Nawal El Saadawi

Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian feminist, activist, and writer. While working as a doctor and psychiatrist treating women in her rural hometown, Nawal became aware of the struggles of culture, patriarchy, and class her female patients dealt with every day of their lives and of the lack of control the women had over their own bodies. The combination of her medical knowledge, her experiences treating the women of Egypt, and her own personal experiences led her to write her book about women and the ownership of their bodies Women and Sex and to condemn the practice of female genital mutilation. Nawal also helped publish the feminist magazine Confrontation and has written several other books, both fiction and nonfiction. Nawal was the United Nations Advisor for the Women’s Programme in Africa and Middle East for a time, and also has taught at many of the world’s most prestigious universities. She is the founder of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and the co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. Her outspoken stance on controversial issues has brought her a lot of trouble; she was dismissed the Ministry of Health, lost her position as an editor, and was even imprisoned for a time. Threats against her life finally forced her to flee Egypt, though she continues to be active in Egyptian politics today. And though her activism has put her in danger, many people have noticed and admire the work she has done, and Nawal has been gifted many awards for her humanitarian efforts, including the North-South Prize and Inana International Prize. Nawal El Saadawi fights for the rights of Egyptian women to have control over their own bodies as well as their minds and to promote human rights for all people in Egypt, without the pressing force of religion, culture, or class distinctions drawing lines of division.

Today, be inspired to…Take control of your body and respect it by treating it well. Only you should be making decisions about what you do with your body, so do what’s best for yourself.

Photo credit: africasacountry.com

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt goes down in history as one of the world’s classiest ladies, but she was also a thoughtful and compassionate humanitarian. She was impressive for being remarkable outspoken in a time when women supporting their husbands were meant to be demure and radiate perfection, and she both campaigned on her husband’s behalf and openly admitted when she disagreed with his policies. She displayed that same outspoken attitude while supporting her causes of women’s rights, racial equality, and human rights. Eleanor worked for the Women’s Trade Union, campaigned for fair hours for workers, and opposed child labor. She was supportive and attentive to those suffering during the Great Depression, often attending meetings and visiting with those who needed a concerned listener. She was also active during the war effort, standing up for the rights of immigrants and refugees, though she admitted later she wished she had tried harder to help them. She is remembered for her support of singer Marion Anderson and her friendship with Mary McLeod Bethune, as well as her attempts to outlaw lynching. During WWII, she encouraged greater involvement for African American soldiers, notably openly praising the Tuskegee Airmen. For women, Eleanor encouraged female journalists by forbidden male journalists to attend her press conferences and by establishing an annual dinner for the female journalists who were excluded from the men-only event. She was quite a writer and journalist herself, often writing a regular column for a newspaper. Eleanor became a delegate to the United Nations after her husband’s death and the first chairperson of the United Nations Committee on Human Rights, helping to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. Eleanor Roosevelt’s life positively brimmed with her passion for the rights and well-being of all people, regardless of gender, race, or place in life, and her long career championing her many causes does credit to the kind heart and optimistic spirit she surely must have had to care so much about so many people.

Today, be inspired to…If you aren’t already inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt, I don’t know what to tell you, ’cause you surely should be.

Photo credit: bjf.org

Yanar Mohammed

Yanar Mohammed is a women’s rights activist in Iraq. Yanar grew up and was educated in Iraq, but she moved to Canada with her family shortly after she finished her masters in architecture. It would be ten years before she decided to go back, inspired by a need to promote and protect the rights of women in her home country. Backed by several feminist groups in the United States and the United Kingdom, Yanar started a few of her own organizations after she arrived, including the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq and the Committee for the Defense of Iraqi Women’s Rights. Yanar and her groups attempt to end the rampant violence against women by providing safe shelters for them to flee to, by teaching them how to handle situations where they are disrespected or abused, and by working to stop sex trafficking in Iraq. Her work has saved more than thirty women from “honor killings” by helping them leave the country, and she has also brought attention to the horrible conditions incarcerated women were subjected to. The beliefs Yanar and her organizations hold to include democracy, equal rights for the women of Iraq, and the end to a patriarchy-based set of rules and limitations placed on women because of religion. She wants women to be able to go to school, to work, just out about town in safety, without having to fear being harassed or having to ask permission. Iraq still has a long way to go to achieve equality and rights for women, but Yanar Mohammed and the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq are working hard to help get them there, hopefully to make their country a better and more peaceful place.

