women activists

Following the downfall of President Siad Barre in 1991, a civil war broke out in Somalia between the factions. The internecine conflict has taken its heavy toll on all Somalis, but women in general face a disproportionate burden. With many men fleeing and abandoning their families, women have learned to fend for themselves after their husbands died. Regrettably, the tribal hostilities terminated male dominated jobs. During the clan and factional conflict, Somali women took up crucial roles generally allocated to men as breadwinners and protectors of their families.

These women haven’t won Nobel Prizes or hit the speaking circuit. But they’re pushing boundaries, changing norms, saving lives, and speaking up — even where bad news dominates the headlines.

We invite you to read the complete article published March 8 2014 and watch the videos here 

If I had to pick a couple of myths about the women’s movement that are most wrong, I think two might be tied for worst place. One is that this movement—also known as women’s liberation, feminism, womanism, mujerista!, grrrls and more—is only for white middle-class women.

The second myth is that women of the ’70s did all that could or should be done, and young women can now relax; feminism was their mothers’ movement.

Antoinette Fouque, the co-founder the French Women’s Liberation Movement, has died at the age of 77.

She died at her home in Paris between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Born in Marseille in 1936, she earned a doctorate in political science, and started out as a teacher. In 1964 became a literary critic and translator.

We invite you to read the full article published February 23, 2014

A heroine of Ukraine's Orange Revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko has been released after spending three years in jail, in one of several dramatic events to have swept the country she once served as prime minister.

The glamorous, fiery orator who helped lead Ukraine's revolt against a corrupt election in 2004, was convicted in 2011 of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia, seen to have disadvantaged Ukraine. She was given a seven-year sentence.

ACTIVISTS under a coalition of women and constitution intend to camp at the Constituent Assembly when it commences next month, with a view to guarding their proposals already infused into the Katiba draft.

The move is also aimed at using the opportunity to persuade members of the Constituent Assembly to put in the draft issues they believe have been left out, but touch significantly on gender equality as a foundation for the country's progress.

Two people have pleaded guilty to sending "menacing" tweets to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez.

Isabella Sorley, 23, of Newcastle, and John Nimmo, 25, of South Shields, admitted at Westminster Magistrates' Court sending the messages over a public communications network.

We invite you to read the full article published January 7, 2014

Two Indonesian women peace activists have won the 2013 N-Peace Awards for their efforts to promote women's equality and protection of women against discrimination.

“The N-Peace Awards for Indonesia this year is awarded to Bapak Suprayoga Hadi and Ibu Valentina Sagala,” United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Communication Associate, Tina Kardjono, in a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.