BBC 100 Women 2023: Who dey on di list dis year?
Di BBC don reveal dia list of 100 inspiring and influential women around di world for 2023.
Pipo wey dey among dem na attorney and former US First Lady Michelle Obama, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Ballon d'Or-winning footballer Aitana Bonmati, AI expert Timnit Gebru, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Hollywood star America Ferrera, and ogbonge beauty business owner Huda Kattan.
Dis year, extreme heat, wildfires, floods and oda natural disasters don dominate headlines, and di list also highlight women wey dey work to help dia communities tackle and take action to adjust to di impacts of climate change.
Among di BBC 100 Women, we name 28 Climate Pionners, ahead of di United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28.
We no follow any particular order to list di names
Culture & Education
Afroze-Numa, Pakistan
Shepherdess
Afroze-Numa na one of di last Wakhi shepherdesses. She don take care of goats, yaks and sheep for almost 30 years.
She bin learn di trade from her mama and grandmothers. She dey part of a centuries-old tradition wey don dey die out for Pakistan Shimshal valley.
Evri year, dis shepherdesses dey take dia flocks to pastures 4,800m above sea level, where dem dey prepare dairy products to barter, while dia animals feed.
Dia income don bring di village prosperity and allow dem to provide education for dia pikin dem. Afroze-Numa still dey remember say she be di first woman for di valley to own a pair of shoes.
Hosai Ahmadzai, Afghanistan
TV presenter
Wen di Taliban take control of Afghanistan for August 2021, Hosai Ahmadzai na one of very few female news anchors wey continue to dey broadcast for di kontri.
She continue her work for Shamshad TV despite safety concerns and societal resistance against women wey dey do media work.
She don interview many Taliban officials, but e get wetin she fit ask dem, and she no fit question dia conduct.
Ahmadzai get background for law and political science and she don dey work for di media for seven years. She dey focus on girls' education, wey don dey severely restricted by di Taliban.
Esi Buobasa, Ghana
Fishmonger
Esi Buobasa na native of Fuveme, one Ghanaian village wey di unforgiving sea bin wash away. She don experience first-hand di impact of climate change.
Wen sea level rise and pipo no fit live for where dem bin dey live, she, her husband and five pikin dem migrate.
Buobasa wey be leading fishmonger for her village set up one association wit her colleagues. Dia aim na to help fisherwomen for di region, as coastal erosion dey threaten dia source of income.
Di alliance, wey now get around 100 members, dey meet weekly to discuss issues wey dey affect women for di business and make monetary contributions to support families wey dey in need.
We despair evri time di tidal wave come. Death come for us and di next generation.
Esi Buobasa
Chila Kumari Burman, UK
Artist
Chila Kumari Burman dey work across a range of arts including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film, and she use her work to discuss issues such as representation, gender and cultural identity.
This year, di artist work bin feature for di Blackpool Illuminations, one lights festival wey don dey run for di UK since di 1879. Lollies in Love With Light na technicolour installation wit one ice cream van for di centre, inspired by di ice cream business wey her parents bin run.
For 2020, Burman make di installation Remembering a Brave New World to adorn Tate Britain façade wit references to Indian mythology, popular culture and female empowerment.
Last year dem award am MBE.
Paulina Chiziane, Mozambique
Writer
Wit her 1990s debut, Ballad of Love in the Wind, Paulina Chiziane become di first woman to publish novel for Mozambique.
Chiziane grow up on di outskirts of Mozambique capital, Maputo, and she learn Portuguese for one Catholic school. She bin study languages for Eduardo Mondlane University, but she no graduate.
Dem don translate her work into various languages, including English, German and Spanish. Wit di book The First Wife: A Tale of Polygamy, she win di local José Craveirinha Award.
More recently she win di Camões Prize, wey dem consider di most prestigious writing award for Portuguese.
Susanne Etti, Australia
Sustainable tourism expert
Susanne Etti na one of di only climate scientists for di travel and tourism industry. She dey passionate about leading di industry towards a more sustainable future.
Her work as di global environmental impact manager for Intrepid Travel, one small-group adventure travel business, don lead di company to become di first tour operator wit verified science-based carbon reduction targets.
Etti don author an open-source guide for travel businesses wey wan decarbonise and na key part of Tourism Declares, one voluntary community of 400 travel organisations, companies and professionals wey don declare climate emergency.
Today we dey see more businesses wey dey recognise di importance of climate action by setting ambitious goals to reduce environmental impact, investing for renewable energy and committing to long-term emission reduction targets.
Susanne Etti
Jannatul Ferdous, Bangladesh
Burns survivor
Afta she survive accident wey burn 60% of her bodi, Jannatul Ferdous become film-maker, writer and disability campaigner.
She be di founder of Voice & Views, one human rights organisation wey dey fight for di rights of women wey don survive burns.
Ferdous wey her friends and family know as Ivy don make five short films and publish three novels, and she dey use her storytellling to raise awareness around pipo wey dey live wit disabilities.
Ferdous don study extensively and her academic achievements include MA in English Literature and one degree for Development Studies.
Licia Fertz, Italy
Model and influencer
No be many 93-year-olds fit say dem get more dan 235,000 followers on Instagram, but for Italy oldest bodi positivity influencer, dat na just di beginning.
Licia Fertz bin live through World War Two, endure di death of her 28-year-old daughter and see her husband die.
But wen her grandson open Instagram profile for her to cheer her up, her colourful outfits and radiant smile make am instant social media star.
She don write autobiography and model nude for di cova of Rolling Stone magazine at di age of 89.
She be ageism, feminism and LGBTQ+ activist, wey dey promote bodi positivity and reshaping how we dey perceive ageing bodies and di elderly.
Natalia Idrisova, Tajikistan
Green energy consultant
Women living for remote parts of Tajikistan often struggle to access energy sources such as electricity or firewood. Environmental charity project co-ordinator Natalia Idrisova dey seek practical environmental solutions to dis energy crisis and educate women about natural resources and energy-efficient technologies and materials.
Apart from training, her organisation dey offfer energy-saving equipment, solar kitchens and pressure cookers, freeing up time for di women and supporting gender equality for di home in a climate-friendly way.
Now Idrisova dey train communities on how climate change dey specifically affect pipo wit disabilities and finding ways to ensure say dem dey hear dis voices for political discussions.
Extreme events around di world dey give us di last warning say pipo no fit dey separated from nature. We no fit negligently exploit nature witout serious consequences.
Natalia Idrisova
Vee Kativhu, Zimbabwe/UK
Content creator and YouTuber
Vee (Varaidzo) Kativhu academic journey na inspiration to thousands across di world. She bin go from juggling her studies wit one part-time job for McDonald to gaining degrees from Oxford and Harvard universities.
Wen she dey for university, she set up one YouTube channel to share her experiences as student from a lower socio-economic background, and provide study tips and resources to odas wey be like her.
Since den, Kativhu don launch Empowered by Vee - through dis platform, she dey seek to make higher education more accessible for unsupported or under-represented students around di world.
She don write one practical self-help book for young pipo and she dey currently pursue PhD in Education Leadership.
Huda Kattan, US
Beauty business founder
Dem born Huda Kattan for US to Iraqi immigrants. She grow up for Oklahoma and ignore one traditional corporate career to pursue her passion in beauty.
She bin enroll for one prestigious make-up training school for Los Angeles and get clients wey be A-list celebrities including several royal families across di Middle East.
She be di most-followed beauty brand for Instagram where she get ova 50 million followers.
Kattan found her cosmetics brand, Huda Beauty, for 2013 as she launch one line of false eyelashes. Today, her billion-dollar businss get ova 140 beauty products, and dem don sell for more dan 1,500 stores worldwide.
Sophia Kianni, US
Student and social entrepreneur
After she speak to relatives for Iran, social entrepreneur Sophia Kianni realise say na little reliable information dey about climate change for dia language, so she begin to translate materials into Farsi.
Dis kon expand into wider project wen she found Climate Cardinals, wey be one international youth-led non-profit wey aim to translate climate information into evri single language and make am more accessible to pipo wey no dey speak English.
E don get 10,000 student volunteers across 80 kontris. Dem don translate one million words of climate material into more dan 100 languages.
Kianni aim na to help break down language barriers to di global transfer of scientific knowledge.
