mt227615@ohio.edu
Tania's Journey
Tania Rashid's journey to filmmaking is an exquisite example of admirable storytelling in journalism. Though Tania's childhood was far from peaceful, the experiences she had involuntarily incited her curiosity about pressing stories that go unnoticed around the world. Rashid is originally from Saudi Arabia but relocated to Bangladesh later on in her childhood with her family - describing her home as a sequestered world consumed of loneliness, corruption and instability. When Tania eventually moved to Utah, she remained trapped in isolation due to a prejudicial society. However, Tania's story is far from over. Her adversities in the Middle East, South Asia and Utah inspired her to attend UCLA where she earned a B.A. in history and global studies in 2007. Following graduation, she began to work for Al Gore's global TV networks, Current TV. This profession immersed her into a community disparate from any others she has ever known; one that encourages collaboration and values integrity. Female pioneers in the industry ignited Rashid's commitment to getting her master's degree at Columbia University for broadcast journalism and documentary.
In the face of misery, Tania cultivated passion. She believed her work in filmmaking could present the world with unique perspectives. Her ability to both adapt and identify with foreign circumstances is unmatched by many journalists in this field. You could argue these skills stem from the societal barriers she was forced to break down at such an early age. However, I would argue that Tania's talent presented her with a purpose in life she could not ignore. Now, Tania Rashid's work is calling attention to demoralizing truths around the globe in an effort to be a voice for the voiceless.
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| Tania Rashid with Rohingya sex trafficking victim. Photo courtesy of Tania Rashid's Twitter profile |
I found this video on Bangladesh sex trafficking disturbing and downright heart wrenching. Rohingya women and girl refugees fall prey to traffickers seeking quick income within the Bangladesh sex trade. These vicious criminals deliberately mutilate women's bodies and self-worth, but at what cost? Pimps claim majority of the profit, leaving victims of rape and violence as low as $1 for compensation. The refugees are so vulnerable to pimps' cruelty because most are extremely impoverished and have no male breadwinner for protection. The twisted inhumanity embodied by this trade is a revolving nightmare for Rohingya refugees merely trying to make ends meet for their family. Women's desperation to escape only makes them more vulnerable to the brutal violence inflicted on them both in and out of the refugee camps. Locating camp brothels is extremely difficult because they look like any other ordinary shelter made from plastic sheets and bamboo. As a result, tens of thousands of refugee women remain imprisoned in trade: a booming business that favors fortune over basic human decency.
Skin Bleaching Scandal: South Africa's Appeal to a "Lighter" Look
The concept behind skin bleaching is quite troubling to me for numerous reasons. Selling whitening skincare products is illegal and using them is a major health hazard, so what's the attraction? Both men and women living in South Africa agree that the appeal for a "lighter" look is no hoax. Throughout history, people of color had to assimilate in a society that enforced white power and supremacy. The aftermath of white's suppressive authority derived corrupt social ideologies and impossible beauty standards among cultures. South African people are convinced skin bleaching cosmetics enhance their attractiveness and improve their successfulness in life. The desire to fit in seems to take priority over the risk of getting cancer. Professor Ncoza Dlova, a top dermatologist in the area, conducted a study that indicates 90 percent of women bleaching their skin were unaware of the product's harmful components. Mercury, hydroquinone, phenol and corticosteroid are all chemicals infused in these products that cause various destructive side effects - harm to the brain, lungs, heart, immune system and skin.
Tania's coverage of this scandal challenged me to consider the consequences of our racial history on social constructionism with a completely new outlook. My concerns revolve around South Africa's population as a whole. Too many dark-skinned people have exhibited blatant eagerness or previously participated in this potentially fatal trend of lightening their skin to meet the expectations of their former suppressors' social ideologies. This scandal instigated a social conformity frenzy in favor of normalizing the beauty of "light" skin. We will never be able to re-write the wrongs of our past, however journalists are presented with a unique opportunity to reject these disparaging notions and encourage the normalization of dark-skinned beauty.
A Look Inside Toxic Tanneries
Rashid traveled to Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka to get an inside look on the unbearable work conditions in leather tanneries. Tanneries are typically described as workshops for tanners to process animal hide. That description is only partially true for the Bangladesh leather industry. Bangladesh's tanneries are structured on unimaginable labor maltreatment and contaminated work place environments, resulting in the inevitable exposure to hazardous chemicals. These toxins have the ability to slowly deteriorate the bodies of workers who remain defenseless against such a force. In essence, Bangladesh's leather industry uses human laborers as "opportunity costs" to conserve their billion dollar worth each year. Overall, I find their work place methodology categorically unethical and sadistic.
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