role of women. Gender equality at work is not achievable without gender equality in society and a shift in attitudes.

In places like India, some biases are so severe that many girls still face numerous setbacks towards even obtaining an education, much less economic opportunities, due to horrific problems such as child marriage, trafficking, abuse, etc. A patriarchal mindset, a preference for sons and a deep-seated intolerance has led to the murder of 50 million girls and women in India in the last century. To shed light on these issues and to commemorate Women’s History Month, the Ek Disha Foundation will be premiering in Houston, the award winning documentary, Petals in the Dust on March 30 at 7:00pm at the Studio Movie Grill in CityCentre.

The film explores the cultural origins of these vast genocidal crimes and includes the voices of activists and gender experts. By profiling the unimaginable stories of brave survivors, viewers enter the chilling realities girls and women are currently enduring, NOW, providing a sense of urgency in helping to change status quo.

Screening Date: March 30, 2016
Screening Time: 7:00 pm
Screening Location: Studio Movie Grill at CityCentre, 822 Town and Country Blvd., Houston, TX 77024
Ticket Price: $20
Purchase Tickets: https://petalsinthedustinhouston.eventbrite.com
Due to mature subject matter, children under 14 will not be admitted.

For more information, please visit http://ekdisha.org/events.html
The Ek Disha Foundation, which supports, funds, and mentors high impact, sustainable projects in the areas of health, education, and enterprise, remains committed to helping girls and women achieve their ambitions by supporting projects such as Prajwala (anti trafficking), AYZH (maternal health), Embrace (reduce infant mortality), Goonj (sanitary hygiene), and Wello (access to clean water). Globally, with individuals pledging to move from talk to purposeful action – and with men and women joining forces – we can collectively help girls and women advance and realize the limitless potential they offer.
Proceeds from the screening will go towards Ek Disha Foundation’s projects. Screening of the film was generously underwritten by Munday Architects.