Young activists don build and nurture global climate action networks, mobilise millions to protest, drive thousands of petitions against fossil fuel development, and raise millions of dollars to fund climate initiatives. Di world challenges dey too great for us to silo ourselves sake of age or experience.
Sophia Kianni
Arati Kumar-Rao, India
Photographer
Arati Kumar-Rao wey be independent photographer, writer, and National Geographic Explorer dey work across South Asia to document di changing landscape wey climate change cause.
She dey document how drastically depleting groundwater, habitat destruction, and land acquisition for industry dey destroy biodiversity and shrink common lands, displacing millions and pushing species towards extinction.
Kumar-Rao don waka around di Indian subcontinent for ova ten years, and her frank stories reveal how environmental destruction dey affect livelihoods and biodiversity.
Her book, Marginlands: India's Landscapes on the Brink, tok about di experiences of dose wey dey live for India most hostile environments.
At di root of di climate crisis na di lamentable loss of our elemental connection wit land, water, and air. E dey imperatve say we reclaim dis connection.
Arati Kumar-Rao
Marijeta Mojasevic, Montenegro
Disability rights activist
After she survive two strokes wen she bin dey high school, Marijeta Mojasevic life change dramatically.
Afta she experience physical and psychological effects (she still dey live wit many of dem today), Mojasevic dey currently work as youth adviser and disability rights activist.
She dey use her voice to challenge attitutde and behaviours towards pipo wey get neurological disorders.
She bin design workshop called Life With Disability, where she dey use her own exeperiences to help challenge prejudice.
She be ambassador for OneNeurology, one initiative wey aim to make neurological conditions global public health priority.
Sarah Ott, US
School teacher
Sarah Ott na middle school teacher wey come of age for di US State of Florida for di afta 9/11. She tok say she bin dey vulnerable to misinformation.
Despite say she bin dey educated for di sciences, for some time she bin no believe say climate change dey really happun.
To admit say she dey wrong na di first step in her search for di truth. Her journey don lead her to become di Climate Change Ambassador wit di National Center for Science Education.
She currently base for di state of Georgia. She dey use climate change to teach physical science concepts to her students and raise awareness of environmental issues for her community.
Even though climate change na 'all hands on deck' situation, we no fit just do am all by ourselves. Activism na like garden. E dey seasonal. E dey rest. Respect di season wey you dey.
Sarah Ott
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, India
Bhikṣuṇī, Buddhist nun
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo wey dem born for England for di 1940s, bin adopt Buddhism wen she be teenager.
At di age of 20 she travel to India and become one di first Westerners to dey ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monastic.
To promote di status of female practitioners, Tenzin Palmo found di Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery for Himachal Pradesh, India, wey be home to more dan 120 nuns.
She dey known for spending 12 years living for one remote cave for di Himalayas, three of dose for strict meditation retreat. For 2008, dem confer am wit rare title of Jetsunma, wey mean Venerable Master.
Lala Pasquinelli, Argentina
Artist
Women wey bin no dey for (magazine) cover' na artist Lala Pasquinelli brainchild, wey she found for 2015 to question beauty stereotypes and di representation of women for di media and popular culture.
The project dey behind viral campaigns wey invite women to reassess di narrative around dia bodies, including issues such as aging and dieting. Dia recent call to action #HermanaSoltaLaPanza (Sister, stop to dey suck in your tummy) highlight real stories of pipo of all shapes and sizes.
Pasquinelli na lawyer, poet, lesbian and feminist activist. She work to dismantle homogenous feminine beauty ideals wey she tok say dey "classist, sexist and racist" and further fuel gender inequality.
Jess Pepper, UK
Founder of Climate Café
Climate Café na community-led space where pipo dey come togeda to drink, chat and act on climate change. Jess Pepper found di first one for 2015 for one small town for Scotland.
Currently, she dey support oda communities to start dia own spaces, wey dey linked togeda for a global network.
Attendees say dis na safe spaces where dem fit share dia fears and concerns about di climate crisis.
Pepper get some leadership roles within di climate sphere, and she be honorary fellow of di Royal Scottish Geographical Society and a fellow of di Royal Society of Arts.
Climate action and positive change dey happun for communities, and na women and children dey always lead am. Seeing how connections dey inspire and inform change change, building resilience while creating opportunity and political space for further change, dey give me hope.
Jess Pepper
Matcha Phorn-in, Thailand
Campaigner for indigenous and LGBTQ+ rights
Sake of say she dey live for Thailand on di border wit Myanmar, one area wey don experience di effects of both climate change and conflict, Matcha Phorn-in don focus her work on di rights of minorities.
She found di Sangsan Anakot Yawachon Development Project, one organisation wey aim to educate and empower thousands of stateless and landless indigenous women, girls, and young members of di LGBTQ+ community.
As ethnic minority/Indigenous lesbian feminist, Matcha Phorn-in get leading role for di movement to stop gender-based violence for di region, while also advocating for land rights and climate justice for displaced and disenfranchised pipo.
Sustainable climate solutions no fit dey witout di meaningful participation and voices from indigenous communities, LGBTQIA+, women and girls.
Matcha Phorn-in
Carolina Díaz Pimentel, Peru
Journalist
Wen dem finally diagnose Carolina Diaz Pimentel wit autism for her late 20s, she bake herself cake to celebrate di fact say she now sabi say she bin dey neurodivergent.
She currently dey for 30s and "proudly autistic". She dey work as journalist wey specialise for neurodivergence and mental health coverage.
Díaz dey also work to end di stigma wey pipo wit psychosocial disabilities dey face. She be di founder of several projects or non-profits wey dey raise awareness of neurodiversity: Mas Que Bipolar (More dan bipolar), di Peruvian Neurodivergent Coalition and Proyecto Atípico (Project Atypical).
She be Pulitzer Center grantee, and Rosalynn Carter scholar.
Shairbu Sagynbaeva, Kyrgyz Republic
Co-founder of For Life sewing shop
Afta undergoing three years of intensive treatment for stage four cancer and struggling to pay for her drugs, Shairbu Sagynbaeva now dey in remission.
Togeda wit four oda cancer patients wey dey in remission, she set up di For Life sewing shop, where dem dey make and sell bags using national ornaments, donating all profits to support cancer treatment.
So far, dem don raise more dan $33,000 (£26,500) for 34 women wey dey in need of financial support to cova dia medical costs.
Sagynbaeva also recognise say need dey to support patients wey dey live far from di treatment centre so she help to establish one nearby not-for-profit hostel where dem fit stay.
Daria Serenko, Russia
Poet
Writer and political activist Daria Serenko na one of many coordinators of di Feminist Anti-War resistance - na movement against Russia invasion of Ukraine.
For di past nine years she don dey write about gender violence for Russia, and she don write two books of feminist and anti-war prose.
Serenko na also di creator of di Quiet Pickett art initiative, where she wear placards wey dem write messages to engage pipo on particular issues.
Two weeks before Russia begin dia full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Serenko bin chop detention from di authorities, wey accuse am say she dey spread "extremist" messages. Soon afta, she enta Georgia and di Russian authorities don designate am as "foreign agent".
Kera Sherwood-O'Regan, New Zealand
Indigenous rights and disability advocate
Kera Sherwood-O'Regan na Kāi Tahu Indigenous and disabled climate expert wey come from Te Waipounamu, di South Island of New Zealand.
She be di co-founder of Activate, one social impact agency wey specialise for climate justice and social change.
Her practice dey grounded in Māori approaches to land and ancestors, wey until recently dey ignored by di mainstream climate conversation.
Sherwood-O'Regan don build relationships wit ministers, officials and broader civil society to highlight di effects of climate change for her communities, while she dey advocate for greater recognition of di rights of Indigenous pipo and pipo wit disabilities for di climate negotiations.
We dey reject di extractivist model, we dey take up space, we dey lead wit community - and e dey work. I tink many pipo now dey recognise say di realisation of Indigenous sovereignty na di solution to di climate crisis.
Kera Sherwood-O'Regan
Sagarika Sriram, United Arab Emirates
Educator and climate advisor
Teenager Sagarika Sriram dey fight to make climate education mandatory for schools.
Wit her coding skills, she set up di online platform Kids4abetterworld, designed to help educate pikin around di world and support dem for sustainability projects for dia communities.
She backs dis up wit online and offline environmental workshops, as she dey teach pikin how dem fit get positive impact on climate change.
Sriram wey dey study for her A-levels for Dubai dey part of di children advisory team of di UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, where she dey champion environmental rights.
No be time for alarm but for action, so each pikin dey educated to live sustainably and drive di systemic changes wey we need to see for our world.
Sagarika Sriram
Clara Elizabeth Fragoso Ugarte, Mexico
Truck driver
Truck driver Clara Elizabeth Fragoso Ugarte don dedicate 17 years of her life to male-dominated industry, as she dey travel di length of Mexico along some of di kontri most dangerous roads.
Fragoso Ugarte originally come from Durango. She marry at di age of 17 and na mama of four pikin and grandmama of seven.
As a 'trailera' (name wey dem dey call women truckers), she dey spend her life on di road delivering goods across Mexico and di US.
She also dey help to train young drivers and she aim to inspire oda women to join di industry so dem go fit achieve gender equity for di heavy-load trucking business.
Louise Mabulo, Philippines
Farmer and entrepreneur
For 2016, Typhoon Nock-Ten rampage through parts of Camarines Sur, Philippines, and destroy 80% of agricultural land.
Louise Mabulo bin defy di devastation by founding The Cacao Project during di aftermath. Di organisation wan revolutionise local food systems through sustainable agroforestry.
Mabulo dey empower farmers, dismantle destructive food systems, and champion a rural-led green economy, wey dey put control back for di hands of wey dey cultivate di land.
She dey advise international climate policy, where she dey amplify rural stories and knowledge. Di United Nations Environment Programme recognise am as Young Champion of di Earth.
I dey find hope to know say di movements around di world na pipo like me dey build am, look afta a future wit green landscapes, wey dey connect communities, where our food dey sustainable and accessible, where our economies dey circular, and dey driven by just, equitable principles.
Louise Mabulo
Oksana Zabuzhko, Ukraine
Writer
Oksana Zabuzhko na di author of more dan 20 works, including fiction, poetry and non-fiction. She dey considered as one of Ukraine major writers and intellectuals.
Dem know am internationally for her works such as Field Work in Ukrainian Sex, and The Museum of Abandoned Secrets.
She graduate from di department of Philosophy of Shevchenko University wey dey for Kyiv and she get doctorate in di Philosophy of Arts.
Dem don translate her books into 20 languages and di books win her national and international awards, including di Angelus Central European Literary Prize, Ukraine Shevchenko National Prize and di French National Order of di Legion of Honour.
Entertainment & Sport
Aitana Bonmatí, Spain
Footballer
Dem born midfielder Aitana Bonmatí for Catalonia. She win both di Spanish league and Champions League wit her club Barcelona dis year.
But na during di World Cup she become global superstar: she dey part of dose wey give Spain victory, as she score three goals and dem name am player of di tournament. At di age of 25, she win di prestigious Ballon d'Or and dem crown am Uefa player of di year.
Bonmati no dey afraid to use her voice on and off di field. She speak out for equality in football for women.
Wen Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kiss one player, Jenni Hermoso, for lips, and di controversy overshadow Spain World Cup win, Bonmatí bin use her Uefa acceptance speech to show support for her team-mate and for oda women wey dey face similar challenges.
Antinisca Cenci, Italy
Equestrian vaulter
Wen Antinisca Cenci start equestrian vaulting for her 30s, she bin no anticipate say 10 years later she go dey tour wit a team practising di gymnastics-on-horseback.
From La Fenice, in northern Italy, she bin no get easy life. Dem tell her mama say she no go "survive di first cold" afta she bin experience complications at birth.
Cenci bin start vaulting as part of one programme wey local ANFFAS centre (Italy National Association for Families and People with Disabilities) and La Fenice vaulting team bin initiate.
She currently dey train wit world champion vaulter Anna Cavallaro and trainer Nelson Vidoni.
Andreza Delgado, Brazil
Curator and cultural manager
Andreza Delgado helped launch PerifaCon as she seek to bring di experience of attending one comic book convention to pipo living for poorer neighbourhoods on di outskirts of Sao Paulo, .
Di free event dey focus on comic authors, artists and oda contributors from di Brazilian favelas, wey dey ususally overlooked as cultural consumers or creators.
Wit comic books, videogames, concerts and oda "geek culture" features, di third PerifaCon bin take pace for 2023, and na more dan 15,000 attend.
Delgado, wey dey use her platforms as YouTuber and podcaster, don dey vocoal about democratising access to culture for Brazil, and she focus particularly on di work of black artists.
Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, Indonesia
Speed climber
Wen she dey for elementary school for Bali, dem invite Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi to one climbing wall, and she fall in love wit speed climbing.
She bin experience early success for youth competitions, but di "queen of Indonesian rock climbing" don really scale di heights dis year, as she win gold for di women speed event for di 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships with a record time of 6.49 seconds.
Dis feat bin earn am ticket to di Paris 2024 Olympics, where speed climbing go feature as a separate event for di first time.
Di climber fit make Olympic history for Indonesia, wey so far only get medals for badminton, weightlifting and archery.
America Ferrera, US
Actress
America Ferrera na instantly-recognisable face from di world of entertainment, and na award-winning actress, director and producer wey dey well known for various iconic roles - including for di recent record-breaking film Barbie, Real Women Have Curves and hit series Ugly Betty.
She become di youngest pesin to win Emmy for di lead actress category for her role for Ugly Betty - and di first Latina. Ferrera wey be long-time activist na prolific speaker about women rights and di need to get more representation on screen.
Na di daughter of Honduran immigrants, and she dey campaign to improve di lives of Latinas for di US through her non-profit, Poderistas.
Anne Grall, France
Comedian
Di Greenwashing Comedy Club na stand-up collective wey dey address environmental issues as well as feminism, poverty, disability, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Na stand-up comedian Anne Grall found am. She believe say through punchlines, e dey possible to sow di seeds of change for pipo mind and even influence dia habits.
For society wey dey driven by entertainment, where concise concepts and short messages dey reign, Grall believe say humour, wey rely on exaggeration and punchlines, fit be excellent medium to share ideas around climate change.
Dis success of di Greenwashing Comedy Club dey encouraging sake of say e indicate say today many pipo dey concerned about climate change, and dem wan come togeda, laugh, and leave di show feeling ready to continue di fight!
Anne Grall
Georgia Harrison, UK
TV personality
After Georgia Harrison become victim of image-based sexual abuse, she decide to use her story to help tackle violence against women and change di way di UK dey view consent.
The TV personality wey dey known for her appearances on shows such as Love Island and The Only Way is Essex, bin lead one campaign to bring amendment to di UK online safety bill to make intimate image abuse crimes, also referred to as "revenge porn", easier to prosecute.
Harrison dey calling for online platforms to face tougher consequences for hosting images or footage taken or shared witout consent.
Harmanpreet Kaur, India
Cricketer
Dis year, Harmanpreet Kaur become di first Indian woman wey dem go name as onenof Wisden five Cricketers of di Year.
Di captain of di India women national cricket team dey score well well both for home and abroad. Last year she lead her team to a silver-medal finish for di Commonwealth Games.
For domestic cricket, she lead Mumbai Indians to win di inaugural Women's Premier League for March.
One of her career highlights na for 2017, wen she score 171 runs off 115 balls for India for dia Women World Cup semi-final match against Australia, and she help to push her team into di final.
Dayeon Lee, South Korea
Founder of Kpop4Planet
Through Kpop4Planet, Dayeon Lee dey rally K-pop fans all around di world to confront di climate crisis.
Since dem launch for 2021, di campaign group don ask influential pipo for South Korea biggest entertainment labels and streaming services to take climate action, and transition to renewable energy.
Di group highlight di environmental implications of physical album waste, wey prompt music icon figure for K-pop to switch to digital albums.
Dayeon Lee don dey move beyond music, to challenge di climate pledges of luxury fashion brands, wey dey often feature K-pop celebrities as dia public face.
Wen standing for social justice, we no dey give up until we make a change. We don prove dis time and again, and we go continue to do so, fighting against di climate crisis.
Dayeon Lee
Justina Miles, US
Deaf performer
For February Super Bowl LVII, one of di most-watched sporting events for di world, Justina Miles bin make history.
Di deaf performer bin go viral wen she steal some of pop icon Rihanna thunder by signing di mega-star lyrics, for one energetic and charismatic act.
Dis make her di first deaf woman to perform American Sign Language (ASL) at di Super Bowl prestigious halftime show. Her earlier ASL rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing - known as di Black National Anthem - na also first of im kind for di event.
Miles wan show di world more authentic representations of deaf pipo and she dey hope to open her own practice to train more deaf nurses.
Dia Mirza, India
Actress
No be only say actress Dia Mirza win awards for her roles for Indian cinema, but she also dey involved for numerous environmental and humanitarian projects.
As a Goodwill Ambassador of di United Nations Environment Programme, Mirza dey spread di message on issues such as climate change, clean air, and wildlife protection.
She be di founder of One India Stories, a production house wey aim to tell impactful stories wey, in her own words, 'make you pause and tink'.
She also be ambassador for Save the Children, di International Fund for Animal Welfare, and she be board member of di Sanctuary Nature Foundation.
Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa
Freediving instructor
As South Africa first black female freediving instructor, Zandile Ndhlovu wan make access to di ocean to dey more diverse.
She found The Black Mermaid Foundation, wey dey expose young pipo and local communities to di ocean, as she hope to help new groups to use dis spaces recreationally, professionally and for sport.
Ndhlovu na ocean explorer, storyteller and film maker. She dey use dis skills to help shape a new generation of Ocean Guardians - pipo wey learn about ocean pollution and rising sea levels and dey involved for di protection of dia environment.
Tinkin about di number of young voices wey dey rise up to create change for society dey give me hope wen di climate crisis dey considered.
Zandile Ndhlovu
Alice Oseman, UK
Screenwriter
Alice Oseman na award-winning author, illustrator and screenwriter. She be di creator of one bestselling graphic novel for young adults, Heartstopper. She don also turn di LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story into Emmy award-winning television adaptation for Netflix.
Oseman don write evri episode and dey involved at evri stage, from casting to music.
She be di author of several oda novels for young adults, including Radio Silence, Loveless and Solitaire, wey she publish wen she be 19.
Her books don win, dey shortlisted or nominated for some awards, including di YA Book Prize, di Inky Awards, di Carnegie Medal, and di Goodreads Choice Awards.
Paramida, Germany
DJ and music producer
Long before protests happun for Iran last year, DJ Paramida bin dey defy cultural restrictions for women of Iranian descent.
Paramida wey now base for Berlin, discover her passion for music and dance culture while living between Frankfurt and Tehran wen she be teenager.
Her record label Love On The Rocks wey dey inspired by dance music history promote euphoric and outsider dance culture today.
As resident of Berghain Panorama Bar for Berlin, she don become DJ wey dem dey find globally and also accomplished music producer. She dey use dis space to challenge gender norms for di male-dominated music and nightlife industry.
Camila Pirelli, Paraguay
Olympic athlete
Although her speciality na heptathlon, Camila Pirelli get into di Tokyo Olympics sake of say she compete for di 100m hurdles.
The track and field athlete wey dem known by her nickname di Guarani Panther, hold some national athletics records, and she be sports coach and English teacher.
Pirelli grow up for one environmentally-conscious family for one small town for Paraguay, where she don see di impacts of climate change closely.
Currently, she be EcoAthlete Champion, wey mean say she dey committed to use her sports platform to encourage pipo to tok about climate change and take action to reduce carbon emissions.
I grow up for one town where to see wild animals na daily tin. Knowing say dose animals dey suffer now sake of climate change dey worry me and ginger me to help.
Camila Pirelli
Aziza Sbaity, Lebanon
Sprinter
Dem celebrate am as "di fastest Lebanese woman for history" afta she break di kontri 100m record, Aziza Sbaity recently make headlines again as di first black athlete from her kontri to clinch gold for di West Asian and Arab championships dis year.
Dem born am to Liberian mama and Lebanese papa, and she move to Lebanon at di age of 11, where she dey confronted wit racism and colour-based classism.
Athletics become her avenue to self-discovery and empowerment and ginger commitment to advocacy.
She dey use her position to tok about systemic racism for di kontri and champion inclusivity and equality, and she dey collaborate wit schools and universities to inspire Lebanon youth.
Khine Hnin Wai, Myanmar
Actress
Khine Hnin Wai wey start out as actress Myanmar nearly 25 years ago become popular for her role as di lead for di film San Ye. She go on to become one of di most successful actresses for Burmese cinema.
However, she dey more popular now for her charitable activities. For 2014, she bin found di Khine Hnin Wai Foundation, one charity wey dey support various causes, including looking afta orphans and abandoned pikin dem.
Through her work, she currently dey take care of nearly 100 pikin dem wey dia parents dey unable to support dem for various reasons.
Hnin Wai also dey serve as ambassador for di prevention of child trafficking.
Bianca Williams, UK
Bianca Williams na European and Commonwealth 4x100m gold medallist, and she be di Great Britain and Northern Ireland captain for di 2023 European Team Championships.
For July, she finish second for di 200m for di UK Athletics Championships to secure her place on di British team for di World Athletics Championships for Budapest.
For July 2020, police officers for London stop and search she and her partner, fellow athlete Ricardo Dos Santos.
Williams and Dos Santos make official complaint, and accuse di police of racial profiling. Dem find two officers guilty of gross misconduct and dem chop sack sake of dat.
Politics & Advocacy
Maryam Al-Khawaja, Bahrain/Denmark
Human rights campaigner
Danish-Bahraini human rights campaigner Maryam Al-Khawaja na leading voice for political reform for Bahrain and di Gulf region.
Her aim to shed light on human rights abuses, particularly advocating for di release of her father, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, through di #FreeAlKhawaja campaign. Im be prominent activist and prisoner of conscience wey dey serve a life sentence afta im take part for Bahrain pro-democracy protests for 2011.
Al-Khawaja don serve on several boards including Civicus and di International Service for Human Rights and she don dey involved for young feminist organisation FRIDA and Physicians for Human Rights.
Shamsa Araweelo, Somalia/UK
FGM campaigner
Sake of her determination to end female genital mutilation (FGM), Shamsa Araweelo dey educate and raises awareness through her powerful and direct online videos.
Araweelo, wey dem born for Somalia but currently dey live for UK, dey subjected at di age of six to female genital cutting, one procedure wia be say dem go partially or totally remove woman genitals sake of non-medical reasons.
Wit more dan 70 million views on TikTok, she wan ensure say nobody remain uninformed.
She currently dey assists British citizens wey dey trapped for abroad and wey dey face so-called honour-based violence. She dey also provide advice on FGM to London Metropolitan Police and she don launch her own charity, Garden of Peace.
Yasmina Benslimane, Morocco
Founder of Politics4Her
Yasmina Benslimane dey dedicated to advance gender equality. Na she be di founder of Politics4Her, wey dey promote di participation of young women and girls for political and decision-making processes.
Wen one devastating earthquake strike her home kontri of Morocco for September, Benslimane and her organisation bin call for gender-sensitive relief response.
She bin publish one manifesto wey identify challenges wey dey specific to women and girls wey di diaster go worsen, such as period poverty and forced marriages.
As mentor, adviser and board member for several non-profit organisations, she dey help young women to develop dia leadership skills. Her work don earn her UN Women peacebuilder award.
Yael Braudo-Bahat, Israel
Lawyer
As co-director for Women Wage Peace (WWP), Yael Braudo-Bahat bring her background in law to one Israeli grassroots peace movement wey get more dan 50,000 members.
WWP wey dem establish for 2014 dey seek negotiated political resolution to di Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasising di role of women for di peace process.
For di past two years, WWP don collaborate wit one Palestinian sister movement, Women of the Sun.
Braudo-Bahat tok say she owe much to her mentor, di prominent peace activist and WWP co-founder, Vivian Silver, wey bin dedicate decades of her life to foster understanding and equality between Israelis and Palestinians. Silver die for di attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Alicia Cahuiya, Ecuador
Indigenous rights activist
As key figure for di fight to protect Ecuador Amazonian rainforest, Alicia Cahuiya get big win dis year.
For one historic referendum for August, Ecuadorians bin vote to stop all new oilwells for di Yasuní National Park – decision wey mean say di state oil company go end dia operation for one of di most biodiverse regions for di planet, wey be home to uncontacted Indigenous populations.
Cahuiya, wey dem born for Yasuní na leader of di Waorani nation (NAWE). She bin don dey campaign for referendum for ova ten years.
She currently be di head of di women division for Ecuador's Confederation of Indigenous People.
Climate change don make tins difficult for us, e dey cause floods to destroy our crops. Wen di sun dey too hot, drought go dey, large part of our food dey lost, and e dey bring us great sadness, as all di efforts wey we put into di crops go waste.
Alicia Cahuiya
Amal Clooney, UK/Lebanon
Human rights lawyer
Amal Clooney na award-winning human rights lawyer wey don spend di past two decades defending victims of injustice.
She don lead high-profile cases wey involve crime against humanity for Armenia and Ukraine, and sexual violence against women for Malawi and Kenya.
Recent successes include representing victims of one IS fighter and of one Darfur warlord. She don help to secure di freedom of journalists and oda political prisoners wey oppressive regimes bin target.
She be Adjunct Professor for Columbia Law School and co-founder of di Clooney Foundation for Justice, wey dey provide free legal support to victims of human rights abuses for more dan 40 kontris.
Dehenna Davison, UK
Member of Parliament
For 2019, Dehenna Davison become di first Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland since di dem create di constituency for 1885. She become Minister for Levelling Up for 2022, and she bin focus on social mobility and regeneration.
She bin resign for 2023, and she speak openly about her diagnosis of chronic migraine.
Wen Davison bin dey 13, dem kill her father wit a single punch, and dis one make her journey into politics begin. She found di All-Party Parliamentary Group on One Punch Assaults and campaign wit One Punch UK for justice and sentencing reform.
She also dey focused on improving treatment pathway for chronic migraine, and she dey campaign for more research funding into invasive lobular cancer.
Christiana Figueres, Costa Rica
Diplomat and climate policy negotiator
Wen tok no go anywia for di 2009 UN climate summit for Copenhagen, dem bring in Christiana Figueres to solve one problem.
Appointed Executive Secretary of di United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Figueres spend di next six years developing one plan to ensure nations agree on a shared climate strategy.
Partly sake of her work, almost 200 parties sign di landmark 2015 Paris agreement - one international treaty wey dey set aside di commitment to keep di rise in mean global temperature to "well below" 2.0C above pre-industrial levels.
Figueres na di co-founder of Global Optimism, one organisation wey dey work wit businesses to adopt practical climate solutions.
Sometimes I dey feel overwhelmed sake of di grief and my emotions dey paralyse me and I no go fit act. Oda times I feel anger and my emotion dey hijack me, as e go wan strike out in react mode. But for di best of days, I use my pain and anger to anchor myself into di root of my emotions, transforming dem into a deep commitment to act out of strength, love and expectant joy, co-creating di better world all of us want for our pikin and dia descednants.
Christiana Figueres
Bella Galhos, Timor-Leste
Political activist
Bella Galhos na fearless campaigner. She bin dey instrumental in transforming Timor-Leste both before and afta di kontri gain independence from Indonesia for 2002.
During years for exile, she travel di world to advocate for di self-determination of her pipo. Returning to Timor-Leste afta dia liberation, Galhos don dey involved in rebuilding di kontri afta decades of conflict leave half of di population for extreme poverty.
For 2015 she open di Leublora Green School, wey dey promote sustainable development and inspire pikin to be agents of change.
Galhos dey currently serve as adviser to Timor-Leste president, and she dey focus on di economic empowerment of women and na prominent voice for di LGBTQ+ community.
Rina Gonoi, Japan
Former military
Women soldiers bin help 11-year-old Rina Gonoi during di evacuation afta di deadly 2011 earthquake and tsunami and eva since, she bin dream of serving for Japan Self-Defense Forces.
She become officer, but her childhood dreams bin dey shattered as she experience sexual harassment "on a daily basis".
Gonoi leave di military for 2022 and launch public campaign calling for accountability, a tough task for male-dominated society where sexual abuse survivors face fierce backlash if dem speak out.
Her case bin push di military to conduct internal probe, wey lead to more dan 100 oda complaints of harassment. Di defense ministry later issue apology to Gonoi.
Sonia Guajajara, Brazil
State minister
Sonia Guajajara na prominent figure for Brazil Indigenous rights movement wey don dey grow. For 2023 she become her kontri first-ever minister for native peoples. Dem hail di appoint by President Lula da Silva as historic one.
She bin vow to make di battle against environmental crimes one of her top priorities.
Na illiterate parents born Guajajara for Araribóia, for di Amazon region, where she bin get a front-row seat to di devastation climate change fit cause di ecosystem.
She leave to study literature, work as nurse and teacher, and begin a career in activism. For 2022 she become di first-ever Indigenous congresswoman for di state of São Paulo.
We gatz tink about how to promote climate justice and fight environmental racism, sake of say di pipo wey fit protect di enivironment well well na di first and most affected by di destruction. We, di Indigenous pipo, na di true guardians of biodiversity and life.
Sonia Guajajara
Renita Holmes, US
Housing campaigner
Madame Renita Holmes na resident of Miami Little Haiti neighbourhood, and di founding director of O.U.R. Homes, one business and property consulting practice for di US state of Florida.
She dey campaign for housing rights for marginalised communities, including di ones wey dey affected by climate gentrification as rising sea levels don push up property prices for areas wey dey further from di coast.
Na single mother of 11 pikin raise am. Homes na senior wey dey live wit disabilities.
She be fellow of di Cleo Institute's Empowering Resilient Women programme, wey seek to spark climate action through science-based education. She dey assist local housing agencies on issues related to African-American and inner-city women.
Hope dey in recognising our bond as women wit Mother Earth. We dey resilient, strong, made to nurture; we take action and we take care.
Renita Holmes
Nataša Kandić, Serbia
Lawyer and human rights activist
Since fighting break out for di former Yugoslavia for di early 1990s, Nataša Kandić don document wartime atrocities including rape, torture, murder and forced disappearances.
She don represent di families of victims of different ethnicities before di War Crimes Court for Belgrade and she bin dey part of a group wey critically examine di policy of di goment of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic towards Kosovo.
Kandić na di founder of di Humanitarian Law Center, wey dem dey praise for dia impartial investigations into war crimes.
She bin help to organise di RECOM Reconciliation Network, wey seek to establish di facts about di Balkan wars, where estimated 130,000 people die.
Rukshana Kapali, Nepal
Housing campaigner
Rukshana Kapali na member of Nepal indigenous Newa nation and transgender human rights activist wey struggle wit lack of information around her identity wen she dey grow up.
She embark on her own path of self-education around di diversity of gender and sexuality. She come out as teenager and she don dey vocal on social media on issues around queer rights.
She currently be third-year law student and she actively dey involved for di advancement of legal and constitutional rights for LGBTQ+ pipo for Nepal.
Kapali come from a historically marginalised caste within di Newa ethnicity, di Jugi, and she dey fight against forced evictions of Jugi pipo from dia traditional homes.
Sofia Kosacheva, Russia
Firefighter
Sofia Kosacheva na originally opera singing teacher wey find anoda calling wen she meet a group of firefighters for 2010.
She become firefighter and create one community to train volunteers to help tackle wildfires for Russia. Dis lead to di development of more dan 25 volunteer groups across di kontri.
She don help to off hundreds of fires across Russia and collaborate wit Greenpeace, until di NGO dey officially labelled "undesirable organisation" and dem shut down dia Russian branch.
Kosacheva don also create one website for volunteer forest firefighters wey dey considered di most complete online database in Russian wit information on preventing and controlling wildfires.
No matter how pervasive di climate crisis ibe, evri big achievement dey start wit small ones. E fit be like say we too small to change somtin globally, but we gatz start wit di changes we fit make around ourselves.
Sofia Kosacheva
Monica McWilliams, UK
Former politician and peace negotiator
Dis year marks 25 years since dem sign di Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Monica McWilliams bin play crucial role as lead negotiator during di multi-party peace to-tok wey lead to di agreement.
She co-found di Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, one political party wey cross di sectarian divide, wey introduce critical provisions to di peace treaty.
Dem elect am to first Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly and as Chief Commissioner of di Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, she bin draft di advice on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
McWilliams currently dey serve as commissioner for di disbandment of armed groups and she don published widely on violence against women.
Najla Mohamed-Lamin, Western Sahara
Women's rights and climate activist
Najla Mohamed-Lamin na di founder of di Almasar Library Centre. She wan educate women and pikin on health and di environment for Saharawi refugee camps for south-west Algeria.
She originally come from Western Sahara, wey be former Spanish colony under Moroccan occupation since 1975. Dem force her family into exile afta dem run away from violence.
