Extending the Link documentary about women in Nepal debuts April 13

In Nepali, the native language of Nepal, pragati means "progress."

A new documentary produced by students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University found "pragati" regarding the plight and marginalization of women in Nepal because of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse.

The documentary, Pragati Nepal, makes it premiere at two venues at CSB and SJU. The documentary will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 at the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU, and at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at Alumnae Hall, Haehn Campus Center, CSB. Both screenings are free and open to the public.

It is the fourth documentary in as many years produced by Extending the Link, a non-profit, student-run venture through CSB and SJU and the Donald J. McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship. Previous student-produced documentaries were on fair-trade coffee in Guatemala, micro-lending in Chile and child-headed households in Uganda.

Nepal is a country in Asia bordered by China to the north and India to the south. Despite being a country of great natural beauty (it is home to the Himalayas and Mount Everest), women are marginalized by human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

According to the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons report from June 2009, non-governmental organizations estimated that between 10,000 to 15,000 Nepali women and children are trafficked to India annually. Women and girls are also trafficked to Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea and other Asian locations for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Despite these grim statistics, the CSB and SJU student group found that Nepal is making progress through economic, social and professional development of women.

The documentary focuses on the relationship between a battered women's shelter called Saathi (meaning friend) in Nepalgunj, Nepal, and an organization called Padhma Creation, which employs previously trafficked and abused women. Padhma Creation, which was established by Kesang Yudron, a 2008 graduate of CSB who is a native of Nepal, allows women financial independence through work. Over 90 women are employed by Padhma Creation.

Seven CSB and SJU students spent three weeks in Nepal in late December and early January filming the documentary and doing research - Emily Bina (senior, communication major, New Brighton, Minn.); Keenan Brugh (senior, economics major, Omaha, Neb.); Tim Bungum (senior, communication major, Sargeant, Minn.); Tom Hoffman (senior, economics and Spanish double-major, Mahtomedi, Minn.); Nathan Meyer (senior, individualized study major in film studies, Springville, Iowa); Sarah Schwalbach (senior, communication and Hispanic Studies double major, River Falls, Wis.); and Jocelyn Sullivan (junior,  theater major, Great Falls, Mont.).

Five other students were also involved in the research, marketing and grant-writing for the documentary - Derik Gertken (junior, economics major, Paynesville, Minn.); Hannah Mortenson (junior, communication major, Stillwater, Minn.); Trang Pham (junior, individualized study major, Maple Grove, Minn.); Katie Tomten (junior, art and French double major, Stillwater, Minn.); and Thu Trang Tran (sophomore, accounting major, Hanoi, Vietnam).

At each premiere, audience members will be encouraged to become involved in the issue, including buying Padhma Creation knitwear, supporting a young entrepreneur in Nepal or volunteering with three Minnesota trafficking non-profit organizations - Breaking Free, Not for Sale and Freedom Firm. A representative from one of the organizations will speak after each day's showing.

Copies of the documentary will be available to groups, schools, churches or organizations for showing after its debut at CSB and SJU. To reserve a copy, please contact Extending the Link.