ISLAMABAD: A documentary about three Bangladeshi women from a Muslim unit of police officers stationed in Haiti as United Nations peacekeepers for a year was screened at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Tuesday.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers encompassed the story of UN workers and the lives they lead behind the uniform. The film was screened as part of a series of feature films and short documentaries, which is a joint venture by the PNCA, UNIC and the film directors

Peacekeepers revolves around a unit of 160 women who travelled to Haiti as part of the United Nations Stabilising Mission in Haiti between June 2013 and June 2014. They form one of the world’s first all-female, predominantly Muslim peacekeeping units.

The film focuses on three such peacekeepers – Rehana, Farida and Mousum – as they grapple with the reality of becoming foot soldiers in a UN peacekeeping mission. Their work is beautifully covered, from recruitment to pre-deployment training and throughout their tour of duty.

The three protagonists joined the mission despite opposition from their families, and emotional moments featuring their families were woven throughout the film. As the film moves towards its conclusion, viewers watch the three women become more confident and trained to face challenges in their profession and lives. They confront extreme poverty, lagging healthcare, violent anti-government protests and opposition to their very presence.

Komal Saeed, an audience member, told Dawn the film was a great piece of work and conveyed strongly the message that women from developing countries could contribute at any level to peace and development if given the opportunity.

“Such documentaries should be screened on TV channels to raise awareness among people. Such subjects are needed to work for women’s empowerment and to encounter gender violence,” she added.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2017