Mohamed-Lamin wey dem born and raise for di camps, bin learn English as teenager. She bin translate for foreign delegations and she dey able to study abroad afta she crowdfund her tuition fees.
After she graduate for sustainable development and women's studies, she return to di camps to help ova 200,000 Saharawi refugees deal wit water and food insecurity wey climate change make worse.
We gatz confront di growing impact of climate change for di desert region, wey see our homes regularly destroyed by floods and sandstorms, and our pipo suffer under di extreme temperatures. All dis, wen our pipo don contribute almost notin to di climate crisis.
Najla Mohamed-Lamin
Ulanda Mtamba, Malawi
Campaigner against child marriage
Ulanda Mtamba grow up for one community for Lilongwe, Malawi, wey give veri little support towards women education, and pressure many girls to drop out of school to marry before di age of 18.
Mtamba bin challenge di community status quo, and she no only graduate from di university, she also obtain master's degree.
She dey advocate for enforcing existing laws wey protect girls from early marriage, and also for increased investment to address health risks wey dey associated wit early pregnancy.
She currently work as Malawi country director for AGE Africa, one organisation wey dey seek equal access to secondary school for all girls for di continent.
Tamar Museridze, Georgia
Journalist
Tamar Museridze wey be TV personailty na di face of Georgia public broadcasting network since wen she be 18 years. She also dey known as Tamuna. She get evri tin going for her. But her life bin change drastically at di age of 31, wen she discover say dem adopt am.
She give up evri tin to search for her biological parents, and during her research she find evidence say large-scale black-market adoption bin dey gon on for Georgia since di 1950s.
She set up di Facebook group 'I'm searching' and spark national tok-tok around illegal adoption, mostly of babies wey dem take from maternity hospitals.
Museridze organisation don help to reunite around hundreds of families, but she still dey search for her own.
Neema Namadamu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Disability rights campaigner
The network Hero Women Rising, or Mama Shuja, aim to improve living conditions for women and teenage girls for di DRC.
Disability rights activist Neema Namadamu founded the grassroots organisation, which uses education and technology to amplify women's voices and teach them to advocate for their rights.
Dem born Namadamu for one remote area of eastern Congo. She bin contact polio at di age of two. She be di first woman with disability from her ethnic group to graduate from university.
She become member of parliament and she don be adviser to di kontri minister of gender and family.
Michelle Obama, US
Attorney, author and campaigner
Former First Lady of di United States Michelle Obama na di founder of di Girls Opportunity Alliance, wey dey support global grassroots organisations wey dey work to ensure girls get di education wey dem deserve.
Dis build on Let Girls Learn, one initiative Obama bin launch as First Lady wey employ a whole-of-government approach to help adolescent girls around di world to get access to quality education.
As First Lady, she bin champion three oda major initiatives: Let's Move! wey seek to help parents to raise healthier kids; Joining Forces bin support US service personnel, veterans, and dia families; and Reach Higher - wey she still dey work on today - dey encourage young pipo to pursue higher education.
Sepideh Rashnu, Iran
Writer and artist
Sepideh Rashnu become known for Iran sake of her vocal opposition to compulsory hijab rules.
Afta she bin argue wit one woman wey dey enforce di use of head covering inside one bus, dem arrest am.
Wen she dey for custody, she appear for state TV wit face wey get wound and "apologise" for her behaviour. Dis na for July 2022, just weeks before 22-year-old Mahsa Amini die wen she dey custody of Iran morality police.
Earlier dis year, dem arraign Rashnu afta she share online photos of herself witout headscarf. She tok say dem suspend am from university sake of her activism.
She currently dey out of prison and she dey continue to defy di compulsory hijab rules.
Bernadette Smith, Turtle Island / Canada
Advocate for families of pipo wey dey miss
Afta di disappearance of her sister for 2008, Bernadette Smith bin search tirelessly for answers.
She become leading advocate for families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls throughout Canada and she set up one coalition to help co-ordinate action and find answers.
She also co-found Drag the Red, one initiative wey dey search Winnipeg Red River for bodies or evidence of missing pipo.
Dem recently elect Smith to di Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for a third term and she make history as di first of two First Nation women wey dem appoint as cabinet ministers for di province. She currently dey serve as minister of housing, addictions and homelessness.
Iryna Stavchuk, Ukraine
Climate policy advisor
Iryna Stavchuk na leading expert on climate policies. She recently join di European Climate Foundation as Ukraine programme manager, wit di main goal of designing green and climate-proof solutions for di post-war recovery of her kontri.
Before taking dis role, she bin work for di Ukrainian goment as deputy environment minister from 2019 to 2022 and she dey responsible for climate change policies, European integration, international relations and biodiversity.
Stavchuk na also co-founder of two prominent environmental NGOs - Ecoaction and Kyiv Cyclists' Association (U-Cycle) - and she don coordinate regional networks of civil society groups working on climate change issues.
Our task na to do our best for di place and situation we dey in. I adhere to di words of Saint Francis of Assisi: "Start by doing wetin dey necessary; den do wetin dey possible; and suddenly you dey do di impossible."
Iryna Stavchuk
Gloria Steinem, US
Feminist leader
As a leader of di global feminist movement since di 1970s, Gloria Steinem's contribution to feminism don dey recognised around di world for generations.
Steinem don work on issues of equality as activist, journalist, writer, lecturer, and media tok-tok pesin.
She also co-found Ms. Magazine, wey dem first circulate for 1971 and wey still dey in publication today, dem consider am as di first periodical for di US to bring di issues of di women rights movement into di mainstream.
At di age of 89, Steinem continue her work towards a more just world through her support of seasoned organisations such as di Women's Media Center, di ERA Coalition and Equality Now.
Summia Tora, Afghanistan
Campaigner for refugee rights
Di Dosti Network na one organisation wey dey dedicated to provide crucial resources and information to Afghans - both for Afghanistan and dose wey dey live as refugees - dem launch am in response to di Taliban takeover for 2021.
As Afghan refugee herself, founder Summia Tora understand di challenges wey displaced individuals dey face.
Her work dey focus on refugee resettlement and access to education for students wey dey affected by conflict.
Sake of say she recognise di transformative power of education, Tora don work wit organisations such as UN and World Bank, di Malala Fund and Schmidt Futures. Through dis partnerships, she dey champion access to education wit specific focus on refugees and women and girls in emergency contexts.
Xu Zaozao, China
Egg freezing campaigner
For 2018, Xu Zaozao wey be single woman bin seek to freeze her eggs for one public hospital for Beijing. But dem tell am say di procedure only dey available to married couples in China.
She take di hospital to court for di first-ever legal challenge on di rights of unmarried women for China to freeze their eggs.
Dis pioneering legal battle, wey begin for December 2019, don make headlines amid concerns around di kontri low birth-rate.
Di final verdict still dey pend, but scholars for di field of law, medicine, and ethics don study Xu case. Today, she remain a prominent advocate for single women reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.
Science, Health & Tech
Basima Abdulrahman, Iraq
Green building entrepreneur
For 2014, wen di so-called Islamic State group take ova huge parts of her home kontri, Iraq, Basima Abdulrahman bin dey study for one university for US.
Many towns dey destroyed sake of di fighting, but wen Abdulrahman return home afta her masters in structural engineering, she see how she fit help.
She founded KESK, Iraq first initiative wey dey dedicated to green building. She realise say to create greener structures mean to combine di latest energy-efficient technologies and materials wit Iraq traditional building methods.
She dey committed to enure say today building no compromise di well-being of future generations.
I dey anxious often about di climate crisis. I no fit help but wonder how anyone fit find peace witout say dem dey part of di solution to reduce di risk.
Basima Abdulrahman
Amina Al-Bish, Syria
Volunteer rescue worker
As Syria civil war escalate for 2017, Amina Al-Bish decide to become one of di first female volunteers of Syria Civil Defence, one volunteer organisation wey pipo also known as White Helmets, as she hope to save lives and provide aid to civilians wey injure.
Amina later volunteer to rescue victims of di earthquakes wey hit Syria and Turkey for February 2023, wey destroy neighbourhoods and trap her own family members under di rubble.
Now Al-Bish dey work to improve di lives of oda women for her community for northern Syria, where fighting dey kontinue. She dey pursue a degree in Business Administration and she tok say her dream na to participate to build Syria wey go dey peaceful.
