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In 1996 an unknown band called the Spice Girls released their debut track Wannabe, an undeniably catchy hit that went on to become one of the most iconic songs of the 90s and took the group to a level of success no one could have anticipated.
Twenty years later and the song’s message of girl power is being used to further the rights of women around the world again, but this time in a more official way. Activist group The Global Goals have remade the Wannabe video with female artists who move through different countries to highlight the inequality faced by women around the world and sing in front of a backdrop of the words “End violence against girls.”
Victoria Beckham herself – who doesn’t usually align herself with the Spice Girls these days – has given the project her nod of approval, posting a link to the video on her Facebook page which has more than 2.6 million likes.
“20 years on – Girl Power being used to empower a new generation. I’m so proud of The Global Goals #WhatIReallyReallyWant” she wrote alongside the video.
The Global Goals will present the film at the United Nations later this year as part of a push for education, gender equality, equal pay for equal work, and an end to child marriage and violence against women. It’s also set to screen in cinemas internationally.
Image credit: Youtube.com/TheGlobalGoals
“This is about modern day girl power,” said MJ Delaney, the British director who worked on the film.
“The Spice Girls were about a group of different women joining together and being stronger through that bond. These differences are what we want to celebrate in this film, while showing there are some universal things that all girls, everywhere, really, really want.”
The women performing in the video include Danish singer MØ, Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez, Nigerian singer Seyi Shay, South African rapper, Gigi Lamayne, and 13-year-old Canadian dance sensation Taylor Hatala.
Find out more about the #WhatIReallyReallyWant movement at www.globalgoals.org.
