“I could not live without hope. I try to draw that from history, and from small acts of simple kindness that remind me that people did not always live with such animosity of one another.”
Meet Nikol Awwad, U.S. & Lebanon
Meet Sandra Moran, Guatemala
“Lesbian identity in Guatemala is taboo. It was necessary to show it, not only to break and confront that taboo, but more so, to provide the opportunity for the LGBT community to have a representative.”
Meet Fartuun Adan, Somalia
“In Somalia, I want to see peace. I want to see justice. I want to see a rule of law and good policy for women and their rights. I want protection for women to be taken seriously, and I want to see this in my lifetime.”
Meet Patricia Guerrero, Colombia
“We are women who dare to put a stick in the wheel and obstruct organized crime.”
Meet Sadzida Tulić, Bosnia
“You have to take sides—to speak the truth, even if your voice shakes; to stand on the right side of history. The people I worked with have suffered terribly, but they still want to live. They’re not giving up. And we cannot let them.”
Meet Nancy Word, U.S.
“Nobody can tell me I can’t do that!”
Meet Zariyatu Abubakar, Nigeria
“If women participate more in political activities and decision making at all levels, it will go a long way in bringing about change.”
Meet Mariamah Achmad, Indonesia
“I hope to make people remember all that the forest has given us, and that it is our responsibility to protect it.”
Meet Martha Sánchez Soler, Mexico
“The caravan is something magical that happens where you have mothers who have only been able to cry over their disappeared child, and now the majority of them are organizers in their communities. They are defenders!”
Meet Lumba Siyanga, Zambia
"Women For Change doesn’t want to speak for rural women, but to amplify their voice—to teach skills and strength so they’re able to stand up for themselves."
Meet Cora Weiss, U.S
"Look at the children and grandchildren, your own and everyone else’s. They deserve a sane and safe world to live in, and it's our job to give it to them!"
Meet May Sabe Phyu, Burma
“Everything is undecided right now, but we have to be hopeful. Without hope, how can we survive?”
Meet Majd Chourbaji, Syria
“After all this bombardment, when it stops—even for two days—people still go out into the streets and demand peace, democracy and change, and raise the flag of the revolution. This gives me hope.”
Meet Joumana Seif, Syria
“Syrian women are strong and tough and full of energy. … [They] will build a new Syria.”
Meet Milia Eidmouni, Syria
"I’m trying to do my best to promote justice through training journalists. In Syria, few journalists are educated in how to write about women’s issues. Covering the untold stories is how we contribute to justice."
Meet Helen Knott, Canada
“I think the inspiration to do these things comes down to love. Love of the land, and love of the people – and that’s the basis of all of it.”