Power

Across the globe and throughout history, women have made a difference in their communities and the world. Explore six places where women are claiming and exercising their power to make a difference.

Travel around the world with us as we focus on the untold stories of women taking part in politics. Listen to our podcast with "Political Mama" Irene Natividad and read Curator Masum Momaya's introductions to each featured country: IndiaNigeriaNorwayMexicoMorocco, and the United States.

INDIA

feminist posters celebrating women's movement in India Picturing Power  >>Through a collection of vibrant, provocative posters, Indian feminist publisher Zubaan Books celebrates the women's movement in India and their participation in local and national politics.
rural women village council leaders in India Two Million Women Leaders and Counting  >>Author: The Hunger Project
Since 1993, an astonishing two million rural women have become leaders in their village councils, or panchayats. By law, one third of these seats is reserved for women.
women activists shaping Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti, Asiya Andrabi and Parveena Ahangar Collage of Her Severally-Inspected Parts  >>Author: Ather Zia
Meet the new generation of women activists and politicians shaping Kashmir's future: pro-Indian Mehbooba Mufti, separatist Asiya Andrabi and peace activist Parveena Ahangar.
1975 profile of Indira Gandhi Indira Gandhi's Darshan  >>As the first female prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi was revered by some and loathed by others. Read this intimate 1975 profile written some 10 years before her assassination.

UNITED STATES

First African American woman U.S presidential candidate The Ticket that Might Have Been  >>Author: Gloria Steinem
Long before Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Shirley Chisholm made a brave, albeit unsuccessful, bid for the U.S. presidency. As an African American woman running in the 1970s, she knew that she would lose; nevertheless she remained "unbought and unbossed."
First U.S woman senatorial candidate Elizabeth Cady Stanton Political Firsts  >>Follow our timeline of revolutionary women and unforgettable events that changed U.S. political history. Trace a century of political milestones that led the way for generations to come.
2004 New hampshire Senatorial candidate Doris Haddock Granny D.  >>In 2004, 94-year-old Doris Haddock, called "Granny D," ran for senator of New Hampshire. Her unorthodox campaign proved that you're never too old and it's never too late to run for office.
First Female U.S Presidential Candidate Victoria Woodhull Victoria Woodhull  >>In 1872, women were not allowed to vote. But that didn't stop activist, businesswoman and spiritualist Victoria Woodhull from running for president. Frederic Douglass, a former slave, was her running mate. 

MOROCCO

Naima Zitan, founder and director of Théâtre Aquarium Théâtre Aquarium  >>Author: Paola Gianturco
Naima Zitan created a social theatre to educate and inspire her countrywomen. To reach even those who are illiterate, Théâtre Aquarium performs in villages, souks, markets, and mosques.
a Morroccan female Murshidat Unlikely Revolutionaries  >>In 2006, Morocco shocked the Muslim world by allowing its women to study and become religious leaders. The government hopes that female clergy will help promote more tolerant versions of Islam.
Morroccan Family Law advocate Dr. Mounira Maya Charrad Family Law in Morocco  >>Author: Dr. Mounira Maya Charrad
Award-winning author Mounira Maya Charrad explains the history of women's rights as defined by the ever-evolving Moroccan family code. In 2004, for example, Moroccan women won the right to divorce. 

NIGERIA

Oil interests and Nigerian Women's Resistance Delta on Fire  >>Listen to the voices of women activists who are not afraid to demand a better quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities in the oil-rich region of the Niger Delta.
Ancient tradition of Uli body painting in Nigeria revived by artist Chinwe Uwatse Painting Power and History  >>Artist Chinwe Uwatse revives a traditional Igbo women's art form to celebrate Igbo women's political activism and to commemorate a forgotten uprising known as the Women's War.
Nigerian BOABAB for women's human rights Cultural Change Taking Root with BAOBAB  >>Nigeria-based women's human rights organization BAOBAB empowers women through leadership training, communication technology and mock tribunals.

MEXICO

Political expression by Zapatista women is channeled through mural art Zapatista Women in Living Color  >>In Chiapas, community murals show vibrant portraits of indigenous women. Joyful and celebratory, they commemorate women's contributions to the Zapatista revolutionary movement.
First takeover of television station in Mexican history The Taking of Channel 9  >>Fed up with the media ignoring their strikes, women protestors in Oaxaca took over a local television, armed with nothing more than pots and pans. See live footage of their standoff. 
Working women along U.S-Mexico border and the price of globalization Maquilapolis  >>Filmmakers collaborated with women who live and work along the U.S.-Mexico border on a video project that allowed the women to document their struggles for worker's rights.
Zapatista (EZLN) leader Comandanta Esther A Struggle within a Struggle  >>Comandanta Esther, a high-ranking leader and representative for the Mexico's Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) pens a heartfelt message to women members of the revolutionary movement.

NORWAY

Public education  campaign in Norway targets domestic abuse Confronting Ugly with Ugly  >>Norway is celebrated as "The World's Best Country to Live In." However, one in four Norwegian women experience domestic violence within their lifetime. Activists from Amnesty International launched a creative, and controversial, campaign.
Norway's indigenous ethnic group achieves 50/50 parlamientary balance Norway's Sámi Parliament  >>The parliament of the Sámi people, Norway's indigenous ethnic group, achieved a 50 percent gender balance in 2005. What was their secret? Are gender quotas key to political equity?
Norway's first female Prime Minister Gro Harlem Burntland Norway's Agent of Care--and Change  >>Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first female prime minister, gave a speech at the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women. She encouraged thousands of women to demand their freedom and equality.
Norwegian Women's Participation in Politics as seen by Professor Ida Bloom 10 Questions with Professor Ida Bloom  >>Interview: Dr. Bloom, professor of history at University of Bergen in Norway talks about gender quotas, soaring numbers of women in Norwegian politics, and women-sponsored policy changes.

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