African Women leaders gather in Nairobi, discuss empowerment
Speakers also addressed at the African Women Leaders Symposium, organized by UN Women and Oxfam and held from August 24 to 25.
While we still have a ways to go -- if nothing changes, the United Nations predicts we'll only reach gender parity by 2133 -- we were inspired and hopeful by the inclusive and intergenerational approach taken by these leaders. Read below and click through for more from the Capital Ethiopia Newspaper.
capitalethiopia.com - “Before others empower us we must empower ourselves; it is a shame if we do not believe in the leadership of women,” Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed, said.
“Half of the world is made of women and the other half is born by women,” Mohamed teased. “There are today two women leaders in Europe and just one in our continent. We need a proportionate number of women leaders,” she challenged women leaders during the opening session of the African Women Leaders Symposium, held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24-25 August.
“We must first accept each other. We go through stages where we can’t even trust women in leadership,” she cautioned.“It is a shame that this continues to happen. We should all strive to be women of substance. We have to vote for women. Ask yourself, why should anybodyelse do for you what you are not committed to do for yourself?” she posed.
Amina Mohamed, a woman of many first, is the first woman to hold the foreign ministry docket in Kenya. She said, women must also make individual contribution to change the status quo if at all the continent is to achieve the required gender balance.
Glamour Exclusive: President Obama On Feminism and The World He Wants to Leave His Daughters
"We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs," he said in the 1,500-word essay, which will be published in Glamour's print edition in September and went live online Aug. 4, on Obama's birthday.
The essay echoed the sentiment Obama expressed at the United State of Women Summit in June, when he said "This is what a feminist looks like." He also discussed everything from real progress on equal pay and reproductive rights to less easily definable issues like gender roles and societal stereotypes about girls and women. He's also adamant that his role in the fight for gender is crucial for his daughters.
"And yes, it’s important that their dad is a feminist, because now that’s what they expect of all men."
He is absolutely correct about setting an example—and it's so important to see support for gender equality at the highest levels. We're thrilled to share this contribution from a leader, father, and feminist.
Click through to read the essay in its entirety.
glamour.com - There are a lot of tough aspects to being President. But there are some perks too. Meeting extraordinary people across the country. Holding an office where you get to make a difference in the life of our nation. Air Force One.
But perhaps the greatest unexpected gift of this job has been living above the store. For many years my life was consumed by long commutes—from my home in Chicago to Springfield, Illinois, as a state senator, and then to Washington, D.C., as a United States senator. It’s often meant I had to work even harder to be the kind of husband and father I want to be.
But for the past seven and a half years, that commute has been reduced to 45 seconds—the time it takes to walk from my living room to the Oval Office. As a result, I’ve been able to spend a lot more time watching my daughters grow up into smart, funny, kind, wonderful young women.
That isn’t always easy, either—watching them prepare to leave the nest. But one thing that makes me optimistic for them is that this is an extraordinary time to be a woman. The progress we’ve made in the past 100 years, 50 years, and, yes, even the past eight years has made life significantly better for my daughters than it was for my grandmothers. And I say that not just as President but also as a feminist.
'To teach a girl is to teach a whole society': Drought highlights importance of girls' education
actionaid.org - The worst drought that Ethiopia has seen for 50 years is ravaging the country and women and girls are being disproportionately impacted as mothers struggle to feed their children, girls drop out of school and both women and girls face rising levels of violence from men. As the strain to find food puts families under pressure, young girls like Chaltu are forced to make sacrifices.
“Last year the rain was not here so my family wasn’t able to get money to pay for education. I felt very sad because I had been in school for eight years, it was a very sad moment for me.”
As the El Nino-induced drought took a hold of Kombolcha, Ethiopia, 15-year-old Chaltu was forced to drop out of school. The failure of crops, death of livestock and the resulting financial strain of over ten million people being in need of food aid has led to a sharp decline in families’ incomes and the education of young girls is being sacrificed.
Of the 1158 students in Chaltu’s high school, 239 students have dropped out in the past year alone – a fifth of the school’s total population.
Annie Leibovitz's 'WOMEN' celebrates female strength in many forms
Renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz has long captured intimate, compelling portraits of prominent people, from rock icons and athletes to children and heads of state. As she focuses on her current exhibit, "WOMEN: New Portraits," she discusses her latest work, her vision, how photography and culture are changing and much more with Kristie Lu Stout from CNN's Talk Asia. She discusses women prominent and relatively unknown -- and how women's accomplishments, more than ever, need to be recognized in the public consciousness. We definitely encourage you to watch and listen to the interview below, and check out CNN's gallery showcasing just a few of Leibovitz's powerful portraits of powerful women.
