WXF April 2025 Newsletter
Stay Tuned for Our Collaboration with Picture Motion
In case you missed our last newsletter, we’re continuing our work on the UNMUTED impact campaign with Picture Motion, and we couldn’t be more excited by what’s taking shape.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our work! Meanwhile, please follow our social media via the icons on top of this newsletter! ⬆️
And if you are interested in hosting a screening of UNMUTED and would like to request a screener, please fill out this form and we’ll get in touch with you!
Memorializing the Armenian Genocide: From 1915 to Today
April 24 marks the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed and displaced by the Ottoman Empire, modern-day Turkey, beginning in 1915. Armenian women experienced particularly severe forms of violence, including mass killings, forced deportations, abductions, and assimilation. Many were subjected to sexual violence, forced conversions, and the erasure of cultural identity through placement in foreign households.
To this day, the Armenian Genocide remains a point of contention, as the Turkish government does not formally recognize it as genocide. This legacy of denial, combined with geopolitical tensions in the region, continues to shape the experiences of Armenians today. In 2020, Turkey provided political and military support to Azerbaijan during its offensive in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), a conflict that resulted in significant civilian casualties and the displacement of tens of thousands of people—many of them women and children. That trauma deepened again in 2023 when over 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled Artsakh following a months-long blockade and, according to human rights observers, a renewed military operation by Azerbaijan. In September, drone and artillery strikes reportedly hit civilian areas, killing dozens, including women, children, and the elderly. Once again, many Armenian women were forced to leave behind their homes, communities, and livelihoods.
As we commemorate the genocide, we also recognize the ongoing challenges faced by Armenians and acknowledge the resilience of Armenian women—past and present—who continue to navigate displacement, violence, and erasure with strength and determination.
Photo From: Wikipedia
Honoring Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014)
Original Article from 19th News
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou was a poet, performer, activist, and author whose work left a lasting impact on American culture. Overcoming a difficult childhood marked by trauma and silence, she found her voice through writing and the arts. Her 1969 memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, broke new ground with its honest portrayal of Black womanhood and resilience.
Throughout her life, Angelou was also a singer, dancer, civil rights activist, and educator. She wrote and performed poetry, worked with prominent civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr., and later read at President Clinton’s inauguration. Angelou remains a symbol of strength, creativity, and the power of speaking one’s truth.
DID YOU KNOW
Maya Angelou turned 40 on April 4, 1968, the same day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The devastating news deeply affected her, and for years afterward, she chose not to celebrate her birthday. Instead, she and Coretta Scott King, Dr. King’s widow, shared a quiet tradition. Every year on that day, they would send each other flowers or make a phone call, honoring his memory with love and remembrance.
Support us by donating to our impact campaign.
If you’ve enjoyed our newsletters, please consider contributing to our UNMUTED docuseries impact campaign to help us further our mission.
We aim to take UNMUTED on the road in 2025 by hosting screenings, panels, and policy workshops with our impact partners to put an end on the harmful practices on women and girls featured in the series. With your help, we are one step closer to stopping child marriage, stopping FGM/C and preventing acid violence by changing laws and minds.
Learn more about our work and also contribute here:
