Fighting The Good Fight For Women's Rights!

Eight inspiring individuals you need to know about this International Women's Day

1. Ganga Adhikari - inspiring the next generation

Peter Caton

Ganga was born in Nepal, a country where they have a pretty rigid caste system. In spite of this Ganga married a man from a higher caste, and his family refused to accept her and their inter-caste marriage. They wouldn’t let her serve them food, and they were not happy with her studying for a degree in education.

But Ganga was like "oh hell no!" She had a voice and she was damned if she wasn't going to be heard. Through the VSO partner Women’s Empowerment Action Forum (WEAF) Ganga became an advocate for women's rights in her community and worked hard to get girls to attend school. She taught girls and young women to have a voice, and that it deserves to be heard.

The family of Ganga’s husband realised that Ganga was a rather hardcore lady, and now through her hard work and perseverance she has earned not only their acceptance, but also their respect.

2. Hon. Esther Murugi Mathenge - lone ranger and trailblazer

Adriane Ohanesian

Here’s Hon. Esther Murugi Mathenge (left), she’s a Kenyan MP and former minister. Esther was the only female politician in her county (Nyeri) when she started in office. Esther says:

“Unfortunately, Kenyan politics is still seen as a man’s world and you are a trespasser. You learn to have a thick skin. I can assure you that becoming a minister was not easy. I was a lone ranger.”

This lone ranger has been a real force for change and has proved to all those doubters that women in decision-making roles benefit the wider community. Women in Esther’s constituency were walking long distances to reach healthcare facilities and collect clean water for their families. Esther says,

“Once I was elected, I built 11 health facilities in my constituency. I also addressed the water issue. It made a lot of difference to the women.”

3. Samira Hashi - FGM Campaigner, volunteer and model

Peter Caton

Meet Samira Hashi - a vocal campaigner against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Samira was born in Somalia and grew up in North London. You might have seen her before when she visited Somalia as part of a BBC Three documentary about the practice. She's all about the need for women and men to talk about FGM and the problems it causes. When she's not campaigning to end the brutal cultural practice Samira is also a model and a VSO ICS volunteer. What a woman!

4. Ivania - women's rights activist in the making

Ginny Lattul

Ivania is only four years old and she already looks feisty. It’s important that children and young people are involved with the fight for gender equality as it's their future at stake. Ivania has a great role model in her grandmother Rute Manave...

5. Rute Manave - grandmother, entrepreneur and role model to Ivania

Ginny Lattul

Here’s Rute. Her husband died fifteen years ago, and to make matters worse she found out she had HIV: her life had taken a very dark turn. But Rute was far from down and out. With the help of a VSO supported project that supports widows, Rute put her business face on and set up her own successful small shop in the suburbs of Maputo, Mozambique. She says:

"Since then I can buy what I want for my family. I’m working hard in order to have these things. Life has changed.”

“Projects like this are so welcome. Empowerment is so important, even some of the women who have a man at home can’t achieve some of the things that we widows have been able to achieve. I’ll teach my daughters some of these lessons, like managing their money. I hope they will all have a business.”

With a great role model like this, the future looks bright for her granddaughter Ivania.

6. Fuekemshi II - traditional leader and defender of widow's rights

Jenny Matthews

We need men on board if we are going to win this gender inequality battle. Fuekemshi II is a traditional leader in Cameroon, owner of incredible taxidermy and a fighting force for widow's rights. When a woman's husband dies she traditionally loses all her shared possessions, seriously everything, including land, leaving lots of destitute widows. Fuekemshi II, like us, was not OK with this, and became the first ruler to sign an agreement to protect widows in the region, he says:

"What we are trying to do is come out of the old…this is a culture that needs to be wiped out, and in this village, it's changing fast."

7. Binti Ali Kiza - challenging patriarchy and attitudes to periods

Ruby Wright

This is Binti Ali Kiza speaking at a VSO and UN Women event at the Irish Embassy in London this week. Binti was born and raised in Mombasa Kenya and became used to being told, "women can't lead because they have periods...how can they lead when they are bleeding?" It's questionable logic but don't worry, this sassy lady had the ultimate comeback, "My reply is...remember that a woman is your mother, a woman is your sister, a woman is your wife...you come from that place you call a curse.”

With all this untapped sass, Binti founded the women's organisation Sauti Ya Kinamama which translates as Voice of Women. The group are working to end the discrimination women experience in Kenya. Binti says:

"Despite persistent patriarchy, low levels of education among our women, and violent cultural practices like FGM, the women in my group are already on the road to success. When I was in primary school, there was only one woman in parliament but now there are so many more and next time we pray there will be more again."

8. Habiba Hashimu - fighting for sex workers rights

Ben Langdon

Like so many other women born into poverty in Tanzania, Habiba found herself becoming a sex worker just to survive. Women like Habiba are denied basic rights such as housing and are refused medical care simply because they are not accompanied by a husband, as she rightly says, "this is an injustice".

But Habiba refused to accept this injustice and formed a support group that gives a voice to women born into poverty and forced into a challenging way of life. The group is registered with local government authorities so they are free to advocate for their rights as commercial sex workers. Habiba says:

"In order to support women and girls to become the leaders of tomorrow, they need to feel empowered. What I’m already seeing is exactly that; from the grassroots level, women are now taking action; they’re holding up the constitution and they’re saying - this is what we want.”

Find out more about VSO's work at www.vso.org.uk.

Write to your MP to get more Women in Power www.vso.org.uk/womeninpower