How To Be Confident: 4 Habits That Will Boost Your Self-Esteem
besthealthmag.ca - Become the most self-confident version of yourself by developing these four healthy habits.
Your Beauty, Your Say
Women and girls around the world are feeling more anxious about their bodies than ever before, according to new research from The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence report.
In 2015, only 47% of women said that they were confident in their beauty, compared to 52% in 2010.
In order to promote positive self-esteem, Dove created the “My Beauty, My Say” campaign, which shares the stories of nine real, inspiring women who overcame the barriers society was placing on them because of how they look.
“These women refused to allow what others think about their appearance to stop them from achieving their goals in life,” explains Diane Laberge, Marketing Director at Unilever Canada.
One of the real women showcased in the #MyBeautyMySay campaign is Heather, a 26-year old boxer from the Bronx. “They said…I was too pretty to fight,” she shares in the moving commercial. “I said…my face has nothing to do with my boxing.” To date, Heather’s won four professional boxing championships.
8 Times We Fell In Love With Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, celebrates her 19th birthday today. We loved this list by Elle UK of some of Malala's most inspiring moments, from her moving words and who she inspires to her education activism and her own academic success -- and more.
elleuk.com - It's been six years since Pakistan-born Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for speaking up for the right of girls to be educated.
Since then, the 19-year-old student has sold 1.8 million copies worldwide of her autobiography I Am Malala, been named the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and encouraged 3 million people to sign the Malala Petition, successfully urging the United Nations to recommit to promoting universal primary education around the world.
To celebrate her 19th birthday, we look back at the most inspiring moments from the female education activist.
1. THE MOMENT SHE WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
In 2014, Malala became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. The prize was awarded jointly to her and Kailash Satyarthi from India 'for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education'.
Speaking at the Nobel peace prize ceremony in Oslo, she received a standing ovation at the beginning and end of her speech which focused on the importance of ensuring education for children around the world.
Serena Williams reads 'Still I Rise' By Maya Angelou
Need some motivation this week? Check out Serena Williams' recitation of "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. The video aired during the Saturday BBC broadcast of Wimbledon 2016, before Williams won, but she echoed the same sentiments after the match, saying "I didn’t come from any money or anything, but I did have a dream and I did have hope. That’s really all you need."
Watch the video below and click through for more from Elle UK.
elleuk.com - Serena Williams single-handedly restored our faith in humanity when she won an historic 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2016.
With fierce power, commitment and focus, Williams defeated her opponent, Germany's Angelique Kerber in straight sets.
If you want an insight into what drives the Wimbledon 7 time champion, watch this spine-tingling video of her reciting Maya Angelou's poem, 'Still I Rise'.
The BBC sure know how to do a montage:
Need to Drive Innovation In Your Organization? Let the Women Lead
huffingtonpost.com - That women are underrepresented in leadership roles is a fact that continues to hold true well into 2016. Though there has been an overall increase in diversity across many different industries, there is a considerable number of companies who either have no women in top leadership positions or relatively few compared to the male workforce. In most discussions concerning women in such roles, the focus has been placed mostly in diversity, neglecting or outright ignoring the business and financial sides.
However, several studies have since confirmed that companies with women in top positions consistently outperform those companies which have no or fewer women in such positions. Catalyst, the well-regarded non-profit organization, has conducted a number of different studies and compiled them in a comprehensive report that confirms a simple fact that few know to be true; women not only drive innovation forward but also allow a business to grow financially across the board, from return on sales to return on investment. Furthermore, it was found that mix-gender teams were much more efficient in every element than male-dominated ones.
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Michelle Obama to visit Africa to highlight girls' education
Let Girls Learn was created last year by the first lady and President Barack Obama. Read on for more about Michelle Obama's visit and her efforts to help girls worldwide overcome obstacles and pursue educations.
yahoo.com - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will travel to Africa on Sunday with daughters Sasha and Malia and her mother as part of an effort to promote girls' education, her office said.
The upcoming, six-day trip will include visits to Morocco and Liberia. She will also visit Spain. The trip will highlight the work of Let Girls Learn, a U.S. government initiative launched by U.S. President Barack Obama and the first lady in 2015.
That project is part of "a U.S. government effort to address the barriers that keep over 62 million girls around the world out of school, particularly adolescent girls,” the first lady's chief of staff, Tina Tchen, told reporters on a conference call.