Sara Al-Saqqa, Palestinian Territories
General surgeon
Dr Sara Al-Saqqa na di first certified female surgeon for Gaza. She dey work for Gaza largest hospital, Al-Shifa.
She don dey use her Instagram account to document di experience of treating pipo for di middle of war. Al-Shifa hospital don dey badly damaged as Israel dey continue dia offensive against Hamas.
Al-Saqqa don dey post about di lack of electricity, fuel, water and food, wey don prevent di hospital from treating dia patients. She gatz leave Al-Shifa shortly before Israeli soldiers raid di hospital, in wetin di Israel Defense Forces describe as targeted operation against Hamas.
Al-Saqqa bin study medicine for di Islamic University of Gaza and she study surgery for Queen Mary University wey dey London. She no be di only female surgeon for Gaza again as oda women don follow her footsteps.
Bayang, China
Diarist and sustainability advocate
Na since 2018 Bayang don dey keep eco-diary, monitoring local species and changes to water sources, recording di weather and observing plants.
She dey live for China Qinghai Province, wey dey situated mostly on di Tibetan Plateau and e don already dey experience di effects of climate change such as higher temperatures, melting glaciers and desertification.
Bayang dey part of di Sanjiangyuan Women Environmentalists Network, and she dey advocate for health and sustainability for her community.
She don acquire skills for crafting eco-friendly products - including lip balm, soap, and bags - to protect local water sources and inspire odas to join di environmental cause.
Susan Chomba, Kenya
Scientist
Susan Chomba na director for di World Resources Institute (WRI). She tok say her experience of childhood poverty for Kirinyaga county for central Kenya motivate her to help improve di lives of oda pipo.
Primarily, she dey protect forests, restore landscapes and transform Africa food systems.
From di tropical forests of di Congo Basin to di dry West African Sahel, as well as eastern Africa, Chomba spend time to dey work wit smallholder farmers, particularly women and young pipo, to help dem make di most of dia land.
She share her expertise wit goments and researchers to build more resilient communities in di face of intensifying climate change.
I dey more affected by di inaction of world leaders, especially from di major emitters, wey also get di economic power to change course but money, power and politics dey hold dem back. To manage dose feelings, I bury myself in actions on di ground, I dey work wit women and youth across Africa on nature protection and restoration, transforming our food systems and changing policies.
Susan Chomba
Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, UK
Marine scientist
Dem know seagrass for di ability to store carbon and provide nurseries for fish, but some underwater habitats don dey destroyed.
Leanne Cullen-Unsworth na one of di founders and current CEO of Project Seagrass, di UK first seagrass restoration scheme at a meaningful scale.
Di project dey make di process easier by using a remote-control robot to plant seeds, and fit create blueprint to help oda kontris restore dia underwater meadows.
Cullen-Unsworth wey be interdisciplinary scientist wit more dan 20 years of experience for marine research, Cullen-Unsworth dey devoted to science-based conservation and restoration.
Too much dey to do for anyone to achieve tins alone, but pipo dey work togeda and share knowledge. For my own small part, I know we fit revive a vital habitat, protect am and restore am for all of di benefits e provide for our planet and society.
Leanne Cullen-Unsworth
Canan Dagdeviren, Turkey
Scientist and inventor
Canan Dagdeviren na associate professor for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for US. She recently invent one wearable ultrasound patch for early breast cancer detection.
She bin draw inspiration from her aunt wey dem diagnosed wit late-stage breast cancer at di age 49, despite say she dey get regular cancer screens, and she die six months later.
Wen she dey for her aunt bedside, Dagdeviren draw up one rough plan of one diagnostic device wey dem fit add inside bra and wey go allow for more frequent screening of individuals wey get high risk of breast cancer. Di technology fit potentially save millions of lives.
Izabela Dłużyk, Poland
Sound recordist
Wit her tape recorder for hand, Izabela Dłużyk comot to capture di extraordinary sounds of Białoweiza, one of Europe oldest and best preserved forests, for Poland.
Di field recordist dey unusual not just sake of say she be young woman for a profession wey men dominate, but sake of say she dey blind since birth.
Dłużyk don develop a special sensitivity to birdsong eva since her family give her a tape recorder at di age of 12 and fit identify species entirely though her ears.
She believe say na privilege to share "all di good, beauty and solace" which nature sound fit offer, "regardless of any differences we fit perceive among each oda".
Marcela Fernández, Colombia
Expedition guide
Glaciers dey provide essential source of freshwater for local communities, but for Colombia dem dey disappear rapidly.
Founder Marcela Fernández and her colleagues for di NGO Cumbres Blancas (White Peaks) dey raise awareness of di issue, highlighting dat of di 14 glaciers wey bin exist before, only six remain and dem dey at risk.
Through scientific expeditions and by assembling a team of mountaineers, photographers, scientists, and artists, Fernández dey monitor changes and develop creative ways to prevent glacier loss.
Wit her adjacent project, "Pazabordo" (Peace on board), she dey also travel to areas violene bin afffect during Colombia 50-year internal armed conflict.
Glaciers don teach me to deal wit grief wit absence… Wen you hear dem you know say dia loss na damage wey we no fit undo, but we fit still contribute and leave a mark.
Marcela Fernández
Timnit Gebru, US
AI expert
Timnit Gebru wey be highly influential artificial-intelligence computer scientist na di founder and executive director of di Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR), wey she set up as "a space for independent, community-rooted AI research, free from Big Tech pervasive influence".
She don criticise racial bias for facial recognition technologies, and she co-found one non-profit wey dey work to improve di inclusion of black pipo for AI.
Di Ethiopian-born computer scientist dey on di board of AddisCoder, wey dey teach programming to Ethiopian students.
While she dey work as co-lead of Google ethical AI team for 2020, she co-author one academic paper wey raise issues for AI language models, including structural bias against minorities and marginalised pipo and places.
Sake of di report, she comot from di company - at di time, di company respond say di paper ignore relevant research and tok say Gebru don resign. However, Gebru tok say dem fire am sake of say she raise issues of discrimination for di workplace.
Claudia Goldin, US
Economist and Nobel Prize winner
Claudia Goldin na American economic historian and labour economist. Dem award am dis year wit Nobel Prize in economics for her work on women employment and di causes of di gender pay gap.
She be di third woman to receive di prize, and di first wey no go share di award wit male colleagues.
Goldin na di Henry Lee Professor of Economics for Harvard University, and she dey research topics such as income inequality, education, and immigration.
Some of her most influential papers look at di history of women quest for career and family, and di impact of di contraceptive pill on women career and marriage decisions.
Trần Gấm, Vietnam
Biogas business owner
For 2012, Trần Gấm bin start to introduce more climate-friendly energy sources to farms for Vietnam.
Trần wey be mama of two see a gap in di market and bin start a business installing and managing biogas plants for Hanoi, later expanding di operation to three neighbouring provinces.
Her project dey help farmers cut costs by turning cow and pig manure, water hyacinth, and oda waste into biogas - considered a far more sustainable energy source dan natural gas - wey dem fit use as energy for cooking and running a household.
Businesses like Trần own dey engage local communities and drive di political support wey dey needed for climate change mitigation.
We gatz live, and gatz live well, so I don try to cope and protect loved ones by enhancing our health through physical exercise, eating a balanced diet, and maintaining sleep patterns. I also dey encourage pipo to live organic lifestyle, growing dia own fruits and vegetables, and advocating against using chemical pesticides for our vegetables.
Trần Gấm
Anna Huttunen, Finland
Carbon impact tech expert
As a sustainable mobility enthusiast, Anna Huttunen dey push for greener, cleaner, more efficient mobility for di Finnish city of Lahti, wey dem award di European Green Capital 2021.
She dey lead di city ground-breaking personal carbon trading model - di world first app to allow citizens to earn credits by using environmentally friendly transportation such as cycling or public transport.
She dey work as Climate Neutral Cities Advisor for NetZeroCities, one organisation wey dey help European cities attempt to reach climate neutrality by 2030.
Huttunen wan make odas dey excited about sustainable mobility and she dey advocate for cycling, wey she consider as di future of transport for cities.
Municipalities around di world dey full of amazing pipo wey dey work towards enabling a more sustainable life for dia citizens. Do your part, get engaged and dey part of di transformation!
