Film Screening: Haiti’s “Madan Sara”

The Canada Caribbean Institute and Universities Caribbean collaborated for an online screening of the film Madan Sara by Director Etant Dupain. The screening was followed by a discussion panel consisting of

  • Sandra Wisner, Director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto, Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law
  • Dr. Sabine Lamour, Professor, Université d’Etat d’Haiti and Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa

A Madan Sara or Madam Sara (often called Saras), is a woman in Haiti who buys agricultural produce from farmers, transports it to markets, and sells it to merchants. They are an important link between rural producers and urban consumers. An estimated 100,000 women work full or part-time as Madan Saras. They mostly market the produce of small farmers, of whom there are about 700,000. They often provide pre-harvest credit to farmers.

Madan Saras are vulnerable to sexual assault, robbery, and exploitation and in the current turmoil in Haiti are finding it very difficult to continue their work.

You can watch a video of the panel discussion below. (Note: copyright restrictions prevent us from including a recording of the film itself in our video)

In lieu of the film itself you can also view

The Madan Sara Trailer and an Interview with the Director, Etant Dupain

Further detail on the film is available at the Madan Sara website.

StreetTeam Productions, who distribute the film have provided a listing of a number of organizations who help Madan Saras in Haiti if you are interested in doing something tangible to assist them.