Michelle Obama will be joined by actresses Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto in Morocco, where they will talk to adolescent girls on the challenges they face in getting an education, her office said.
In Liberia, she will visit a U.S. Peace Corps training facility and a school along with Liberian President Ellen Johansson Sirleaf, Africa’s first female elected head of state and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
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President Obama at Women's Summit: This Is What a Feminist Looks Like
time.com - President Obama stood firm in his feminism at the United State of Women Summit on June 14, a daylong convening hosted by the White House to tout the progress and the work that lay ahead for the American woman.
“I may be a little grayer than I was eight years ago, but this is what a feminist looks like,” President Obama said to cheers Tuesday afternoon. About 5,000 women descended upon the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., for the event, which featured speeches by Vice President Joe Biden, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and First Lady Michelle Obama.
The President said Tuesday he couldn’t be prouder of what his Administration has been able to accomplish for women and girls over the past seven and a half years. In his cheerful speech, he noted the work his administration has done to advance family-leave policies, women’s health care and access to STEM education. Some of the more recent policies addressing family leave and the minimum wage, however, were accomplished via executive action, limiting their scope to federal employees and federal contractors. Outside of government, the White House has often relied on partnerships with private businesses and companies to champion change. On Tuesday, the White House announced 28 companies signed on to their Equal Pay Pledge, agreeing to review their own practices when it comes to pay equity and hiring.
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Women Investing in Women Joins 1st United State of Women Summit
When women do better, everyone does better. And standing together—standing united—is our best path to helping women thrive. That's the idea behind the first United State of Women Summit, which will bring together some of the most extraordinary women from around the country and world (including a team from Women Investing in Women Digital!) on June 14. Organized by White House Council on Women and Girls, the gathering will revolve around six central pillars of discussion: economic empowerment, health and wellness, educational opportunity, violence against women, entrepreneurship and innovation, and leadership and civic engagement.
In a video announcing the summit, women leaders including First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Williams, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep and more discuss women's role in the country and world. The women point out many areas women have advanced in recent years: earning more college
degrees than ever, coding in larger numbers, leading businesses, fighting for freedom and, as Winfrey says, "Turning struggle into strength" countless times. Women will continue to fight for pay equality, bodily autonomy, safety, equality in business and everywhere else, and so much more. They always have. The idea of the summit is to come together—and to exhort women and men everywhere to stand together, and stand with us.
"We stand stronger when we stand together," Obama said in the video. The first lady will join Winfrey in a conversation June 14 entitled "Trailblazing the Path for the Next Generation of Women."
We're thrilled to share that the summit will also include our very own founder, Anu Bhardwaj; her daughter, Arya Bhardwaj; and Michelle Jaffee, host of the "Women Investing in Women in Girls" radio show. We're honored to be included, and so proud that these amazing women will be representing Women Investing in Women Digital—and economic empowerment for all women and girls—at the summit.
Because, as Tina Fey says, "We're not done. We're definitely not done."
Meet the Women Who Are Part of the Olympics' First All-Refugee Team
"These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem," said IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement. "We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village together with all the athletes of the word. The Olympic anthem will be played in their honor, and the Olympic flag will lead them into the Olympic Stadium. This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis."
"It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society. These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit.”
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Join Oprah and Michelle Obama for a Trailblazing Conversation
oprah.com - There's one thing Oprah and Michelle Obama know for sure: We are stronger when we stand together.
On June 14, Oprah joins the First Lady at the the United State of Women Summit for a conversation entitled "Trailblazing the Path for the Next Generation of Women." They will discuss how far we've come, what challenges we face, and how we can continue to empower young women around the world.
Watch the conversation live on Tuesday, June 14, at 5 p.m. ET via TheUnitedStateOfWomen.org.
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Women Deliver: Young Women Climate Warriors Speak
womennewsnetwork.net - (WNN) Copenhagen, Denmark, EUROPE: Seven years have gone by since then, but Majandra Rodrigues Acha of Lima still cannot forget the day she saw the true face of a woman’s vulnerability. It was June 2009 and television channels across Peru were broadcasting the news of a riot that erupted between the country’s indigenous people and the police. In the riot, known as the “Devil’s Curve Battle’ 32 indigenous environmental activists had died defending their land rights.
A particular image on TV screen haunts her even today: “It was an old woman, pointing at the dead people on the street and trying to express her sorrows. But since she spoke no Spanish, nobody seemed to understand her. There was such an air of helplessness around her!” she recalls.
