BBC 100 Women 2024: Who dey di list dis year?
Di BBC don reveal dia list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around di world for 2024.
Among dem na Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, rape survivor and campaigner Gisèle Pelicot, actress Sharon Stone, Olympian athletes Rebeca Andrade and Allyson Felix, singer Raye, visual artist Tracey Emin, climate campaigner Adenike Oladosu and writer Cristina Rivera Garza.
Women face deadly conflicts and humanitarian crises for Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan, dem witness di polarisation in societies wey follow a record number of elections around di world. So dem don dig deep and find new levels of resilience.
BBC 100 Women sabi wetin women don face dis year and dey celebrate dose wey dey push for change as di world change around dem. Di list also remain committed to explore di impact of di climate emergency, and highlight climate pioneers wey dey work to help dia communities tackle di impact of climate change and adapt to am.
We no list di names in any particular order.
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Plestia Alaqad, Palestinian Territories
Journalist and poet
Twenty-two-year-old Plestia Alaqad bin recently graduate from university wen di war for Gaza begin. For di earliest days of di war, she bin post a video of hersef for her apartment during intense Israeli airstrikes.
Di video bin go viral, and she get four million followers on Instagram wit more Gaza updates, poems and diary entries. Her memoir based on dis reports, “Eyes of Gaza”, go dey published soon.
Alaqad na One Young World's Journalist of di Year 2024. She don also advocate for Palestinians at high-profile forums like di World Government Summit.
Alaqad bin leave Gaza for November 2023. Dem don award am scholarship for a master’s in media studies for Beirut.
Hamida Aman, Afghanistan
Media and education entrepreneur
Wen di Taliban no allow Afghan girls get secondary education, media businesswoman Hamida Aman decide to start di Begum Academy, wey be online space wey dey give free multimedia courses for students wey no fit go school.
In di last year, di education platform don provide more dan 8,500 videos for Dari and Pasho wey cova school curricula from grade seven to 12.
For March, Aman launch Begum TV wey be educational channel wey dey broadcast Begum Academy course wit satellite.
Di service dey come afta her Radio Begum project, wey be station by women for women wey dem create afta di Taliban takeover for 2021.
Svetlana Anokhina, Russia
Human rights campaigner
Svetlana Anokhina don spend years helping victims of domestic violence escape from Russia North Caucasus, wey be Muslim-majority region between Eastern Europe and Asia.
Along wit oda volunteers, she establish di Marem project for 2020. Di nitiative help women at risk from Dagestan, Chechnya and oda North Caucasus republics organise evacuations and find temporary accommodation, as well as providing dem wit legal and psychological support.
Anokhina hersef decide to commot from Russia for 2021, afta Chechen and Dagestani security forces raid her women shelter.
Last year, di authorities open criminal investigation against her on charges of discrediting di Russian Armed Forces.
Christina Assi, Lebanon
Photojournalist
Photojournalist Christina Assi grow up for 1990 Lebanon - a time of constant instability for di aftermath of civil war - and dis fuel her drive to document fight and cova di untold stories of war.
Her life take tragic turn for October 2023, wen she injure for Israeli strike for southern Lebanon.
Di blast kill fellow journalist Issam Abdallah, five oda colleagues wey injure and Assi later cut her leg.
Di experience lead her to advocate for journalists safety, and she dedicate her participation for di 2024 Olympic torch relay for Paris to all di journalists wey don die for di line of duty.
Eugenia Bonetti, Italy
Nun
Sister Eugenia Bonetti don help manage more dan 100 shelters and establish a network wit nuns for Africa to support migrant women victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
She bin spend many nights assisting women wey bin dey forced into di sex trade for Rome and become di president of Slaves No More, one organisation wey dey raise awareness of human trafficking.
Bonetti na missionary for Kenya for ova 24 years and bin help train officials for various kontris to develop anti-trafficking initiatives.
Bifor she retire, Pope Francis bin ask am to write di 2019 Way of the Cross, wey be key annual devotion for Catholics wey dey mark Good Friday for di Colosseum.
Shin Daewe, Myanmar
Feem maker
Award-winning documentary maker Shin Daewe bin chop arrest wen dem find drone inside her luggage.
Dem put am on trial for military-ruled Myanmar as dem accuse am say she go against counter-terrorism laws. For closed court, dem no give am legal representation and sentence am to life imprisonment.
Di feem maker don dey oppose military rule since 1988 and no be di first time dem dey detain am.
She don direct a dozen short documentaries, many of dem don grap international attention. Dis nclude di feem she do about di 2007 pro-democracy protests, wia thousands of Buddhist monks bin join di protest against di junta,
Tracey Emin, UK
Artist
For di 1990s, Tracey Emin become popular for provocative pieces such as My Bed and The Tent, wey invite pipo to reflect on dia sexual experiences.
She be recognisable name for di art world, she dey celebrated for her confessional and autobiographical style.
E don reach 25 years since My Bed bin first dey exhibited for London, sparking much media debate. Dem bin portray Emin as enfant terrible of British art. Dis year, King Charles make Emin a dame for her contributions to di visual arts.
Di artist don set up di Tracey Emin Foundation for Margate, UK, to nurture upcoming talent.
To be woman right now, I tink we need as much resilience wey we fit get… I tink now na time wey we gatz get greater unity and greater fight for women.
Tracey Emin
Cristina Rivera Garza, Mexico/US
Writer
Ogbonge writer Cristina Rivera Garza don dey recognised wi plenti awards ova di years. Di awards include di 2024 Pulitzer Prize for di memoir category for her book wey she call Liliana's Invincible Summer, wey torchlight di mata of femicide.
Through di story of her sister Liliana, di writer tok about di trauma of losing a loved-one and she bin seek justice inside kontri wit one of di highest femicide rates for di world. Na Liliana former boyfriend allegedly kill am for 1990s Mexico and dem no bring am to trial sake of say e allegedly run.
Rivera Garza na also di founder and chair of di PhD programme for creative writing in Spanish for di University of Houston.
She dey scata language well-well sotay language fit finally tok women side of di tori wey fit lay foundation for any type of resilience.
Cristina Rivera Garza
Linda Dröfn Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland
Women shelter manager
For di Icelandic Women Shelter, Linda Dröfn Gunnarsdóttir help pipo wey dem force to comot from dia homes sake of domestic violence.
Iceland na kontri wey dey always top di rankings as di “best place to be a woman”, but wia gender-based violence rates don remain persistently high.
As di centre general manager, she dey lead di project wey wan open new space wey go becom Iceland first purpose-built shelter for women.
Gunnarsdóttir says that 20 years ago, 64% of women who stayed at the shelter eventually went back to their abusers, but that figure is now down to 11% as a result of improved support and services.
Maheder Haileselassie, Ethiopia
Photographer
Ethiopian photographer Maheder Haileselassie dey work for a landscape of dried rivers and decimated crops wia she dey document how serious drought don push families for her kontri to give dia daughters up to child marriage, a subject wey win her di 2023 Contemporary African Photography Prize.
Human rights organisations anticipate say di number of girls at risk of child marriage as a result of di climate crisis go increase globally by a third by 2050.
Haileselassie photography dey informed by di history and experiences of di pipo she engage wit evriday, as well as her own.
Her work don dey exhibited for many prestigious venues, including dis year African Biennale of Photography.
Harbia Al Himiary, Yemen
Heritage conservation engineer
Wit di amount of historical important buildings wey don scata sake of years of war for Yemen, engineer Harbia Al Himiary don start mission to give dem new life.
She dey partner wit oda joinbodis like di UN cultural agency, Unesco. She don fix plenti residential and heritage buildings for Old Sana and all ova di kontri. Unesco don survey damage for more dan 16,000 sites.
Her work for heritage conservation no only preserve historic sites but also improve di quality of life for many.
Al Himiary don also train local residents to do traditional building crafts and inspire young girls to enta di industry.
Anat Hoffman, Israel
Religious campaigner
Anat Hoffman don spend years dey campaign for gender equality and religious pluralism within Judaism.
She be founding member of di Women of the Wall group, wey dey seek equal prayer rights for Jewish women at di Western Wall for Jerusalem Old City. Ova di years, she don fight against rules wey bar women from wearing prayer shawls and reading from di Torah collectively.
Hoffman bin also serve for 20 years as di executive director of di Israel Religious Action Center, di legal and advocacy arm of di Reform Movement wey dey work to promote equality and social justice.
Bifor dat, she bin hold a seat on di Jerusalem City Council, wia she bin challenge ultra-Orthodox policies.
Maria Teresa Horta, Portugal
Poet
Writer and journalist Maria Teresa Horta na one of Portugal ogbenge feminists and author of many award-winning books, but she fit be di best co-author wey pipo know for di internationally acclaimed Novas Cartas Portuguesas (New Portuguese Letters).
Portugal authoritarian goment quickly ban di collection of fiction, poetry, and erotica for 1972, and Horta and her fellow co-authors stand trial for obscenity and "abusing di freedom of di press".
Di case of di Three Marias, as pipo know dem, make headlines and inspire protests worldwide.
