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Today the world celebrates International Women’s Day, so I want to share some of the stories we’re reading about the challenges and opportunities facing girls and women. The United Nations has made empowering girls and women a key priority, and last year world leaders gathered at the UN and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which include a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
These stories are examples of how girls and women are changing the world – and a reminder that we need to push for gender equality not just on one day of the year, but every day.
- “Afghan women’s cycling team nominated for Nobel Peace Prize,” by Jessica Strange, TotalWomenCycling: Strange writes about Zahra Hussaini’s efforts to break stereotypes by participating in cycling and other sports, despite threats and harassment.
- “The Displaced: Hana [Article and Virtual Reality Video],” by Susan Dominus, The New York Times: This article and its accompanying virtual reality video, “The Displaced,” provides a unique and personal perspective into the lives of young refugee girls from Syria.
- “Baby Rima becomes 5,000th birth in Syrian refugee camp,” by Richard Spencer, The Telegraph: Spencer details the birth of the 5,000th baby in the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan and the United Nations Population Fund’s efforts to help mothers in refugee camps through the assistance of local charities.
- “YouTube Funds Women Video Creators, Teams With U.N. and Geena Davis,” by Todd Spangler, Variety: Spangler discusses the UN’s partnership with YouTube creators to champion the role of women in the success of the sustainable development goals.
- “Oscar-Winning ‘Honor Killing’ Documentary Demonstrates The Transformational Power Of Film,” by Beenish Ahmed, ThinkProgress: Ahmed highlights how an Academy Award-winning documentary is helping change attitudes on violence against girls and women.
- “International Women’s Day 2016: How It’ll be Celebrated around the World,” Tufayel Ahmed, Newsweek: Ahmed provides some history to International Women’s Day and lists events around the world that will occur in its honor.