I spent countless hours this past summer researching unreported stories as an intern for Quicksilver Productions. It was strenuous, but on occasion I cracked an overlooked story. The conflicts I discovered were expansive yet diverse; however, they all encompassed one underlying theme – the oppression of women exacerbates the world’s problems.

In every corner of the world, there are people suffering from war, discrimination, poverty, and disease. Women face the greatest risk as victims. They are beaten, raped, enslaved, and deprived of basic human rights. Simultaneously, they are responsible for child development. Women play a crucial role in the growth of their community, yet they are repaid with abuse.

The mistreatment of women is not only infuriating it is absurd. Without educating and empowering women, the world will continue to suffer. It will face a monotonous cycle of chaos and violence that cannot be stopped.

My name is Courtney Miller, and I want to promote change to stop the world’s suffering. I want to give women a voice where they were once silenced. In the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains are people fighting the war against women. They are teachers, students, and volunteers devoting themselves to educating girls and women who escaped the sex trade. As an intern for Cross-Cultural Solutions in Dharamsala, India, I want to help people tell their stories.

I am a junior at Indiana University Bloomington and an Ernie Pyle Scholar, working toward a double major in Journalism and International Studies. My concentrations are in Broadcast and Human Rights and Social Movements in Central Eurasia. I hope to found a documentary production company dedicated to promoting social awareness, specifically for women’s rights. I would like the opportunity to pursue this path as an intern/volunteer for a local NGO in Dharamsala, India that is dedicated to improving the lives of women through education.

• india
• volunteer
• Women
• Humanitarian
• education