Dia trial end afta di 1974 Carnation Revolution bring down di regime - and dis year mark di 50th anniversary of dat historic moment.
Johana Bahamón, Colombia
Social activist
A visit to one Colombian prison bin transform di life of actress Johana Bahamón, and inspire her to work for dose wey bin need “second chance”.
For 2012, she shift her career from acting to advocating for prison reform and establish Fundación Acción Interna, wey be non-profit wey dey support Colombia prison population and dose wey don dey released.
Di foundation dey reported to don reach ova 150,000 pipo and 132 detention centres across di kontri.
Di social activist na also di promoter of di 2022 Second Opportunities Law, wey dey known as di Johana Bahamón bill, wey bin establish economic incentives to strengthen access to employment and training for pipo afta prison.
To dey resilient go beyond getting up and moving forward afta a difficulty; na to make di decision to transform am into opportunity for personal growth.
Johana Bahamón
Sharon Kleinbaum, US
Rabbi
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum na pioneer for di Jewish community for New York. She don spend 30 years to inspire change for di roads wey LGBTQ+ rights and religion meet.
She bin dey appointed for 1992 as di first rabbi for di city Congregation for Beit Simchat Torah. She don lead di community through ups and down wey include di Aids crisis for di 1990s.
She been oversee di congregation membership to include trans and non-binary pipo and e now dey believed to be di largest LGBTQ+ friendly synagouge for di US.
Kleinbaum wey retire dis year don dey lead force behind social justice projects and bin dey appointed to di US Commission on International Religious Freedom by President Biden.
Joy na act of spiritual and political resistance.
Sharon Kleinbaum
Lesley Lokko, Ghana/UK
Architect
Her work "to democratise architecture" get Lesley Lokko di Royal Institute of British Architects 2024 gold medal, wey be one of di highest honours for di world in her field wey make am di first black woman to get di award since e start for 1848.
She don dey ginger to bring pipo from under-represented backgrounds enta di industry ova di last 20 years.
Di Ghanaian-Scottish academic also becom di first woman of African descent wey go curate di Venice Biennale of Architecture wia she dey focus on themes for decarbonisation and decolonisation.
She be di founder of di African Futures Institute for Accra, wey dey torchlight di relationship between architecture, identity and race.
Resilience na di capacity to stay for di course ova di long-haul - even for di face of indifference, wey most times dey harder to endure dan opposition.
Lesley Lokko
Olivia McVeigh, UK
Make-up artist
Afta dem diagnose am wit alopecia, Olivia McVeigh begin to explore di world of wigs. Trying out new styles and experimenting wit alternative hair, she build an online platform to encourage and empower women wey dey face hair loss.
Wit nearly half a million followers, she normalise wig-wearing along wit raising awareness for alopecia and women health.
McVeigh, wey be make-up artist and influencer from Northern Ireland, begin lose her hair wen she be teenagers.
She now hold wig workshops and share di journey towards finding confidence again, creating a safe space for women wit alopecia to come togeda and normalise di conversation around di condition.
Resilience na di crown wey women dey wear. We dey forever able to adapt, transform and learn to thrive for our surroundings, no mata di circumstances.
Olivia McVeigh
Su Min, China
Road tripper and influencer
At di age of 50 and escaping abusive marriage, Su Min set off on solo road trip around China, wit just her car, a tent and her pension.
Her trip don take her to ova 100 cities in more dan 20 provinces since she start driving for 2020.
She don document her entire journey and her story don start discussions on social media, as she inspire oda middle-aged women, often referred to as ‘aunties’ in society, by daring to go against di status quo.
She now get six million followers across her social media platforms and dem don turn life story to feem - Like a Rolling Stone - released dis year.
Yasmeen Mjalli, Palestinian Territories
Designer
Fashion designer Yasmeen Mjalli creations dey inspired by Palestinian life and traditions.
Afta growing up for di American south, she relocate to Ramallah for di West Bank, wia she launch her brand Nöl Collective for 2020.
Her fashion label work wit family-run sewing workshops, local spice shops wey dey provide natural dye agents, and women cooperatives to produce garments collectively. Di tailors, weavers, embroiderers, and carvers dey use traditional techniques, paying homage to di Palestinian craft of creating fabrics.
Mjalli don use her garments to tell stories about Palestinians. She don also address di street harassment experienced by women globally, painting di phrase ‘not your habibti’ (not your baby) on denim jackets and t-shirts.
Hinda Abdi Mohamoud, Somalia
Journalist
Hinda Abdi Mohamoud wey be writer from young age bin keep diary wit stories about pipo wey dey run from violence for Jigjiga town, to Hargeisa
Now she be di chief editor for Bilan, wey be di first and only all women media team for di kontri.
Di team start to fight di high rates of sexism and harassment wey Somali women dey face for work, somtin wey UN report even recognise.
Bilian wan torchlight social issues for one of di most dangerous cities for world to be journalists. Dem dey cova tori like Somalis wey dey hide and live wit HIV, abused orphans and albinos wey dia communities don shun.
Helen Molyneux, UK
Co-founder, Monumental Welsh Women
Bifor 2021, No statue dey dedicated to named Welsh women for Wales.
In response, lawyer Helen Molyneux co-found Monumental Welsh Women, one non-profit wey aim to improve public representation of Welsh women and celebrate dia contributions and achievements.
Base on suggestions from members of di public, Molyneux and her team plan to erect total of five statues of women, to ensure say dem no forget dia stories.
Di group don so far put up four – di first na Wales first black headteacher Betty Campbell for Cardiff, followed by Elaine Morgan for Mountain Ash, Cranogwen for Llangrannog, and Lady Rhondda for Newport.
Shahrnush Parsipur, Iran/US
Writer and translator
One of Iran most prominent novelists, Shahrnush Parsipur don address taboo issues for her work, such as female sexual oppression and rebellion for patriarchal society.
She begin her career as writer of fiction and producer on Iranian National Television and Radio, but resign in protest sake of di execution of two poet activists bifor di revolution of 1979. This result in her first imprisonment.
Since di revolution, her work don dey banned extensively for Iran and Parsipur chop imprisonment again for openly referring to issues around virginity for her novel Women Without Men. Dem later am into a feature feem outside Iran.
Parsipur don tok about her experience of imprisonment in her writing, and don live for exile in di US since 1994.
Idania del Río, Cuba
Fashion entrepreneur
Clandestina na di first independent fashion brand from Cuba to sell her clothes online to worldwide market, co-founded by graphic designer Idania Del Río.
Dem start di company wen President Raúl Castro relax regulations for independent businesses and trade.
Na majority-female team of designers based in Havana dey di company, di products celebrate Cuban culture and aim to encourage appreciation for di island creativity. Del Río incorporate upcycling into di company production chain and focus on sustainable practices.
She be graduate of di Havana Institute of Design (ISDI), and she design posters for galleries, theatres and festivals bifor starting her fashion business.
Pooja Sharma, India
Performer for burial rites
For di last three years, Pooja Sharma don dey perfom di last rights for unclaimed deadibodi for Delhi.
Her motivation na from personal experience wia she first do final rites for her brother afta dem kill am and nobodi come help wit im burial.
Sharma face pushback from priests and her wider community as dis work normally na men work for di Hindu religion.
Even wit di backlash, she don do burial rites for ova 4,000 pipo from different faiths and religions and share her work for social media and champion di cause to give evribodi di dignity dem deserve for death.
Margarita Barrientos, Argentina
Soup kitchen founder
From wen she start soup kitchen for just 15 pipo, now she dey feed more dan 5,000 pipo a day, Margarita Barrientos dey known for her dedication to fight against hunger for Argentina, wia 53% of di 46 million pipo wey dey dia dey live in poverty.
Dem born Barrientos for one of di kontri poorest regions and she face hardship from small. She start her soup kitchen Los Piletones for 1996, wey grow to foundation wey dey now operate daycare centre, health centre, sewing workshop and library.
Her community service don get support from plenti businesses and celebrities - footballer Lionel Messi recently give am signed shirt make she auction.
Roxy Murray, UK
Disability rights advocate
Speaking openly about her experiences as a pansexual pesin living wit Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Roxy Murray dey use her platform to empower chronically ill pipo and challenge exclusion for di medical, charity, and corporate sectors.
Murray activism dey use her background for fashion, helping pipo transition to mobility aids wit style and promoting visibility for pipo wit disabilities from minorities and ethnically diverse groups.
She be di founder of The Sick and Sickening podcast, wey dey share unfiltered stories about living wit disability and illness, from pain management to sexual health and bodi and sex positivity.
As a queer, brown and disabled woman, resilience dey both deeply personal and profoundly collective. Na about di strength to challenge systems wey don marginalise pipo like me.
Roxy Murray
Xuân Phượng, Vietnam
Feem director, author, gallery owner
Writer and director Xuân Phượng wey dey approach her 95th birthday don live a veri full life.
She don experience two wars for Vietnam, and fight for di kontri independence from France as a 16-year-old.
Afta she graduate as doctor, she don be head of a clinic, a war correspondent and a feem director for Vietnam Television, and she witness historic moments like di fall of Saigon.
