GW Hosts Screening of the Film “Dry,” Highlighting the Urgent Crisis of Maternal Health

October 18, 2024

Authored by:

B.L. Wilson

The George Washington University's Institute for Corporate Responsibility, Global Food Institute (GFI)and Global Women's Instituterecently hosted a powerful event spotlighting critical issues in maternal health, women's equity, and malnutrition through a screening of the film "Dry."

The film tells the harrowing story of a 13-year-old Nigerian child bride suffering from obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury resulting from obstructed labor. The event provided a platform for discussing the urgent need for community-driven health solutions.

The evening's featured guest was award-winning actress, filmmaker, and advocate Stephanie Linus, who starred in and produced "Dry." In the film, Linus plays a doctor in Wales, tormented by memories of a past life in an African village where she was the victim of domestic abuse and lost a child. She returns to the place from which she was adopted to provide health care and challenge the cultural and government policies that complicate childbirth for women in rural areas.

During a post-screening discussion, Linus shared her insights and experiences, emphasizing the cultural barriers that women face.

"Safe motherhood should not be a privilege; it is a fundamental right for every woman," Linus said. "We must advocate for stronger healthcare systems that prioritize the safety and well-being of mothers. By ensuring access to quality maternal healthcare, we can empower women to thrive, not just survive, throughout their journey into motherhood."

The discussion also highlighted Linus's advocacy efforts beyond filmmaking. She founded the Extended Hands Foundation after making "Dry"to support women facing obstetric fistula. Through this foundation, she announced the Maternal Health and Nutrition Initiative Africa (MaHNIA), which focuses on improving maternal health, equity, and nutrition for women in marginalized communities across Africa, addressing many of the issues explored in the film.

Tara Scully, GFI's director of curriculum development, emphasized that the work of the GW institutes that hosted the screening is centered around empowering communities. "Everything that we strive to solve, here and globally, is about the people, ensuring they have the voice they deserve," she stated while moderating the discussion.

The panel included Linus, John J. Forrer, GW associate professor and director of the GW Institute for Corporate Responsibility, Erin Mielke, a reproductive health senior technical adviser for USAID, and Lauri J. Romanzi, professor of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. Together, they explored community-led solutions to maternal health challenges.

Linus shared that a lack of awareness about prevention and treatment is a significant driver of obstetric fistula in low-income countries. In these regions, as many as 2 million women suffer from the condition, often facing societal stigma, isolation, and rejection.

Unsafe medical interventions, including poorly conducted caesarean deliveries and hysterectomies, are increasingly contributing to fistulas, Mielke said. USAID is addressing this issue through a holistic approach, incorporating "gender-based violence training and referral, nutritional assessment, physiotherapy and social reintegration," she said.

While obstructed labor and fistulas were once global issues, Romanzi said, advancements in medical care have eliminated mainly the condition in developed countries. "For every woman who survives a fistula, who has a dead baby and a fistula, there are four or five women who die. It is completely preventable," she stated, urging for strengthened health systems.

Forrer emphasized the potential of public-private partnerships in improving healthcare access, suggesting that collaboration between public interests and private sector expertise can enhance maternal health services in underserved communities.

"The public side has an interest in expanding public service…greater access, lower costs, and on the business side (which has the technological expertise), they want more markets, more sales," he said. "If you put those two together and try to find common ground, you can get businesses being supportive of providing more social services to communities who are at risk."

The discussion reinforced the importance of community-led solutions, with Scully highlighting GW's resources, including GFI's culinary medicine program, which aims to train healthcare professionals-from doctors to midwives-on incorporating nutrition into maternal health practices. Together, these initiatives represent a vital step toward addressing the maternal health crisis, empowering women, and creating lasting change in communities across Africa and beyond.