9 women to know about on International Women’s Day
Find out about these phenomenal women across the world who are fighting for women’s rights and equity for women.
Happy International Women’s Day! If there’s one message to take away from this year, it’s that equal opportunities aren’t enough. We need to focus on equity too.
What’s the difference between equality and equity?
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
Learn more about the difference between equity and equality in the video below.
Inequity disproportionately impacts women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, the economically disadvantaged, refugees and those from the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our clients are part of two or more of these groups, and so face additional barriers, specifically in relation to employment.
As a specialist refugee employment charity, we are focused on breaking barriers for every refugee who needs our support to find meaningful employment. We are inspired every day by our female clients as they overcome the many intersectional barriers that they face.
But change is afoot. There are phenomenal women across the world who are fighting for women’s rights and equity for women. If you want to feel hopeful about the future, or get more involved in bringing about equity, we recommend finding out more about their work:
1) Mahbouba Seraj is a 74 year old Afghan women’s rights activist (nominated for 2023 Nobel Peace Prize)
2) Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian women’s rights activists (nominated for 2023 Nobel Peace Prize)
3) Tawakkul Karmān is an Yemeni activist that received Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for leading the movement women’s journalists without chains.
4) Waad Al-Kateab is a Syrian filmmaker, mother and activist who created the documentary For Sama
5) Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, Nadia is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence
6) Sabuni Francoise Chikunda: A Congolese activist who has become a leader for asylum seeking women and children in Uganda.
7) Bianka Rodríguez, an LGBTIQ+ Activist who was the first trans woman to become a High Profile Supporter for UNHCR.
8 and 9) Yusra Mardini and her sister Sarah Mardini swam alongside a sinking dinghy of refugees to lighten it, and eventually help 18 refugees to reach safety