At di age of 62, instead of make she retire, she bin start di Lotus Gallery - one of di first private galleries for Ho Chi Minh City - wey seek to bring Vietnamese art to di world. She don nurture local artists to achieve widespread fame.
Zhanylsynzat Turganbaeva, Kyrgyzstan
Museum manager
To preserve and revitalise Kyrgyzstan cultural heritage na priority for Zhanylsynzat Turganbaeva.
She run one ethnological museum for Bishkek, wey feature unique national artefacts and dey attract large numbers of visitors.
Part of her philanthropic work involve di preservation of Kyrgyz literature, including di Epic of Manas, wey tell di story of a warrior wey unite di 40 tribes of di Kyrgyz region.
One version of di Unesco-listed monumental poem consist of around 500,000 lines of verse and na arguably di longest epic for di world (twenty times longer dan Homer's The Odyssey). Turganbaeva work create opportunities and resources for ‘manaschis’, entertainers wey dey recite dis Kyrgyz classic.
Dilorom Yuldosheva, Uzbekistan
Seamstress and businesswoman
Two years ago, Dilorom Yuldosheva lose both legs for one harvesting accident. But e no stop am from dreaming big.
She bin wan learn new skills while also helping young Uzbek women make a living, so she decide to set up her own sewing business.
She learn di basics of entrepreneurship and resource management and train ova 40 apprentices. Within months, her company grow significantly, running free workshops and securing contracts to produce uniforms for workers and school children.
Her business don become source of income for her and dozens of oda women.
Entertainment & Sport
Rebeca Andrade, Brazil
Gymnast
Gymnast Rebeca Andrade total of six medals make her Brazil most decorated Olympian (she also don win nine world titles).
She win gold for di floor exercise for Paris 2024, beating di world most decorated gymnast Simone Biles. During di medal ceremony, Biles and fellow US gymnast Jordan Chiles bow to di Brazilian, a gesture wey go viral and become an emblem of dis year Olympics.
One of eight children, until age 10 Andrade walk to practice sessions from her favela outside Sao Paulo, while her single mother clean houses to pay for her training.
Her rise don see her overcome many serious injuries, and she don speak openly about prioritising mental health.
To dey resilient dey connected to how we handle tins wey happun to us, and helping my teammates to see di good side even wen tins dey really bad.
Rebeca Andrade
Allyson Felix, US
Track and field athlete
Wit record 20 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals to her name, Allyson Felix na di most decorated track and field athlete for history.
Afta she bin get pre-eclampsia and give birth to her daughter prematurely, she become a fierce advocate for maternal health rights. Now she don receive a $20m grant from Melinda French Gates to advance maternal healthcare for black women for US.
Di retired athlete also dey part of pipo wey make di first ever Olympic Village nursery possible, for di Paris 2024 games.
Also dis year, dem elect am to join di International Olympic Committee Athletes Commission and she launch her own sports management company wey focus only on women sports.
Resilience na about finding di strength and beauty to face tough situations, and to use evri setback as fuel to keep moving forward.
Allyson Felix
Zakia Khudadadi, Afghanistan
Taekwondo Paralympian
Di first member of di Paralympic Refugee Team to eva win a medal, Zakia Khudadadi make history for di 2024 Paris games.
Di athlete, wey dem born witout one forearm, begin practise taekwondo secretly at di age of 11 inside one hidden gym for her hometown of Herat, for western Afghanistan.
Dem initially deny am di opportunity to compete for her first Paralympics for Tokyo afta Taliban return to power for 2021.
But wit intervention from di International Paralympic Committee and di support of France, dem safely evacuate am from Afghanistan and she become di first Afghan sportswoman to participate for international sporting event afta di Taliban takeover.
My journey to di Olympic medal tok about di power of resilience of Afghan women, of refugee women, of evri woman. By not giving up, we continue to show say notin wey woman no fit do.
Zakia Khudadadi
Hadiqa Kiani, Pakistan
Singer and songwriter
One of Pakistan musical icons, Hadiqa Kiani dey known for her versatile voice and her contributions to humanitarian cause.
Rising to fame in di 1990s, she become celebrated force for di South Asian female pop music scene, as well as a United Nations Development Programme goodwill ambassador.
In response to di devastating 2022 flood for Pakistan, Kiani launch her Vaseela-e-Raah project, dedicated to aiding victims in di regions of Balochistan and South Punjab.
She urge di public to assist displaced families and last year, di project announce say dem don build 370 homes and oda facilities in di affected areas.
Firda Marsya Kurnia, Indonesia
Heavy metal musician
To challenge gender and religious norms na somtin wey don master Firda Marsya Kurnia as lead vocalist and guitarist for di all-female, hijab wearing heavy metal band, Voice of Baceprot.
Dem dey sing for English and Sudanese wey be one of di most widely spoken languages for Indonesia, dia lyrics dey express dia anger wit patriachy.
More conservative Muslims don dey pushback say dem no respond well wen dem enta heavy metal.
But di band don go far since dem start 10 years ago for dia village school for Garut, West Java. Dis year dem perform for Glastonbury, wey make dem di first Indonesian band for di music festival 54-year history.
Joan Chelimo Melly, Kenya/Romania
Long-distance runner
Kenyan-born Romanian Olympian Joan Chelimo wey dey celebrated for her achievements in long-distance running bin win silver for di European Championships half maraton dis year.
Beyond sport, she be survivor of gender-based violence and seek to use her personal experience to torchlight di threats wey athletes dey always face.
She co-found Tirop’s Angels, wey be organisation of Kenyan athletes formed afta di killing of her fellow runner and world record-holder Agnes Tirop for 2021, wey advocate against gender-based violence through a wide range of activities.
Dis year, di murder of Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by her former partner reignite calls for action against femicide for Kenya.
I believe say real change dey start wen we decide say our pain no be di end of our tori, but di beginning of somtin greater.
Joan Chelimo Melly
Inna Modja, Mali
Artist and climate advocate
Climate justice advocate, musician and feem maker Inna Modja na woman wey dey take on many challenges – from campaigning against female genital mutilation to championing sustainability.
She produce and star for The Great Green Wall, a documentary wey highlight Africa ambitious efforts to control desert expansion and restore degraded lands for di Sahel, an area directly south of di Sahara desert stretching from east to west across 12 kontris.
As a goodwill ambassador for di UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Modja dey amplify di voices of communities wey climate change impact.
She also be di co-founder of Code Green, a non-profit organisation wey blend innovative tech and gaming to inspire positive action.
Resilience na about fostering di ability for women and girls to lead transformative solutions.
Inna Modja
Gaby Moreno, Guatemala
Musician
Guatemalan Gaby Moreno na singer-songwriter for di Latin music scene. She break into di mainstream by winning di Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album for 2024.
She compose song in two languages and take influences from Americana, soul and Latin folk. Her music and her emotive voice reflect in her rich cultural heritage.
Moreno na also di first Guatemalan wey become Unicef goodwill ambassador, wey dey advocate for children rights.
She recently launch one campaign to increase access to quality educational kits, for kontri wia 2.7m boys and girls dey estimated to dey outside di school system.
Noella Wiyaala Nwadei, Ghana
Afro-pop musician
Singer and songwriter Noella Wiyaala Nwadei dey popularly known by her stage name Wiyaala, wey mean ‘di doer’ for her Sissala language.
She dey recognised for her sense of fashion and unique style. Di artist design her stage dresses and accessories to showcase di traditions of her home region, for northern Ghana.
Many of her lyrics dey tok about di exploitation of African women. Wiyaala don work closely wit UN agencies and di Ghanaian authority to combat child marriage.
She don also build arts centre, community radio station and restaurant to promote employment and creativity for her hometown of Funsi.
Tracy Otto, US
Archer
Tracy Otto bin dey paralysed from di chest down and lose her left eye afta her ex-boyfriend attack am for 2019. Formerly an aspiring fitness model, she bin dey determined to get back to dey active again.
For March 2021, Otto pick up a sport she bin neva try bifor - archery. She hit di target wit di first arrow she eva shoot, and she bin dey interested eva since den.
Dis year, Otto compete for Paris, her first Paralympic Games. Sake of her disabilities, she bin use her mouth to release arrows.
Nearly five years on, Otto also use her experience to advocate for survivors of domestic violence.
Vinesh Phogat, India
Wrestler
Vinesh Phogat na three-time Olympian. She be one of India most decorated wrestlers and a vocal critic of sexist attitudes towards women wey dey sports. She don win medals for World Championships, Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Dis year, Phogat become India first female wrestler to reach Olympic final, but dem disqualify am afta she fail di weigh-in. She later retire from sport and don join politics.
She dey tok well well about gender stereotypes. Phogat na di face of months-long protest by Indian wrestlers against dia federation chief, Brij Bhushan Singh, wey chop accuse of sexually harassing female athletes – a charge wey im bin deny.
Di protest bin make headlines wen police detain Phogat and odas during a demonstration.
Di ability to pull yoursef up afta a bad day at work and give yoursef grace na wetin resilience dey about.