Today, be inspired to…Don’t give up on your home country. You might hate something about it, but who else is going to change it for the better than the people who live there and care about it? Sometimes you do have to leave but don’t give up hope entirely.

Photo credit: urgentactionfund.org

Jody Williams

Jody Williams is best known for her work in banning the use of anti-personnel landmines and her promotion of peace around the world. Jody started her human rights work during the wars in Central America where she saw the level of destruction that could be done to innocent civilians during war. Inspired by what she saw, Jody became the founding coordinator, chief strategist, and spokesperson of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a group that worked together with United Nations and the Red Cross. From its small start, the ICBL has grown to include 1,300 non-governmental organizations in 90 different countries around the world, always with the goal of banning dangerous landmines and trying to create peace in place of war. She accomplished her ultimate goal when a treaty made in Oslo banned anti-personnel landmines internationally. For her work, Jody received a Nobel Peace Prize and joined other female Nobel recipients in the Nobel Women’s Initiative in which she serves as Chair. Through the group she continues to work for peace and human rights around the world, and she also writes prolifically to spread awareness of crucial issues affecting human rights globally. Jody Williams saw a problem that moved her—landmines–and campaigned tirelessly until that problem had a solution. If we all tackled our problems with that kind of determination, what could we accomplish?

Today, be inspired to…Be determined. Pick a problem in your life that needs to be resolved and tackle it, one step at a time.

Photo credit: nobelwomensinitiative.org

Malala Yousafzai

Pretty much everyone has heard of Malala Yousafzai. Malala got her start in political activism and human rights campaigning at the age of eleven when she began writing a blog for BBC about her experiences as a young girl under Taliban rule. The Taliban forbade girls from attending school during this time, but she continued to go until her school was shut down, all the while passing notes to reporters to post on her behalf. Girls were eventually allowed to return to school under the condition that they were burkas at all times. Malala was featured in a documentary while temporarily living as a refugee and interviewed by TV shows and newspapers where she spoke out on behalf of girls’ education. As her fame grew and she became increasingly outspoken, she attracted negative attention from the Taliban, and in 2012, a would-be assassin shot Malala in the head. Fortunately, she survived the attack and after surgery and a long period of recovery, she continued her activism and campaigning, undiscouraged and undeterred. The attack had the opposite effect than intended—Malala received an outpouring of sympathy, her causes received attention, and her enemies were publicly condemned. Malala Yousafzai continues to campaign for education rights for women and girls around the world, and similar work continues in her name under various funds and foundations. She has met with world leaders and given speeches almost everywhere, always with the same message of education for all. She has been an unmeasurable force in bringing attention to the denial of education rights for girls in Pakistan and other countries and a force for reversing that limitation.

Today, be inspired to…Appreciate your education, especially if you’re still in school. We think of education as a right, but it’s also a privilege as well, and as much as we whine about school work for 18+ years of our lives, it really is an honor to have access to that type of education.

Photo credit: lakesideconnect.com

Rigoberta Menchu

Rigoberta Menchu has devoted her life to advocating for the rights of the indigenous Guatemalan people, work for which she earned a Nobel Peace Prize. Rigoberta is a member of the K’iche’ ethnic group so she understands the plights and worries specific to native Guatemalan people. After finishing school, she began working as an activist for indigenous rights during the ongoing Guatemalan Civil War, especially speaking out about the wrongs done by the armed forces. After her father, a member of the Guerilla Army of the Poor, was tortured and killed during the Burning of the Spanish Embassy for his political stance, she was forced to flee the country for own safety. While in exile, Rigoberta continued to spread awareness of the troubles in Guatemala internationally through her book Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia. When she was able to return to her country after the end of the war, she campaigned for the trials of those who committed genocide and torture during the war. Now Rigoberta works to bring low-cost generic pharmaceuticals to those who need them and travels the world giving speeches about human rights. She is a member of the Nobel Women’s Inititive, a goodwill ambassador, a member of the Fondation Chirac’s honor committee, and a member of PeaceJam, all groups that work to promote peace around the world. Rigoberta Menchu saw many unspeakable injustices done to the indigenous people of Guatemala during the civil war, but through her outspokenness and determination, she was able to see many of those crimes punished, and she is able to continue to campaign for human rights and better treatment for those living in her native country.

