Emily Barth, University of Cincinnati College of Law

Barth grew up in Northern Kentucky and attended Dennison University in Columbus Ohio, where she double-majored in cinema and East Asian studies. During her time at Dennison, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Nanjing, China.
 

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Following her college graduation in 2003, Barth entered the Peace Corps and found herself teaching at an all-girls school in Bangladesh. However, Barth was more than a teacher. With the assistance of the school's headmistress and other teachers, she was able to introduce the students to a whole new way of life.

Barth describes working with girls in a strict Muslim culture, who were expected to take on a variety of responsibilities at home. However, during the school day, these girls were given the ability to unload some of those responsibilities. The girls were introduced to activities they had never been a part of, including sports, art projects, and bicycle riding. Beyond her duties at the school, Barth was further involved in educating the people of Bangladesh about HIV and AIDS.

When her time with the Peace Corps was up, Barth returned to Cincinnati, where she was involved with a prisoner health care project with the Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC). Barth's experience with OJPC further convinced her that ''it is possible to use law as a tool for social change, and by using both ingenuity and persistence you can bring about major change.'' Barth was sold on the idea of bringing about social improvements and prepared to enter law school.

When Barth was offered a fellowship by the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, she jumped at the opportunity. Through the Urban Morgan Institute, Barth was able to work in the state of Uttarpardesh, India during her first summer at UC Law.

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During her summer in Uttarpardesh, which is one of India's most destitute states, Barth worked with the Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI). The non-governmental feminist organization functions primarily through its casework unit, resource center, and right to choice unit. Barth, who was mainly involved with the right to choice unit, focused on the rights of women who were forced into arranged marriages or otherwise robbed of control of their lives. The organization further addressed violence against women, stemming from dowry deaths and honor crimes, which are common despite being underreported.

While in India, Barth also took on the responsibility of developing an ''advancement for women framework.'' ''According to Barth, ''there are many organizations that focus on an issue or two at a local level so AALI wanted to find a way for all these organizations to be more effective and work together for bigger change on a national scale.'' Barth's duties involved assigning issues, pertaining to violence against women, to AALI's partner organizations.

As a result of her personal interest in the country and her desire to contribute to social change, Barth found her summer in India to be fulfilling on more than one level.

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