Vinesh Phogat
Raye, UK
Singer
Singer-songwriter Raye make history for dis year Brit Awards, as she win six of di seven awards wey dem bin nominate am for and don becom di first woman eva to win di songwriter of di year.
For 2021, Raye post for social media say she don dey fight for seven years wit her record label Polydor so she go fit release her own album.
She release her first studio album, My 21st Century Blues as independent artist for 2023. She get critical and commercial success.
She don tok outside about wetin her eyes don see both inside di music industry and outside. E include sexual assault, drug abuse and body dysmorphia and she don call for beta pay for songwriters.
Hend Sabry, Tunisia
Actress
Actress Hend Sabry na one of di most famous women in Arab cinema. Her break-out role in di feminist feem The Silences of di Palace (1994) explore di sexual and social exploitation faced by women in Tunisia.
She become di first Arab woman to serve as judge at di Venice Film Festival for 2019.
More recently, she bin star for di feem Olfa Daughters, wey dem select as Tunisia entry for di Oscars for 2024 and dem nominate am for Best Documentary Feature.
For November, Sabry resign as goodwill ambassador for di UN, in protest against wetin she call di use of starvation as weapon of war for Gaza.
No be just about surviving; na about rebuilding and finding purpose through di struggle… transforming pain into action.
Hend Sabry
Elaha Soroor, Afghanistan
Singer and composer
At a time wen di voices of women for Afghanistan dey erase from public life, singer Elaha Soroor write di anthem Naan, Kar, Azadi! (Bread, Work, Freedom!) to counter dis suppression and send a message of encouragement.
Dem play di song for di first time for October at di unprecedented All-Afghan Women Summit for Albania.
For career wey include feem, theatre and music, di award-winning artist don always use her platform to advocate for women rights.
Soroor, wey come from di Hazara ethnic minority, bin dey discovered on di popular talent show Afghan Star for 2009. But she bin face a violent backlash for pursuing career in music and leave di kontri for 2010.
Sharon Stone, US
Actress
Hollywood star Sharon Stone make a mark both on and off screen ova di past three decades.
Di actress shoot to fame for di early 1990s wit di hit movie Basic Instinct, and star for blockbusters such as Total Recall and Casino, wia she win a Golden Globe and dey nominated for Oscar.
Alongside her prolific acting career, Stone don carry out philanthropy work wey back many causes, and she dey recognised by Nobel Laureates wit a Peace Summit Award for her activities in support of pipo wit HIV.
Earlier dis year, her achievements dey further celebrated wit di inaugural Golden Globe International Icon Award.
Resilience na choice. You gatz choose your flow. You either choose to dey wound up or choose joy.
Sharon Stone
Madison Tevlin, Canada
Tok show host and model
Madison Tevlin star for di campaign, Assume That I can. Her viral video take di world by storm dis year, as e scata irritational attitude or opinion about pipo with Down’s syndrome.
Di awareness campaign get ova 150m views and win awards for im positive impact, including a prestigious Gold Lion for di Cannes Lions Festival.
Actress and model Tevlin don feature for New York Fashion Week, she don speak on inclusion for di Clinton Global Initiative, and receive di Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy award.
She don host di award-nominated tok show Who Do You Think I Am? and di 21 Questions podcast.
Resilience na say make I no give up even wen dem judge me or overlook or underestimate me… Na to stand up for wetin I believe in and neva give up on mysef or my community.
Madison Tevlin
Naomi Watanabe, Japan
Comedian
As one of Japan most famous influencers, Naomi Watanabe don pave di way for new generation of women comedians for her kontri.
She don break down barriers for male-dominated Japanese comedy, and star as female main character and create hit sketch shows.
Watanabe dey also help to change body stereotypes for Japan, spearheading a body-positive movement known as pochakawaii, wey translate to "chubby and cute". She launch one of Japan first brands to offer plus-size clothing.
Afta she achieve great success for Japanese TV and feem, she don move to di US to break onto di global comedy stage.
How you dey stay resilient? I always tink, ‘You no like me, e dey okay. Please give me a year and maybe I go change your mind’. Dis na di mindset I always get.
Naomi Watanabe
Kim Yeji, South Korea
Olympic shooter
Charisma and sporting achievements bring Kim Yeji to di world attention dis year.
Di pistol shooter win silver for di women 10m air pistol for her first Olympics for July, afta she set di women 25m pistol world record only a few months earlier.
Videos of her bin go viral on social media, praising not only her skills, but also her ice cool demeanour, unbreakable concentration and sci-fi-inspired look wit bespoke glasses to help wit precision.
Kim Yeji don speak openly about how she see di responsibilities wey come wit motherhood. She dey take a break from di sport to spend time wit her six-year-old daughter.
Through sports, we demonstrate resilience, teamwork, and determination - values dat, in my opinion, extend far beyond di playing field to inspire broader societal change.
Kim Yeji
Zhiying (Tania) Zeng, Chile
Table tennis player
Chinese-Chilean table tennis player Zhiying Zeng or Tannia bin make her Olympics debut for di 2024 Paris games at di age of 58 years old.
E don tay wey e don dey happun: wit her mama as her coach, she becom professional at di age of 12. She qualify for di Chinese national team but later go Chile wia she abandon di spot for 30 years to focus on her businesses.
Di Covid-19 pandemic na im make Tania Zeng go back table tennis.
By 2023, she be di highest ranking woman for Chile, and she represent di kontri for di South American Championship and Pan American Games bifor she accomplish her "lifelong dream" to qualify for Olympics.
Chloé Zhao, UK
Feem director
Oscar-winning feem director and writer Chloé Zhao na di first woman of colour - and one of only three women for history - wey go win di Academy best director award.
Dem born Zhao for Beijing, and she move to di UK and US. She describe hersef as nomad - a theme wey her award-winning feem, Nomadland (2020), celebrate.
From representing indigenous community for her early feems to directing di most diverse cast to date for di Marvel Universe, Zhao feel passionately about wetin connect us as human beings.
Dis year, she don dey on set dey direct an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell ogbonge Shakespeare-era novel Hamnet, wey go dey released for 2025.
If we no change di structure of di industry wey we dey work in, wetin we dey tok be say we gatz dey exactly like men to get value. I no tink say dat na wia our power dey.
Chloé Zhao
Politics & Advocacy
Huang Jie , Taiwan
Politician
Huang Jie wey dem know for her ginger for gender equality, make history for January dis year wen she win seat for partliament and becom Taiwan first openly LGBTQ+ legislator.
She don push major reforms during her political career, wey include to advocate for di rights of single women and lesbian couples to get fertility treatment and highlight further laws wey dey needed to address di issue of period poverty.
Afta she come out publicly for 2023, she don tok outside about di abouse wey she don face. She don suffer as victim of deepfake pornography, so she dey fight to strengthen di laws wey dey ground against digital sexual violence.
True resilience na by embracing diversity. Di more voices wey we join di stronger we go dey - especially di ones wey dey seen as weak, women and LGBTQ+
Huang Jie
Ann Chumaporn (Waaddao), Thailand
LGBTQ+ rights campaigner
As Thailand sign di marriage equality bill into law dis year and becom di first kontri for South East Asia wey go recognise same-sex unions, Ann 'Waaddao' Chumaporn get reasons to celebrate.
She bin lead efforts to get di bill through parliament, as she work as legal review commissioner for both di House of Representatives and di Senate.
Chumaporn wey be di co-founder of Bangkok Pride and queer lesbian activist from rural southern Thailand, don dey advocate for human rights and LGBTQ+ family rights for ova 10 years.
For Thailand 2020 youth protests, she emerge as leader for di pro-democract Feminist's Liberation Front; she don face eight political charges for her activism.
Hala Alkarib, Sudan
Activist against sexual violence in war
As regional director of di Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), prominent activist and writer Hala Alkarib lead initiatives wey spotlight gender-based violence in di wider region.
Since war break out for Sudan for April 2023, SIHA don dey track conflict-related sexual violence, providing support to women and girls.
October 2024 UN report warn of di “staggering” scale of di problem, and accuse di paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of "atrocious crimes", accusations di RSF bin dismiss.
Di report estimate say at least 400 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence dey referred to support as of July 2024, describing dis as “di tip of di iceberg”.
Kemi Badenoch, UK
Leader of di Conservative party
Dem elect Kemi Badenoch leader of di Conservative party for November. She be di first black woman to lead a major UK political party.
She currently be di Member of Parliament for North West Essex, and previously she be business secretary and minister for women and equalities.
Nigerian parents born Badenoch for London, but she bin grow up for Lagos, Nigeria, and for US. She bin return to di UK at di age of 16 sake of di political and economic situation for Nigeria wey bin worse, and she take degrees in computer engineering and law.
Bifor her political career, she be associate director of private bank Coutts and digital director of The Spectator magazine.
Mahrang Baloch, Pakistan
Medical doctor and political activist
Among di hundreds of women wey don dey take take part for demonstrations across Pakistan for Mahrang Baloch, protesting against di alleged enforced disappearances for Balochistan province.