Today, be inspired to…Stand behind and stand up for your people, whoever they are.

Photo credit: womeninworldhistory.com

Shirin Ebadi

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights activist who became the first Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work defending the rights of women, children, and refugees. After attending the University of Tehran, Shirin became the first woman to become a judge in Iran and the first female president of the Tehran city court. However, after the Iranian Revolution, Shirin and all of the other female judges were demoted to lesser positions by those who felt Islam forbade women to be judges, and Shirin eventually turned her attention to lawyering. As a lawyer, she advocates for the legal rights of women and children and often takes the cases of those fighting against the law free of charge. In order to protect children from abuse, Shirin founded the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child and the Defenders of Human Rights Center, and she also helped write a law against child abuse. Shirin calls for peace in her country and for respect for the rights of all of Iran’s citizens, despite the threats and arrests she has been faced with for her very public opinions. She continues to lecture and write about human rights issues and joined the Nobel Women’s Initiative to promote rights of women. Having experienced the limitations on her rights and opportunities personally, Shirin Ebadi is still fighting for the equality of women in Iran, and she is still trying to spread the message of peace, free speech, and the protection of the country’s precious children. Her voice has been a vital force calling for change amidst so much turmoil and unrest, and her lifetime of work is a testament to the difference one woman can make.

Today, be inspired to…Defend the rights of those who need you–children, elderly, homeless, disadvantaged, or anyone who needs support.

Photo credit: randomhouse.com

Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day was a social activist and journalist who worked through the Catholic church for change. After a rather wild early life, Dorothy became very involved with the Catholic church, especially with its relief efforts. She became a journalist for the Catholic Worker Movement, which sought to advocate for the poor, disadvantaged, and voiceless during difficult times like the Great Depression. In addition to its publication, the organization also provided food, shelter, and clothing for those in need. Dorothy’s pacifist views differed somewhat from the church’s official stance, and she found herself at odds with the Catholic church on occasion, but she still held steadfastly to her religious beliefs all the same. She petitioned the church to take a position against nuclear weapons and to promote peace, charity, and consideration for all people. As an activist, Dorothy supported all workers’ rights to a reasonable work week and to form unions. She was perfectly willing to risk trouble with the law for the sake of protest. She refused to participate in civil defense defense drills on several occasions, getting arrested more than once but only serving a thirty-day sentence after one incident. She was also arrested for petitioning for women’s suffrage, after which she went on a ten-day hunger strike in jail. Her most effective method of reaching people though was her writing. In addition to her work in numerous magazines and newspapers, she also published From Union Square to Rome and Loaves and Fishes. Sometimes Dorothy tended to only look at the more positive aspects of a philosophy and to put the flaws down as necessary ills (um, Fidel Castro?). Her views ranged from anarchy to socialism to communism through different times in her life, but however strange and sometimes misguided her ideas were, she was truly on the side of the working man and the poor, and she strove to make their struggles heard and understood. She sought to accomplish this task by urging the church to reach out a benevolent hand and by working within the church instead of against it. Dorothy Day shows us the power of the pen when it comes to protest and that it is possible to be a social activist without abandoning your religious beliefs.

Today, be inspired to…never feel like you have to give up or silence your religious beliefs because someone else doesn’t think they mesh well with something else you’re passionate about. If they are important to you, they don’t cancel out your opinions on feminism, equality, civil rights, etc. It’s ALL part of who you are, and that’s okay.

Photo credit: nndb.com

Margaret Nash

Brave, educated, and compassionate, Margaret Nash was a passionate voice for the repeal of apartheid in South Africa over several decades. She used her writing to bring awareness to the injustice, spoke out publicly to encourage others to act, and even used her physical presence in protests when necessary. Margaret was unafraid to confront the South African government for its discrimination against its own people, to scold the church for not pursuing equality for all God’s people, and to challenge the United Nations to condemn the practice of racial segregation. Even after apartheid was ended, she continued to fight for equality and social justice. Margaret Nash exemplified fearlessness, moral conviction, and persistence. She did not simply disapprove from afar, but actively tried to change what she felt was wrong. No single person can be credited with ending the practice of apartheid, but every voice for equality and justice makes a difference, and Margaret Nash’s contribution helped make the world a better place.

Today, be inspired to…Stand up and be bold when you see wrong in the world.

Picture credit: blacksash.org