To commemorate International Women’s Day, two-time Academy Award Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy proudly launches “Fundamental. Gender justice. No exceptions” – a five-episode international documentary series shot and produced by documentary film-makers from SOC FILMS.

The series is directed by Sharmeen and shot in Brazil, Georgia, Kenya, USA and Pakistan.

This is the first time an all Pakistan Crew has created a global series. Indeed, with this series, SOC Films aims to present and empower the next generation of non-fiction filmmakers in Pakistan.

This is also the first global series to be officially presented and released by YouTube Originals and Refinery29.

‘Fundamental’ takes us into the lives of gender justice activists around the world who are working to create change at the grassroots level.

The activists you will meet in the series are on the front lines of human rights issues, risking everything, yet they are rarely made visible.

Talking about Fundamental, Sharmeen Obaid said: “Our films provide a better understanding of their struggles and show us an intimate portrait of what it means to be a frontline advocate in today’s volatile world.”

She continued saying: “Within movements, there is a great community, and there is solidarity in knowing there are others alongside you –your neighbours in your city as well as those across the globe –who are also fighting for justice. From Brazil and the United States to Kenya, Pakistan and Georgia, these inspiring activists refuse to accept the status quo, agitating and organizing to create safe spaces and a safer world for other women.”

She further added: “It is my hope that the series will inspire viewers to learn more about these issues, and join the fight for gender justice alongside these incredible activists.”

At a time of unprecedented political uprisings around the globe, Fundamental, a character-driven documentary series, invites global audiences to engage directly with grassroots movements and community leaders who are standing up for gender justice and fundamental human rights.

Each of the five episodes profiles a distinct set of remarkable leaders mobilizing to write new futures for themselves, their societies, and the world - working on issues from ending child marriage in Pakistan to pursuing LGBTQI liberation in Georgia, and racial justice in the United States.

In Fundamental, the first episode from Pakistan, “Rights Not Roses” focuses on ending child, early, and forced marriages in Pakistan and how community leaders are addressing the root causes of the issue.

In this episode, the audiences get to hear directly from Zarmina, her family, and a network of community activists fighting to end the scourge of early and forced marriage in Pakistan, where 21% of girls are married before the age of 18.

These include Rukhshanda Naz, a human rights attorney and long-time gender rights leader who is fighting in Pakistan’s courts to extricate girls like Zarmina from early and forced marriages, and whose passionate advocate for ending child marriage is formed by her family’s own experiences with the issue.

The first episode from Pakistan, “Rights Not Roses” can be viewed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivjiu39NQvU