Her call for justice dey come afta her papa bin dey allegedly taken by security service officers for 2009 and dem find am dead two years later wit signs of torture.
For late 2023, Baloch bin lead hundreds of women on a 1,000-mile (1,600km) march to di capital Islamabad to demand information on di whereabouts of dia family members. Dem arrest am twice during di journey.
Protesters from Balochistan province, scene of a long-running nationalist insurgency, say dia loved ones don dey taken and killed by Pakistani security forces, as counterinsurgency operation dey go on. Di authorities for Islamabad deny dis accusations.
Di medical doctor na ogbonge prominent activist, under di banner of her own human rights group Baloch Yakjehti (Unity) Committee BYC. Her work for di field of human rights dey recognised for di TIME100 Next 2024 list of emerging leaders.
Lourdes Barreto, Brazil
Campaigner for sex workers rights
Lourdes Barreto na leading force behind many campaigns. She don spend her life advocating for beta rights for sex workers for Brazil.
Since she start her activism for Belém do Pará for di Amazon region, she den co-found di Brazilian Network of Prostitutes for di 1980s – one of di first organised movements of sex workers for Latin America.
Barreto, wey now dey in her 80s, don dey challenge prejudice for decades.
She dey instrumental in establishing HIV prevention policies in di knotri and campaign to prevent di spread of HIV among goldmining communities. In 2023, she publish her autobiography.
May our stories get value and not silenced. We women for di world, wit our immense capacity to dream, to achieve, to tink, to transform society.
Lourdes Barreto
Danielle Cantor, Israel/Palestinian Territories
Cultural activist
As co-founder of Culture of Solidarity, wey be grassroot project wey start during di pandemic, Danielle Cantor don provide food and aid to local families for Tel Aviv.
Togeda wit co-founder Alma Beck, she dey run di House of Solidarity, a space wey don become alternative hub for pipo to meet, debate and attend cultural events and workshops.
She recently author and photograph Spreads, wey be art book wey dey use food culture to examine di nuances of identity politics of communities for Israel and di Palestinian Territories.
Along wit oda members of di collective Women Peace Sit-In, Cantor don dey take part in demonstrations to call for immediate ceasefire for di Middle East and lasting peace agreement.
Wen women tap into dia inherent empathy, we fit truly recognise systems of injustice and reimagine our way forward.
Danielle Cantor
Lilia Chanysheva, Russia
Political activist and ex prisoner
Political activist Lilia Chanysheva na one of di 26 prisoners wey dem release for August dis year as part of large international prisoner exchange. She leave Russia once she recova her freedom.
Chanysheva bin dey head di office of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny for di Russian region of Bashkortostan. Her work involve investigating corruption and advocating for fair elections and freedom of speech.
She be successful financier bifor she begin work for Navalny. She bin dey do tax consultancy for international firms for Moscow.
For 2021, dem arrest am on extremism charges and sentence am to nine and half years in prison. She serve two years and nine months for jail bifor dem release am.
Susan Collins, US
Senator
Susan Collins wey currently dey for her fifth term representing di state of Maine na di longest-serving Republican woman for di US Senate.
She don frequently work across party lines to deliver landmark legislation. She be one of six senators responsible for introducing di Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, wey go invest $275m in menopause research, treatment, and public awareness ova di next five years.
Collins also author di National Alzheimer's Project Act, wey dey coordinate a national plan to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. She don work to ensure funding for di project through to 2035, and say e dey take into consideration wider underserved populations including individuals wit Down’s syndrome.
Zhina Modares Gorji, Iran
Women rights campaigner
Kurdish tori pesin and activist Zhuna Modares Gorji bin follow start di Zhivano Women Association for 2019, wey use education, protest and support efforts to take fight violence against women.
Dem don arrest Modares Gorji two times since di Iran Woman, Life, Freedom movement. She bin first dey sentenced to 21 years for prison for charges wey include "propaganda agaisnt di regime". She dey currently serve reduced sentence of two years and four months.
Modares Gorji na member of di One Million Signatures campaign to gada public support for legislation reform for Iran, wey dey address laws wey discriminate against women.
Na she dey behind di Kurdish women photography group, women podcast and one children book wey feature inspiring Kurdish women.
Nejla Işık, Turkey
Village head and forest campaigner
Dem recently elect Nejla Işık as di head of di İkizköy area for western Turkey. Farmer Nejla don lead struggle against deforestation for di past five years.
Wen di nearby Akbelen Forest come under threat sake of proposals for coal mine, Işık and oda local women fight back wit lawsuits and protest to stop di logging wey go clear di land for mining projects.
At times dia environmental campaign bin result in fierce clashes between di police and protesters wey dey stand guard to defend di woodland, but Işık and oda villagers vow to stand firm despite di challenges and threats dem dey face, including being fined for entering di forest witout permission (dem later cancel di fine).
Women at home, for di fields, on di streets, for di struggle... na dem dey beautify di world, and undoubtedly, dey save am.
Nejla Işık
Guerline M. Jozef, Haiti
Immigration rights campaigner
Working at di intersection of politics and race for US, Guerline M. Jozef dey campaign for immigrant rights.
She be di founder of di women-led Haitian Bridge Alliance, wey dey focus on pipo of African descent.
Under her guidance, di Alliance bin file criminal charges against Donald Trump dis year, sake of im baseless claim about Haitian immigrants “eating pets” for one speech for Springfield, Ohio, during im presidential campaign.
Jozef na critic of di ongoing deportation of Haitians. Her organisation recently urge di Biden administration to stop sending back asylum seekers wey come to di US running away from gang violence for di home island.
Ruth López, El Salvador
Lawyer
Passionate about law and justice, Ruth López na chief legal officer for Cristosal, organisation wey dey work to advance democracy across Central America.
She don dey focus on anti-corruption, electoral law and di protection of human rights for El Salvador.
She dey loud in her critic of di kontri goment and institutions, she don campaign well for social media to promote political transparency and public accountabilty wey di citizens go supervise.
Her work becom more popular as earler dis year El Salvador re-elect president Nayib Bukele for second term for office. Bukele wey im popularity rise afta im crackdown on crime, don describe imsef as "di world coolest dictator".
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand
Politician
At di age of 22 years, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke na di youngest Māori woman wey go dey elected enta di New Zealand parliament.
For her first speech, she popularly perform di haka, wey be Māori ceremonial dance and call for increased representation of indigenous voices. She recently lead anoda haka wey match break for parliament to protest controversial bill.
Maipi-Clarke dey advocate passionately for Māori rights, cultural preservation and environmental issues. At 17, she publish her first book about di Māori lunar calendar.
Dis year she collect di presitigious One Young World Politician of di Year award for her efforts to raise young indigenous voices for politics.
Women gatz kick down di doors to places dem know say dem no invite dem go, weda na local, national or global level inside politics.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
Katherine Martínez, Venezuela
Human rights lawyer
Many of di young patients for di José Manuel de Los Ríos children hospital for Caracas, Venezuela, come from low-income and single-parent households.
Prepara Familia, a non-governmental organisation wey Katherine Martínez bin establish, provide dem wit essentials - clothing, medical supplies and food - and psychological support.
As human rights lawyer, Martínez dey keep records of wetin she and her team see as human rights violations against children and women caregivers for hospital setting, to allow victims to seek compensation.
Faced wit high rates of malnutrition for Venezuela, Prepara Familia also open a centre to provide children and pregnant women wit nutritional supplements and vitamins free of charge.
Latisha McCrudden, Ireland
Irish Traveller Movement activist
She only be 20, but Latisha McCrudden don already showcase herself as ogbonge advocate for di Irish traveller community.
As member wey she be too, she wan fight taboos around ethnic minorities wey dey Ireland and use her voice as domestic abuse survivor to fight violence against women and girls.
McCrudden na law student for di University of Galway, she also dey serve as member of di Irish Traveller Movement National Youth Forum, di National Women’s Council of Ireland, and Traveller support group, Mincéirs Whiden.
She wan run for di local elections for 2029 to make a difference for di future of Ireland.
Nadia Murad, Iraq
Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Now a leading advocate for survivors of sexual violence, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad bin endure di Yazidi genocide for Iraq, wey Islamic State (IS) carry out for 2014.
IS militants bin capture am, force am into slavery, and subject am to rape and abuse. Murad bin escape afta three months, and don bravely tell di world wetin her eye see so she go fit raise awareness about conflict-related sexual violence.
She bin partner wit human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to hold IS accountable and launch Nadia’s Initiative to help rebuild communities and advocate for reparations for survivors.
Ten years afta di Yazidi massacre, Murad continue to be global symbol of resilience.
We gatz get wetin I call ‘weapons of di spirit’ to fight for equality and justice: truth, hope, and compassion.
Nadia Murad
Annie Sinanduku Mwange, DR Congo
Miner
As a woman for di Congolese mining business, Annie Sinanduku Mwange lead a grassroots movement to combat inequality and sexual harassment for di industry, wia half of di workers for artisanal pits na women.