The battle at the Devil’s Curve was a direct conflict between the state police force and a large group of indigenous people who were protesting a government policy that made it easy to grab local’s land for large corporate. Although the protest was peaceful, it turned violent when the police began to crackdown on the protesters. Soon, shots were fired, 32 indigenous people and injuring over a hundred. Nine policemen were also killed in the riot.
Why Hollywood Doesn't Tell More Stories for—and About—Girls
Another thing these films have in common is that they came out decades ago. Today’s audiences rarely see movies like The Secret Garden and Matilda—live-action works for and about younger girls that celebrate the ambition and resourcefulness of their protagonists. For studios, big-budget sequels and reboots and remakes dominate the day. Kids’ movies as a whole are usually animated and/or feature protagonists who are a bit older (or four-legged). Combine that with other systemic problems like outdated ideas about gender and marketing, as well as a dearth of female writers and directors, and the result is a cinematic landscape for girls that’s in some ways less rich today than it was 20 years ago.
Though modern films with boy protagonists are also increasingly animated (Big Hero 6, Sanjay’s Super Team), there are still a few live-action options with young heroes who use ingenuity and courage to solve problems (Pan, The Jungle Book). But within the broader context of storytelling, toys, and costumes for children, boys have traditionally been permitted to fill a wide range of exciting roles (pirates, superheroes, ninjas, astronauts). Girls, meanwhile, tend to be slotted into a narrower range of character types (princesses chief among them), making it that much more valuable when films present alternatives young female viewers can relate to. The problem is even worse for young girls of color, who historically haven’t seen many images of themselves on screen, animated or otherwise (though films like the upcoming Moana seem to offer some hope that might change for the better).
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HRH Sheikha Sheikha Al-Thani: Children Can Change the World
Sheikha Sheikha Al-Thani is a princess. She believes everyone has something to smile about, all the time, and some people just need a reminder. She believes in the power of all people. This could all seem naive, except Sheikha has been there—is almost always there, constantly, on the ground helping people across the world, from her very earliest memories—and she has plans for the future. She thinks the youth will lead the way, and sees it as her mission to help them.
Sheikha is only 16, but has dedicated her life to humanitarian work since she was 4 years old. Her charity, Sheikha Al-Thani for Underprivileged Children (SATUC), was founded when she was just 13, and works with some of the most disadvantaged children in the world.
Sheikha is a member of the Qatari royal family, and is also of Egyptian heritage. She has a triple nationality—American, Egyptian and Qatari—and through growing up between Egypt, the United Kingdom and United States, she was exposed to and got to know a wide variety of cultures and challenges people face every day. She currently studies in London.
As she got to know many different cultures and people, Sheikha was shocked by all the unnecessary suffering in the world. She felt driven to help the most vulnerable members of society and to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
One Life at a Time
She has spent most of her life traveling to some of the most impoverished countries in the world to offer her support and to raise awareness of humanitarian projects. Sheikha's method is a simple one: Get to know people. Asked in a recent interview for a story that moved her, she recounted meeting a poor, widowed mother of four, who was at a loss ever since her oldest son lost his sight and was unable to work. It turned out a local healer had put oil in the young man's eyes. Sheikha took him to a nearby hospital, and after medical attention his sight was restored. It's a small story, she says, but that's the point: Everyone's small stories add up to a world full of lives that matter. Listen. Help. Take children to hospitals. Protect women and girls who have been raped. Travel. Listen some more. Reach out; help; share the luxuries you enjoy in your own life.
“In the end we're all human beings; we're all born the same; we all live and breathe the same; we shouldn't differentiate ourselves by race, by gender, by nationalities ... we should just break the boundaries; we should become united,” she says. She noticed, at a young age, that divisions and lack of empathy caused suffering worldwide.
As she continued to travel, Sheikha soon realized there were many children around the world who faced tremendous difficulty: Children living on the street, struggling with hunger or broken families. Sheikha looked around at the comfort and support she enjoyed in her own life, and decided she wanted to bring those same qualities to children around the world; which led to the founding of her charity.
“I became aware at a very young age that there are a lot of underprivileged children that do not enjoy some of the basic necessities in life,” she said at a SATUC press conference March 25, 2015.
Giving the most to those with the least
SATUC has already supported several grassroots efforts in countries including the Philippines, Sudan, Egypt and the United Kingdom.
From August 29 to September 3, 2015, SATUC hosted a six-a-side association football tournament—the first of its kind—in Cairo, with teams built from disadvantaged children ages 14 to 15 from around the world.
