1. Colonel Jameela Bayaz became Afghanistan's first female police chief
Fewer than 1% of the country's police officers are women.
2. Women from South Sudan are fighting for inclusion in peace-building talks
"We as women are not in any way part of the ongoing negotiations in Addis Ababa and we want to play a part in saving our beloved country. We want an inclusive process to achieve sustainable peace for everybody in our country which ought to be the priority for the meeting," said Former Minister for Public Affairs in the country Josephine Abalang. (All Africa)
3. Catherine Samba-Panza became the interim President of Central African Republic
She is Africa's third female head of state in the post-colonial era, after Malawi's Joyce Banda and Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
4. Somayya Jabarti became first female editor in chief of a daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia
5. Rwandan women are fighting for equality - and winning.
"Half of the country’s 14 Supreme Court justices are women. Boys and girls now attend compulsory primary and secondary school in equal numbers. New, far-reaching laws enable women to own and inherit property and to pass citizenship to their children. Women are now permitted to use their husbands’ assets as collateral for loans, and government-backed funds aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship offer help to women without familial resources. In 2000, the country ranked 37th in the world for women’s representation in an elected lower house of parliament. Today, it ranks first."
6. Egyptian rapper Mayam Mahmoud won the Index Freedom of Expression award for her work for women's rights
"Who said that femininity is about dresses? Femininity is about intelligence and intellect."
7. Afghan women continue to express themselves through poetry, despite writing being forbidden to many
A book documenting clandestine poetry written by Afghan women was published this year, "I Am the Beggar of the World: Landays from Contemporary Afghanistan"
8. Women in Guatemala are fighting against gender-based violence
!["“In my case, I’m a little rebellious,” she [Tziná Mendoza, pictured] told me, a warm and steady smile on her face. “I changed my role: What the man can do, I can do, and what I can do the man can do—that’s why they call me feminist.”](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-12/14/6/enhanced/webdr03/original-15819-1418556120-10.jpg)
"“In my case, I’m a little rebellious,” she [Tziná Mendoza, pictured] told me, a warm and steady smile on her face. “I changed my role: What the man can do, I can do, and what I can do the man can do—that’s why they call me feminist.”
9. Ashol-Pan, a 13-year-old living in Mongolia,may be the world's only girl golden eagle hunter
10. Women in Bangladesh are fighting against all the odds to become financially independent "joyeeta"
Joyeeta is the Bengali word for 'winning woman'.
"Struggling against all odds, these women are now icons of change in society. Recognition of these remarkable individuals will be an important tool in inspiring others alike and making them more confident to help build a better future for the women of Bangladesh." - BRAC blog
11. Nigerian writer NoViolet Bulawayo won the Etisalat prize for Literature - and gave it to the runner up, Yewande Omotoso
12. Berivan Kilic went from child bride to the first woman to hold an elected office in the district's local government.
![She says: " “I divorced my husband because I realized that I was harming [my children] by staying married. I stepped into politics, because I am sincerely worried about what kind of a world we’re leaving our children. There is too much violence and inexplicable crimes. We should all try to do better for our children.” AL-Monitor](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-12/14/6/enhanced/webdr07/enhanced-654-1418557558-1.jpg)
She says:
" “I divorced my husband because I realized that I was harming [my children] by staying married. I stepped into politics, because I am sincerely worried about what kind of a world we’re leaving our children. There is too much violence and inexplicable crimes. We should all try to do better for our children.”
13. Turkish women started a "'Close Your Legs" campaign against men taking up too much space on public transport
"The 'Close Your Legs' campaign was an initiative of the Istanbul Feminist Collective (IFK) to highlight harassment in public places." - Huffington Post
14. Amina Kato Chiroma produces a radio show in Nigeria to share information on pregnancy and childbirth
"I produce a radio show to share advice and make pregnancy and childbirth safer." Amina Kato Chiroma on how radio can save lives in northern Nigeria. (from BBC Media Action)
15. Transgender women in Malaysia challenged a law denying gender rights - and won
"The case was filed by transgender women in Malaysia who challenged section 66 of the Sharia law in Negeri Sembilan state, which prohibits “any male person who in any public place wears a woman’s attire or poses as a woman.”... The Court of Appeal ruled that section 66 was unconstitutional and void because it violated the appellants’ rights to live with dignity, earn a livelihood, and directly affects their freedom of movement, expression, and equal protection of the law.
16. Wiam Simav Bedirxan filmed horrifying footage of the siege of Homs, made it into a film and received a standing ovation at Cannes
Wiam Simav Bedirxan sent footage she filmed direct from Homs over the internet to film director Ossama Mohammed, who was in Paris. The film they made together, “Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait”, was shown at Cannes this year.
17. Khadija is challenging gender stereotypes in Bangladesh by becoming a motorcycle repair woman
Following her success, BRAC have begun offering motorcycle repair training for whole groups of girls. - more at BRACblog.
18. For the first time in history, Burundian women have taken up playing traditional drums
"When we talk about gender equality, it has to be reflected in all areas of life. There is no longer such a thing as a dance reserved for men, as all professions are now open to women," says Immaculée, one of the female drummers, with a smile." - All Africa
19. Ishita Malaviya, India's first professional female surfer, set up a surf school
Watch a short documentary about her here.
20. These survivors of acid attacks in India became the face of a new clothing range
The clothing line, Rupa Design, is designed by a woman who had acid thrown in her face while she was asleep four years ago.
21. Kurdistan’s female fighters are taking on ISIS
22. India's Mars mission was a success, and check out who was in the control room
23. A group of HIV-positive women in Kenya have taken legal action against the government, saying they were sterilised without consent
24. A 10 year old Afghan girl has won a landmark case after being raped by a mullah inside his mosque
Mohammad Amin was sentenced to 20 years in jail.
"At the point where Amin tried to claim she had seduced him, she pulled aside her veil and spoke to him directly: "Hey liar, hey liar," she said. "God hate you, you are dirt, you are dirt, you are a vampire."