She be leader of di national Women’s Mining Network Renafem, and assert hersef as a ‘mère boss’, or mother boss, putting women in charge of mining spots as a means to prevent sexual exploitation from male colleagues.
By investing in women livelihoods, she also hope to reduce child labour for di field, as global demand increase for cobalt and oda minerals wey dey needed for clean energy products like electric cars.
Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, Uganda
Diversity and inclusion campaigner
Homosexuals acts dey illegal for Uganda, wey dey punishable by prison sentences - and LGBTQ+ advocate Kasha Nabagesera dey fight to change di harsh laws.
As openly gay woman, she don make ogbonge impact to campaign against LGBTQ+ stigma around Africa.
Nabagesera don successfully sue newspapers and di Ugandan goments for dia anti-LGBTQ+ expression; she don challenge anti-homosexuality laws for Ugandan courts two times and dey currently challenge one 2023 act.
Her academic waka include one business degree from Nkumba University for Uganda, fellowship from Stamford University and contribution to diversity initiatives for high-level forums like di UN, di European Parliament and di African Commission.
Gisèle Pelicot, France
As she no gree stay anonymous and allow her tori to reach di world, Gisèle Pelicot don turn symbol of courage and resilience.
Her former husband don admit say im bin drug and rape her wen dem bin dey married and e also get dozens of oda men to follow rape am. Dem feem most of di alleged rapes.
By law, Pelicot bin get right to anonymity but instead she ask make di trial remain open and make dem show di videos so e go shift di "shame" back to di accused. Some of di 50 oda men wey dey involved for di case don confess to di rape but majority say dem only take part for sexual acts.
As di trial don enta di last stage, women all ova di world dey inspired by di French grandmama wey dey hope say her case go change French laws and how dem dey treat rape and consent.
Angela Rayner, UK
Deputy Prime Minister
Angela Rayner dey hold one of di highest positions for UK politics. She become deputy prime minister afta di July general election.
Dem born and raise Rayner for Stockport. She be carer for her mother from early age and she leave school wit belle at di age of 16. She bin work for social care for di local council and climb di ranks to become trade union representative.
Dem first elect Rayner to Parliament as Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne for 2015 – di first woman to represent di constituency – and later serve as shadow minister for women and equalities, among oda roles.
Currently, she be di secretary of state for housing, communities and local goment.
Aruna Roy, India
Social activist
A campaigner for di rights of di poor for India, Aruna Roy leave her career for di civil service to engage more directly wit rural communities.
She be co-founder of grassroots organisation Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), wey focus on transparency and fair wages, and dey instrumental for di enactment of a landmark 2005 law wey enable citizens to demand goment accountability.
Ova four decades, Roy don dey di forefront of pipo-led initiatives, wey earn her multiple awards including di Ramon Magsaysay, often called di ‘Nobel Prize of Asia’.
She be di president of di National Federation of Indian Women and dis year she don publish her memoir, The Personal is Political.
Obsessed wit di grand design, we dey often fail to recognise di dream next door.
Aruna Roy
Yumi Suzuki, Japan
Plaintiff in forced sterilisation lawsuit
Dem born Yumi Suzuki wit cerebral palsy, and she bin experience discrimination young age. Wen she be just 12 years old, dem subject am to hysterectomy, a procedure to surgically remove her uterus.
From di 1950s to di 1990s, some pipo wit disabilities like Suzuki bin dey forcibly sterilised for Japan becos of one eugenics law wey dem cancel for 1996.
Suzuki and 38 oda plaintiffs bin sue di goment and afta years for courts, she win her case. For July, Japan Supreme Court rule say di practice no dey constitutional and order say make di goment pay compensation to di victims.
Di authorities don agree say 16,500 sterilisations bin dey performed witout consent.
Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti, Switzerland
Teacher and climate campaigner
As a co-president of KlimaSeniorinnen - or Senior Women for Climate Protection - Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti lead a nine-year battle against di Swiss goment to win di first eva climate case for di European Court of Human Rights.
Wit 2,000 oda women, kindergarten teacher and counsellor Wydler-Wälti argue say di Swiss goment response to heatwaves wey link to global warming prejudice dia right to health, and say dia age and gender make dem particularly vulnerable.
For April, di court rule say di kontri effort to meet emission reduction targets no dey adequate.
Although di Swiss parliament later reject di ruling, di case set a new precedent for climate litigation.
Feng Yuan, China
Women rights advocate
Feng Yuan na longstanding advocate for women rights for China. She be founding director of Equality Beijing. Di organisation wey dem set up for 2014 dey dedicated to legal reform, capacity building and combating gender-based violence via a helpline.
In recent years, she don dey support China’s MeToo survivors and provide training to employers to prevent sexual harassment for workplace.
Feng bin work as journalist wey focusing on women issues from 1986 to 2006.
Since di mid-1990s, she don help to set up various non-governmental initiatives around women and di media, HIV/Aids, leadership, and youth empowerment. She don author and edit publications for China and beyond.
Einav Zangauker, Israel
Hostage release campaigner
Dem take campaigner and single mother Einav Zangauker 24-year-old son Matan as hostage for di Hamas-led attacks of 7 October. Her son partner Ilana bin dey kidnapped separately and dem eventually return am during prisoner swap.
Since den, she don dey bring attention to di hostage crisis, calling on leaders to take action and dey ginger di public to demonstrate week afta week.
Zangauker don become outspoken critic of di Israeli goment for failing to find a way to bring di hostages home, even though she bin previously vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruling party.
She dey demand for a ceasefire deal to secure di release of di remaining hostages.
Amanda Zurawski, United States
Reproductive rights advocate
For August 2022, Amanda Zurawski discover her waters bin break prematurely. Doctors tell her say di foetus no go survive.
Zurawski dey live for Texas, and dem deny am abortion. Afta du Supreme Court overturning of Roe v Wade two months earlier, di state bin ban di procedure except in cases wia di patient life dey at risk. Three days later, she bin go into septic shock, and wit her life in danger dem finally grant am abortion.
For March 2023, Zurawski and 19 oda women wit similar stories file lawsuit against di state - di first case brought by women wey dem deny abortions since di reversal of Roe v Wade. Di Texas Supreme Court reject di abortion ban challenge.
She now vow to continue di fight to “restore and protect reproductive rights for di kontri”.
Fawzia al-Otaibi, Saudi
Women’s rights campaigner
Fawzia al-Otaibi bin enta social media to make her voice heard. She dey campaign for di male guardianship system for Saudi Arabia.
But afta di authorities summon her for questioning, she decide to run away from di kontri.
Her sister Manahel al-Otaibi – also a women rights campaigner – chop arrest and dem sentence am to 11 years in prison earlier dis year, afta dem convict am of charges related to her clothing choices and di views she bin express online, according to human rights groups.
Al-Otaibi don campaign relentlessly for di release of her sister. A recent crackdown on dissent don send many to imprison for Saudi Arabia for social media posts.
Science, Health & Tech
Shireen Abed, Palestinian Territories
Paediatrician
Bombing and lack of resources no stop Shireen Abed to take care of new born babies wey dem born for Gaza.
Di start of di Israel-Gaza war for 2023 pursue am comot her house afta her flat bin dey destroyed but di neonatal sabi pesin don continue to dey take care of babies wey dey close to displacement camps.
Wit years of experience for neonatal units for Gaza main hospitals, recently as director for di Maternity centre for Al-Shifa Medical Complex, she bin arrange emergency protocols wey go help medics to fit give life-saving treatments wit small resources and she don train oda doctors.
Conditions don make am comot Gaza wit her two daughters earlier dis year but Abed still dey help doctors for ground from wia she dey.
Shilshila Acharya, Nepal
Sustainability entrepreneur
Shilshila Acharya run one of di largest plastic recycling networks for Nepal. Her waste management business Avni Ventures employ staff from marginalised communities and focus on getting more women in di green sector.
Acharya play leading role for di 2014 ‘No Thanks, I Carry My Own Bag’ campaign, wey lead to ban on plastic shopping bags.
Di climate and waste educator also dey behind big annual clean-up for Himalayas to remove dirty wey mountaineers dey leave for dia, collecting 119 tonnes since 2019.
Through her work, indigenous craftswomen dey reuse some of dis waste to create mats, and jewellery to support dia livelihoods.
Enas Al-Ghoul, Palestinian Territories
Agriculture engineer
Wen water start to dey scarce for Gaza becos of di war, Enas Al-Ghoul reason say she gatz find soluton.
Di agriculture engineer bin use recycled materials like wood, glass and tarpaulins to build solar-powered desalination device wey go turn di salt water to wetin pipo go fit drink.
Dis device don turn to lifeline for many pipo wey dey stay inside tents for Khan Younis area for di south of di Gaza Strip, as water and sanitation facilities don dey damaged since October 2023.
Wit di ginger to use her skills help displaced Palestinians, Al-Ghoul don also create solar powered cooker and learn to recycle materials to create tins like mattresses and bags.
Safa Ali, Sudan
Obstetrician
Wen heavy fighting bin start near her hospital for Sudan last year, Dr Safa Ali refuse to comot wit her co-workers even wit di constant shelling.