The nature of disadvantaged childhoods varies from country to country. The children who will participate may have been orphaned, suffered a childhood mired in poverty or simply have come from a broken family. At the tournament, none of this will matter for several days. SATUC will give the children a chance to be defined not by the adversities they've faced, but buy what they are capable of achieving.
The tournament is an opportunity for the talented chosen children to leave behind whatever challenges they have had to overcome to show their true potential. In addition, Sheikha says, it is a chance for the world to see the children in a different light: not as victims or sufferers, but as remarkable young people who have an extraordinary amount to give.
SATUC plans to continue the tournament biennially, growing larger in the future.
Teams from the Philippines, Morocco, Egypt, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Honduras, Jordan, Algeria and Syria are confirmed. A team of eight boys will be sponsored by a partner charity or organization in each country.
For now, the teams in the tournament are composed of all boys; Sheikha said most players worldwide are boys and choosing all-boy teams made quickly organizing the first tournament and cementing partnerships for the future possible.
“In 2017 there will be girls and boys; that's a definite,” she says.
The main goal, she says, is to give kids and their families a chance. Tragedy happens worldwide and daily, but to ignore it is simply inexcusable. If you can do something, Sheikha feels, you must.
“(We want) to give the chance to children who don't have another chance at getting a good education and making a name for themselves, so that they can get themselves out of poverty,” she says. Youth, she feels, should be our priority: They have the power to change the world for generations to come.
She’s certainly a good role model. Along with partners in nine countries, Sheikha is doing just that.
Mallika Chopra on Living with Intent: 6 Steps to Living a Healthier, More Joyful and Purposeful Life
Mallika Chopra may be the daughter of famous self-help guru Deepak Chopra, but she's the first to admit she doesn't have all the answers. That's why she decided to look for them, and to apply the answers she found to living her life with intent. It's an approach that has grown into an app, website and community built around helping others find purpose, joy, health and more--all while balancing the many responsibilities and priorities everyday life can throw our way.In her latest book; Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace, and Joy (also check out 100 Promises to My Baby and 100 Questions from My Child), Chopra delivers common-sense wisdom about gratitude, self-compassion, appreciating the moment, honest reflection and much more as she candidly invites readers to join her on her personal journey. Chopra shared with Women Investing in Women Digital the six steps she advises to live with intent. We encourage you to visit her website to learn more about living with intent.
Living with Intent: 6 Steps to Living a Healthier, More Joyful & Purposeful Life
About two years ago, I approached my father (Deepak Chopra) with a confession. I told him I was generally exhausted, over caffeinated and my sugar addiction was out of control. I realized I was overscheduled trying to balance my role as a wife, mom, and entrepreneur with intent.com, my start-up social media company. I felt bloated and had a lot of body pain. I hadn’t been meditating or exercising much, and at night I was having trouble sleeping. My father looked shell shocked, and it took a few moments for him to transition from concerned father to Deepak Chopra, the person that thousands go to for health advice.
Yes, even a Chopra can find herself out of balance, unhealthy, and wondering if my daily actions have any meaning or purpose. In the weeks before I confessed to my father, I had set the intent to make changes to feel better, more energetic and happier in my days. I decided to recommit to meditation (which I had learned when I was nine) and to rediscover the many lessons that my parents had taught us. But, this was just the beginning of the journey, and thus, I turned to my father for help.
As we sat together, my father and I brainstormed an exercise that would help me think about the areas in my life that needed attention. We came up with the following Balance Wheel – thinking about whether I was struggling, surviving or thriving in each area.
The exercise helped me break down the areas I needed to focus on, ask myself what I wanted, and set the intents to make change.
So began my journey to live with more intent – the experience I share in my book (newly released on paperback), Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy.
I did some thought-provoking activities, from going on a health retreat to visiting Amma, the hugging guru, and to find more meaning and purpose, I spent time with my grandparents in India, paid attention to my eating and internal dialogue in a way I have never done before, and discovered unexpected joy in my role as a soccer mom. I also interviewed brilliant thinkers like Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Arianna Huffington, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Dan Siegel, and Caryl Stern, the President of the US Fund for UNICEF. In the book I share some of the laughter, frustration and lessons I learned along the way.
I also developed a road map to live with INTENT.
- INCUBATE: Quiet your mind to tap into your deepest intentions; see where this leads.
- NOTICE: Become mindful of your thoughts and actions and pay attention to what they tell you about what gives you meaning and a sense of purpose – and look for signs that can point you towards your truth.
