Freida Pinto Hopes New Film Inspires Girls to ‘Unleash Their Own Power’ Through Education (Exclusive)

Freida Pinto is helping inspire girls around the globe to reach their full potential with an inspirational new project.

Released Oct. 11, International Day of the Girl, She Creates Change features animation and live action with voiceovers from Pinto, Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran and more to “lift up the true stories of six courageous girls from around the world who created lasting change in their communities,” according to a synopsis.

Each of the girls featured in the short film — from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam — were part of the life skills program offered by Room to Read, a global nonprofit dedicated to literacy and gender equality in education.

“I have been involved with Room to Read for many years, so when I was asked to come on to She Creates Change as an executive producer, I immediately said yes,”
Pinto, 39, tells PEOPLE in a statement.

“I have always been a passionate advocate for girls’ education, and projects like these are so critically important.”

The actress calls She Creates Change a “powerful look at how these girls fought to change their communities for the better.”

“All girls should be able to fulfill their dreams, regardless of the circumstances they are born in,” says Pinto. “My hope is that audiences around the world are as inspired by these young women as I was when I first discovered their stories, and that this film reaches millions of young girls who feel encouraged to unleash their own power.”

The girls featured in the film confront “challenges unique to their lives — such as harassment, food scarcity or early marriage — by discovering her power and advocating for herself and her future,” a press release adds.

“With millions of girls still facing barriers to education worldwide, She Creates Change illustrates the power of life skills education programs to help girls find their voice and drive change in their communities,” the organization says.

Visit roomtoread.org for more on how to watch She Creates Change.