She be consultant for obstetrics and gynaecology wey help comot volunteer staff and women wit belle enta safer location for di middle of violent kasala between di army and di parliamentary Rapid Support Forces.
As at now for Al Saudi Maternity Hospital, di obstetrician dey perform C-sections and treat women health wahala even wit di challenges wey di ongoing kasala dey cause.
She also dey continue to train like 20 newly graduated female doctors for obstetrics to help handle di shortage of medical personnel.
I believe say wit women resistance, promise of healing, justice and future dey inside wia we no go dey live in fear again. Na dia strenght dey remind me say hope still dey even for di darkest moments.
Safa Ali
Rikta Akter Banu, Bangladesh
Nurse and school founder
For di far area of northern Bangladesh wia nurse Rikta Akter Banu dey stay, dem dey see am as curse to born autstic or disabled pikin.
Wen dem no allow her own pikin wey dey austistic and get cerebral palsy gain admission for dia local primary school, she sell her land and build her own school instead.
Di Rikta Akhter Banu Learning Disability School now get 300 students and don make positive impact on how di community dey see disability.
While di school bin dey originally built for children wey dey autistic or get learning disability, now e dey admit young students wey get different kain intellectual and physical disabilities.
Brigitte Baptiste, Colombia
Ecologist
As transwoman biologist, Brigitte Baptiste dey explore di common patterns between biodiversity and gender identity.
She dey use queer lens to analyse landscapes and species so she go fit expand di notion of ‘nature’ to beta protect ecosystems. For her 2018 TEDx tok, she use di Quindío wax palm, Colombia national tree, as example of how "di change of sex and gender don dey regularly reported by science" across di lifetime of species.
One renowned academic, Baptiste don spend 10 years as director of di Alexander von Humboldt Institute and currently serve as president of Universidad EAN for Bogota, one higher-education institution wey dey focus on sustainable entrepreneurship.
She also don campaign for beta funding to get more LGTBQ+ pipo into higher education.
Sara Berkai, UK/Eritrea
Designer of DIY science kits
Sara Berkai na Eritrean wey dem born for Sudan and raise for London. Sara na di first for her family to attend university, wia she study child development.
She be di founder of Ambessa Play, social enterprise wey dey design DIY educational kits for children, and encourage dem to participate in toy design.
Berkai work dey offer out-of-school children in various kontris opportunity to access education through play. She come up wit di concept while teaching STEM workshops to displaced children for Ethiopia and Eritrea for 2019.
Her innovative ideas don dey recognised by her inclusion on di Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social impact, among oda accolades.
Resilience na optimism in practice - steadfast commitment to beta future, wey dey rooted in love.
Sara Berkai
Gabriela Salas Cabrera, Mexico
Programmer and data scientist
Her mama language, Náhuatl, no dey available for Google widely used translation platform, until Gabriela Salas Cabrera get involved.
Di engineer don collaborate wit di tech giant on linguistics projects to integrate dis and oda indigenous languages of Mexico into Google Translate. Dem don already release di Náhuatl translator to di public earlier dis year.
Salas work dey harnesses di power of artificial intelligence (AI) to increase underrepresented languages, as well as to boost di presence of indigenous women for tech industry.
She specialise in object-oriented programming and AI, and she dey study data science for Universidad Politécnica, for Madrid, Spain.
Female resilience na flame wey no dey die, turning pain into purpose and lighting di way for pipo wey follow.
Gabriela Salas Cabrera
Naomi Chanda, Zambia
Farmer and trainer
As agriculture guide for one teaching farm, Naomi Chanda dey on a mission to get her community to work using methods wey dey respect and preserve di land.
She dey focus on ‘climate-smart’ skills - like drip irrigation wey dey use less water, or short-cycle crops - putting women at di heart of solutions for climate change.
Wit girls education NGO Camfed, Chanda dey help teach some 150 young women how to adapt farming techniques and make dem strong in di face of di climate crisis for Zambia far north-east, wia prolonged droughts and dramatic seasonal changes don lead to serious impact on smallholder farmers.
Nour Emam, Egypt
Fem-tech entrepreneur
Sexual health educator Nour Emam dey focus on topics like menstrual hygiene, reproductive health and sexual awareness, subjects wey dey considered as taboo for women for di Middle East and North Africa region.
Emam na di co-founder and CEO of Motherbeing, fem-tech (female technology) company wey dey provide hybrid services through one clinic for Cairo and digital platform, wit di ambition to improve women access to healthcare through technology.
She aim to empower women wit evidence-based knowledge about dia bodies, while facilitating access to reliable information on contraception and helping dem navigate sensitive issues witout fear of shame.
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, Peru
Chemical biologist
Inspired by her grandmother wisdom as a healer, scientist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza don spend her career combining cutting-edge science and traditional knowledge to protect biodiversity for di Peruvian Amazon.
As di founder of Amazon Research International, she work wit indigenous communities to explore di jungle untapped biodiversity.
Often travelling to remote ecosystems on di planet, Espinoza work include discovering new bacteria in di Amazon legendary Boiling River, and leading di first chemical analysis of stingless bees and medicinal honey for Peru.
She be international ambassador of di Ashaninka pipo, one of di largest indigenous groups for South America.
Katalin Karikó, Hungary
Biochemist and Nobel laureate
BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna use Hungarian biochemist Katalin Karikó ogbonge research on modified messenger RNA (mRNA) to create Covid-19 vaccines.
She win Nobel Prize (wey she share wit her colleague Drew Weissman) for her contribution to di “unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of di greatest threats to human health in modern times”.
mRNA, di material responsible for translating our DNA into proteins, dey extremely fragile and difficult to work wit, but Karikób dey convinced say e fit play major role in medicine.
Di technology dey experimental bifor di pandemic, but now dem don give am to millions of pipo around di world to protect dem against serious Covid-19.
Work towards your goals by always focusing on wetin you fit do and no be wetin oda suppose do. If you fail, learn from am. Stand up and move on wit di same spirit.
Katalin Karikó
Georgina Long, Australia
Medical oncologist
Through target therapies and immuno-oncology, Georgina wan see a world witout cancer deaths.
As co-director of di Melanoma Institute Australia, Long rise to prominence for 2024 afta she co-design a world-first treatment wey help her colleague and friend, Richard Scolyer, remain cancer free, afta im develop one particularly aggressive type of brain cancer.
Long and her team - including di patient imsef - discova say immunotherapy work beta wen dem use a combination of drugs bifor surgery to remove di tumour.
Dia cutting-edge work draw from many years of research on melanoma, credit wit saving di lives of thousands of patients wit skin cancer diagnoses.
Di leaders of di future gatz champion empathy and shared humanity, empower pipo to challenge outdated systems and pursue innovative solutions to problems.
Georgina Long
Sasha Luccioni, Canada
Computer scientist
For world wey dey adapt to di fast-paced development of artificial intelligence (AI), di industry carbon footprint fit always dey overlooked.
Leading AI scientist Sasha Luccioni don help create a tool so developers fit quantify dia carbon emissions wen dem run code, wey don dey downloaded ova 1.3m times.
Luccioni na di climate oga for Hugging Face wey be global start-up wey dey work wit open source AI models and wan "democratise good machine learning".
Her focus na to improve di sustainability of AI and she wan develop 'energy star rating system' wey AI start-ups go fit use to compare dia climate impact.
Kauna Malgwi, Nigeria
Union leader for content moderators
Kauna Malgwi na vocal activist for workers rights for di tech and artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Di clinical psychologist dey lead di Content Moderators Union in Nigeria and raise awareness about all di invisible labour wey dey go into training AI systems.
For her former role as outsourced content moderator for Facebook, Malgwi tok say she bin dey exposed to videos of rape, suicide, and child abuse, wey lead to insomnia and paranoia.
She be one of 184 former moderators wey don sue Facebook parent company Meta, as well as di company subcontractors for Kenya, for unlawful termination, afta one whistleblower call out poor working conditions.
She don testify at di European Parliament to advocate for content moderators rights.
Women fit challenge and change di realities of our fractured world by bringing a holistic perspective wey value both technological progress and mental wellbeing.
Kauna Malgwi
Olga Olefirenko, Ukraine
Farmer
Wen her papa die for 2015, Olga Olefirenko bin wan fulfill im dream to start farm. Afta she buy livestock, she start to dey work but kon struggle wit money and sell all di animals
But she bin no wan kill di dreams of her papa wey bin die for frontline for Donbass wen e dey on duty as commander of di navy special target forces
Last year she arrange business plan to bid for funding from di Ukrainian Veterans Fund and bin dey successful.
Olefirenko start to run her farm again, wit focus for modernisation, di use of new farming technologies and di creation of jobs for di local community wia dem see her as inspiration for her initiative and leadership
Subin Park, South Korea
Founder, Stair Crusher Club
Wen wheelchair user Subin Park find ou say plenti places wey she wan go for Seoul dey no dey accessible, she decide to use her skils as former IT project manager to torchlight di mata.