- TRUST: Have confidence in your inner knowing – and in the messages the universe sends you – and allow that knowledge to guide you forward.
- EXPRESS: Write down your intentions; say them out loud or share them with others to fully embrace them and help you move ahead in your journey.
- NURTURE: Be gentle with yourself as you try to find your way. Intention isn’t always a straightforward path, just like life, and giving yourself opportunities to try – and fail – is often part of, and even crucial to, the process.
- TAKE ACTION: Once you’ve identified an intent, or even multiple ones, don’t sit and wait for it to magically manifest; instead take the practical steps that can make each become a reality. It may be easiest to choose one intent first and set short-term goals to help you get started.
In my book, I share my personal stories, research, practical tips and exercises for each of these six steps. A little more than a year since it’s first release, I am happy to announce that Living with Intent is now available on paperback! I am also excited to share resources like this one about the INTENT roadmap through the Chopra Well! I had the privilege of interviewing some of my favorite examples of people who live their lives with intent, like Gabby Bernstein and Gretchen Rubin. Check out the first video here:
Mallika Chopra is a mom, media entrepreneur, public speaker and published author. Her most recent book, Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy, was published in April 2015.
She is also the founder of Intent.com, a website and app focused on personal, social and global wellness. Her intent is to harness the power of social media to connect people from around the world to improve their own lives, their communities and the planet.
Noorjahan Akbar: What the future holds for Afghan women
aljazeera.com - Afghanistan's women have made significant gains in recent years, with more girls attending school and more women working outside the home.
But fear still overshadows the lives of many.
A resurgent Taliban recently provoked outrage by publicly executing two women, but as this 101 East documentary shows, the greatest threat many women face comes from loved ones at home.
Activist Noorjahan Akbar talks about the challenges in overcoming conservative attitudes in the face of rising "anti-woman propaganda".
Al Jazeera: How would you describe the current state of women's rights in Afghanistan?
Noorjahan Akbar: Like the current state of the country, the current state of Afghan women is tumultuous and unstable. While - since the US-led intervention - Afghan women have made a considerable amount of progress, with [today's] increased insecurity, economic inequality, and radicalism, we are afraid that our accomplishments will be threatened, and the few civil rights and individual freedoms we have will be taken away from us.
Since 2009, the number of Afghan women working has increased, but a large number of female activists and journalists have left the country due to fear of violence.
When I talk about the threat of violence, I don't just mean the Taliban - even though they are largely responsible for targeting and killing female teachers, police officers, journalists, and activists.
On a daily basis, Afghan women face harassment in public spaces. In fact, nine out of 10 women say they have faced harassment at some point on the way to work or school, and out of those, 14 percent say they stopped going to school because of it. Eighty-seven percent of Afghan women have faced verbal, sexual or physical violence at home.
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This Documentary Proves Great Things Happen When Women Make Films
- In 2014, Erin Bagwell quit her corporate job and set out to follow her dream of making a feature-length film. Armed with the inspiration she got from running her blog,
, and a drive to change the world, the Buffalo native launched a Kickstarter campaign that changed her life. In 30 days, Bagwell had over $100,000 to fund her first movie, a documentary titled “
A woman named Komal Minhas discovered Bagwell’s crowdfunding campaign online and, after shedding a few tears while watching the film’s trailer, she knew she had to get involved.
“I had made a bit of money with my company at that point and I wanted to drain my account so that I could put it all into ‘Dream, Girl,’” she told The Huffington Post. At the time, Minhas was running a multi-disciplinary media consultancy company,KoMedia, in Ottawa, Canada. “We got on that Skype call and we haven’t looked back since.”
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Sexual Violence Is Not Inevitable — The White House
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in news coverage and activism regarding sexual assault, and more importantly, sexual assault prevention. What was once considered an unspeakable and shameful thing to discuss, even behind closed doors, has now become a mass movement across the nation, with campaigns like It’s On Us at the forefront.
It’s On Us aims to fundamentally change the way college campuses think about sexual assault. This past year, I had the privilege of being a part of the campaign’s inaugural Student Advisory Committee — a group of students at various college and high school campuses across the country, all dedicated to ending sexual assault. In this rape culture in which we live, especially prevalent on college campuses, people are so prone to disregard stories of sexual violence as fictitious — but stop and think for a second about what incentive anyone would have to speak out and identify as a survivor. It’s not glamorous to have people pity you and doubt you; to have people trivialize and stigmatize your lived reality. Trust me, I know.
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