Park na di co-founder of di Stair Crusher Club wey be non-profit project wey dey get informate on wheelchair unfriendly routes or places wey get no step-free access for South Korea.
Di project wan create accessibilty map for dia users.
So far ova 3,000 pipo don contribute to dia database wit Stair Crusher Club events and 14,000 places round di kontri don dey checked for accessibility.
Sneha Revanur, US
AI sabi pesin
At just 20 years old, Sneha Revanur don do pass most. She be di founder of Encode Justice wey be global youth movement for safe, equitable artificial intelligence (AI) wey get ova 1,300 member across 30 kontris.
Revanur work dey try reduce di threats wey dey emerging technology and put young pipo mouth for inisde di important tok-tok.
She be student of Stanford University and summer fellow for di Center of AI and Digital Policy.
She recently becom di youngest individual for Time magazine first list of di 100 most influential voices for AI.
We get opportunity to go ahead of AI risks bifor dem big pass dia revolutionary potential. For me dis na resilience. To rise above di past so we go fit reimagine di future.
Sneha Revanur
Olga Rudnieva, Ukraine
Founder, Superhumans Centre
Afta Russia invasion of Ukraine, Olga Rudnieva feel she gatz do somtin to help dose wey bin wound for di conflict.
Pipo wey bin lose dia limbs for battlefield bin dey seen as victims by many, but to Rudnieva dem be ‘superhumans' wey deserve all di help she fit provide.
She set up di Superhumans trauma centre for Lviv, wey she dey run as CEO alongside a team of specialists. Di centre dey provide prosthetic limbs to patients and don recently launch a rehabilitation centre.
Ova 1,000 pipo don benefit from dia services during di first two years of operation.
Resilience na to wake up morning afta morning to air sirens and keep fighting for your kontri. Na to rediscover your ‘what for?’, instead of to dey stuck at ‘why me?’ Na to find ways to do more, having less evri day.
Olga Rudnieva
Samia, Syria
Psychology counselor
Psychology specialist Samia – wey BBC dey hide her identity to protect her personal safety – don dey support Syrians wey dey face di trauma wey years of conflict cause.
Di long-running civil war don kill hundreds of thousands of pipo, and many of dose wey survive dey live in worse conditions and deal wit mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
Samia dey work for one mental health clinic wey di International Rescue Committee dey manage. She dey run counselling sessions for displaced pipo and dia families for one refugee camp for north-eastern Syria.
Despite di scarce resources, she remain dedicated to improve her patients mental health and committed to promote awareness for crisis settings.
Silvana Santos, Brazil
Biologist
Pioneering biologist Silvana Santis say her ogbonge discovery for di field of genetics na just luck - she bin meet one family wey get unknown disease for di same street wey she bin dey live.
She den identify di SPOAN syndrome (spastic paraplegia, optic atrophy, and neuropathy), wey be rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder wey dey cause progressive paralysis for north-eastern Brazil.
For di 20 years since wen she bin start her research for di town of Serrinha dos Pintos, Santos don help residents wey dey affected by di conition to get di important diagnosis.
She dey study di development of rare genetic diseases and dia relationship wit marriages between pipo wey dey closely related for poor areas for rural Brazil.
How we fit show di power of resilience? Na to see say life na cycle. For hot drought, we just survive. For di rainy season, we flourish and grow fruit.
Silvana Santos
Adenike Titilope Oladosu, Nigeria
Climate justice advocate
Nigerian ecofeminist Adenike Titilope Oladosu na di founder of I Lead Climate Action, one grassroots initiative of women and youth to fight climate change.
She don work to raise awareness about di environmental crisis wey dey affect Lake Chad - at di junction of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon - wia shrinking water resources don make conflict worse.
Oladosu work dey address both environmental and social issues, especially as e dey affect African women, wey she dey equip wit skill in sustainable farming in areas wia dry desert dey directly impact food security.
Taking part in multiple United Nations Climate Change Conferences from 2019 onwards, she don urge policymakers to prioritise climate resilience for Africa.
Di climate crisis na resilience issue wey leave us no option dan to win. To survive dis crisis, we need critical investment in technology and innovation.
Adenike Titilope Oladosu
Sunita Williams, US
Astronaut
Wen Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams enta di Boeing Starliner spacecraft on 5 June, she bin expect say she go go eight-day mission for di International Space Station (ISS).
But becos of some technical faults on board, dem tell Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore say dem no go come back earth till February 2025.
Williams na retired Navy helicopter pilot and former record holder for di most spacewalks wey woman don do. She becom di first pesin to run marathon for space for 2007.
Even though she dey 400km above Earth, away from friends and family, she don embrace di extension wit resilience and say di space craft na her "happy place".
Back to top Wetin be 100 Women?
BBC 100 Women dey name 100 influential and inspiring women around di world evri year. We dey create documentaries, features, news articles and interviews - stories wey dey put women for di centre, and we dey publish and broadcast dem on all platforms.
Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook. Join di conversation wit #BBC100Women.
How we take choose di 100 Women?
Di BBC 100 Women team draw up a shortlist based on names wey dem gada through research and wey BBC network of 41 World Service Languages teams and BBC Media Action suggest.
We bin dey look for candidates wey don make headlines or influence important stories ova di past 12 months, as well as dose wey get inspiring stories to tell or wey don achieve somtin significant and influence dia societies in ways wey no go necessarily make the news.
A pool of names also dey assessed against dis year theme of resilience. We bin want acknowledge di toll dis year don take on women around di globe by selecting dose wey – through dia resilience – dey push for change and improve lives for community or global level. We also assess names of women wey dey work for di field of climate change, from wia we select a group of climate pioneers and oda environmental leaders.
We don represent voices from across di political spectrum and from all areas of society, and explore names around topics wey split opinion.
Di list bin also dey measured for regional representation and due impartiality bifor we choose di final names. All women don give dia consent to dey on di list.
Credits
BBC 100 Women Production Team: Valeria Perasso, Natalia Pianzola, Maria Zaccaro, Rebecca Thorn, Lara Owen, Natasha Fernandes, Niamh Hughes, Ahmen Khawaja, Shaina Oppenheimer, Sarah Tiamiyu and Rubab Batool.
Additional production support: Vandana Vijay, Kateryna Khinkulova, Mariam Aman, Vera Kwakofi, Mouna Ba, Rupa Jha, Julien El-Hajj, Mark Shea, Chris Clayton, Yuna Ku, Issariya Praithongyaem, Paula Adamo Idoeta, Laura García, Ana Pais, Zhanna Bezpiatchuk, Zlata Onufrieva, Berza Simsek, Farhat Javed, Anastasia Soroka, Thais Carranca, Celestine Karoney, Shahnewaz Rocky, Khayrulla Ubaidullaev, Abdybek Kaziev, Katerina Tse, Sylvia Chang, Laura Bicker, Aye Thu San, Bui Thu, Do Hung, Farzad Seifikaran.
BBC 100 Women Editor: Golnoosh Golshani
Executive editor: Claire Williams.
Commissioning editor: Fiona Crack.
Production for World Service Languages: Rafael Chacón, Pip Joy and Carol Olona
Design: Lily Huynh, Prina Shah, Jenny Law, Matt Thomas, Pauline Wilson and Oli Powell.
Development: Scott Jarvis, Arun Bhari, Alexander Ivanov, Matthew Taylor and Preeti Vaghela.
Photo copyrights: Getty Images, Lauren Hurley/No. 10 Downing Street, Tracey Emin, Yoshimoto Entertainment, United World Wrestling, Stephanie King, Derrick Evans, Asta Kristjans, Shahnewaz Rocky, Annette Hornischer, Farhio Mohamed Hussein, Billsatya, Mohanad Elhussein, Mataara Stokes, Joe O'Shaughnessy, Tapas Mallick, @KuchuTimes, Melanoma Institute Australia, Christopher Michel, LeYa, M. Sven Torfinn, Mundele Badimubungi Alain, USA Archery, Daryna Lavrenko, Ko Oo, Alix McIntosh, Steve Gerrard, Kellys Portillo, Bangkok Pride, Mariana Castiñeiras, Diaspora Arts Connection, Acción Interna, Juan Pablo Orellana, Jean Francois Carly for Kathrine Hamnett/Samsung Global series, Paige Censale/Haitian Bridge Alliance, Gonzalo Marroquín, Raj Kumar Shrestha, Ravshan Musaev, HK studio, Lisa Palomino, Harold Levine, Media Wales, Nensi Ragab, Alexandre Nunis, Manon Obel/Clandestina, Hila Shiloni/Women of the Wall, Felix Speller/Design Museum, Kazım Kızıl, Hugo Mathy, Dmitry Aychuvakov, Ula Osman, Naver Sports, NASA, Peter Giodano, Yero Adugna, Jumadyl Tokkojoev, Marco Conti Sikic, François Barrère, Social Fund for Development, Membley Studios, Greg C. Holland, Ben Cohen, Hagar Bader/Laba Impact House, Keiko Atsuta, Doan Duc Thang, nominees’ own.
Kemi Badenoch make history as di new UK Conservative Party leader 