Anna Huttunen
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda
Veterinarian
As award-winning Ugandan vet and conservationist, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka dey work to save di kontri endangered mountain gorillas, wey climate don dey destroy dia habitat.
She be di founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health, one NGO wey dey promote biodiversity conservation by enabling pipo, gorillas and oda wildlife to co-exist, while improving dia health and habitat.
After three decades, she don help increase di number of mountain gorillas from 300 to about 500, wey bin dey enough to downgrade dem from critically endangered to endangered.
Di United Nations Environment Programme name Kalema-Zikusoka Champion of di Earth for 2021.
Wetin dey give me hope for di climate crisis na sake of say plenti pipo don know say e gatz dey addressed urgently. Innovative methods dey to reduce and adapt to dis crisis.
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Sonia Kastner, US
Wildfire detection tech developer
Dis year, wildfires don destroy some of di world biggest forests. Firefighters dey often struggle to keep up wit di scale and spread of di blazes, Sonia Kastner found one organisation to help detect dem earlier.
Pano AI dey use Artificial Intelligence technology to prepare faster response before fires spread. Pano AI go scan di landscape for signs of ignition and alert responders, instead of relying on members of di public to call emergency services.
Kastner don previously spend more dan ten years working for some tech start-ups.
Wetin dey give me hope na di incredible power of human innovation. I don witness first-hand di potential of technology and data-driven solutions to help address di worst impacts of di climate crisis.
Sonia Kastner
Astrid Linder, Sweden
Professor of traffic safety
For decades, cars don dey manufactured using crash-test dummies based on di average male – even though statistics show say women dey more at risk of injury or death if frontal collision happun.
Engineer Astrid Linder don work to change dat, and e lead to di project to create di world first average-sized female crash test dummy, wey dey take into account di morphology of women bodies.
Linder na professor of Traffic Safety for di Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) and assistant professor for Chalmers University. She also be expert for biomechanics and road injury prevention.
Neha Mankani, Pakistan
Midwife
When devastating floods bin hit Pakistan last year, midwife Neha Mankani travel to areas wey dey affected to offer her skills.
Through her charity, Mama Baby Fund, Mankani and her team bin provide life-saving birthing kits and midwifery care to more dan 15,000 families wey flood bin affect.
Her typical practice dey focuse on low-resourced settings, emergency response, and communities wey climate dey affect.
Mama Baby Fund don raise enough money to launch a boat ambulance wey go transport pregnant women living for coastal communities to nearby hospitals and clinics for urgent treatment.
Di work of midwives for communities wey dey face climate-related disasters dey vital. We be both first responders and climate activists, wey dey make sure women fit continue to receive di reproductive, pregnancy, and postpartum care dem need, even wen di situation around dem dey deteriorate.
Neha Mankani
Wanjira Mathai, Kenya
Enviromental adviser
Wanjira Mathai na inspiring leader for an entire continent. She get more dan 20 years experience advocating for social and environmental change.
Na she dey lead di Green Belt Movement, wey be iconic indigenous grassroots organisation for Kenya wey bin empower women through di planting of trees. Na Wanjira mama, winner of di 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai, establish am.
Currently, na Mathai be di managing director for Africa and Global Partnerships for di World Resources Institute, and di chair of di Wangari Maathai Foundation.
She dey currently serves as di Africa adviser to di Bezos Earth Fund, and to di Clean Cooking Alliance and di European Climate Foundation.
Action na "local". We gatz support local initiatives like tree-based entrepreneurs and community-led work around restoration, renewable energy, and di circular economy. Bottom-up efforts like dis dey give me hope as dem dey show us wetin dey possible.
Wanjira Mathai
Isabel Farías Meyer, Chile
Premature menopause campaigner
Isabel Farías Meyer bin no suspect say her irregular menstrual cycles na symptom of anytin wey dey suspicious, but just before she turn 18 dem diagnose am wit early menopause or premature ovarian failure. Dis condition dey occur wen ovaries stop to dey work properly and e dey affect estimated 1% of women under di age of 40.
Women dey experience similar symptoms like menopause symptoms, but at veri early age. Farias tok about how di condition dey affect her life, including living wit osteoporosis.
Di 30-year-old journalist don launch di first regional network for premature menopause for Latin America to share information, combat myths and create safe spaces for pipo wey dey live wit di condition.
Natalie Psaila, Malta
Medical doctor
Malta get some of di strictest rules on abortion for Europe and Natalie Psaila dey help women wey need information and advice.
She co-found Doctors for Choice Malta, and she dey advocate for decriminalisation and legalisation of abortion and beta access to contraception.
Psaila tok say di near total ban for Malta, where dem only allow terminations if a woman life dey at riskife, means say women dey take pills witout medical supervision. She don establish one helpline wey dey give support to women before, during and afta abortion.
She don also publish one sex education book wey aim at 10 to 13-year-olds wey she title My Body's Fantastic Journey, to help improve knowledge of reproductive health for di kontri.
Olena Rozvadovska, Ukraine
Children rights advocate
Olena Rozvadovska mission na to dey help Ukrainian pikin process war trauma. She be di co-founder of Voices of Children, one charity wey dey provide psychological support.
The organisation bin start as grassroots initiative for 2019, four years afta Rozvadovska volunteer near di frontline for Donbas as Russian-backed separatists bin start to dey fight against Ukraine.
Di foundation don get more dan 100 psychologists wey dey work for 14 centres, as well as free hotline. E don help tens of thousands of pikin and parents.
Rozvadovska take part for di Oscar-nominated documentary A House Made of Splinters, and wit her team she publish one book, War Through the Voices of Children.
Rumaitha Al Busaidi, Oman
Scientist
Women and girls, you dey part of di climate solution' na di title of Omani scientist Rumaitha Al Busaidi 2021 TED Talk, wey don gada more dan one million views and reflect how she dey champion Arab women rights.
Al Busaidi expertise don lead her to her position on di Arab Youth Council for Climate Change and di Environment Society of Oman.
She also don advise di Biden administration on delivering climate-informed foreign aid, and di goment of Greenland on sustainable tourism.
She be di youngest Omani woman to reach di South Pole and di founder of WomeX, one platform to help Arab women develop business negotiation skills.
Di number one solution to overcome climate change na to empower women and girls. Di multiplier effect dem get across dia communities go change perceptions and actions and protect dis place we call home.
Rumaitha Al Busaidi
Sumini, Indonesia
Forest manager
For Indonesia conservative Aceh province, e dey unusual for women to be leaders.
Wen Sumini realise say one major cause of floods for her village na deforestation, wey also contribute towards climate change, she decide to take action and work wit oda women for di community.
Her group receive one permit from di Ministry of Environment and Forestry wey allow di community of Damaran Baru Village to manage di area, all 251 hectares of forest, for 35 years
Currently, she dey lead one Village Forest Management Unit (LPHK), to discourage illegal logging and hunters wey dey threaten Sumatran tigers, pangolins and oda wildlife wey dey at risk.
Wit deforestation and wildlife poaching wey don plenty dis days, forests gatz get more and more attention wen e come to how we dey collectively tackle di climate crisis. Keep di forest, keep di life.
Sumini
Fabiola Trejo, Mexico
Social psychologist
Wen social psychologist Fabiola Trejo bin start her academic journey almost 20 years ago, any research no dey for Mexico wey focus on women sexual pleasure as issue of social justice.
Trejo pave di way wit her work, wey dey look at social inequity, gender-based violence and di political power of sexual pleasure, and she seek to promote sexual justice for women.
She argue say some inequalities make women more sexually vulnerable. Through speaking engagements, scientific research and practical workshops, she dey help pipo explore pleasure, orgasms and masturbation in ways wey overcome dis issues.
Her work resonate for Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities, where issues around female health and sexuality still be taboo.
Jennifer Uchendu, Nigeria
Mental health advocate
Di ambition of youth-led organisation SustyVibes, wey Jennifer Uchendu bin found, na to make sustainability actionable, relatable and cool.
Uchendu recent work don focus on exploring di impacts of di climate crisis on di mental health of Africans, especially young pipo.
For 2022, she set up The Eco-Anxiety Africa project (TEAP) to focus on validating and safeguarding climate emotions for Africans through research, advocacy and climate-aware psychotherapy.
Her goal na to work wit pipo and organisations wey dey interested in shifting mindsets and doing di hard and often uncomfortable work of learning about climate emotions.
I experience some emotions wen e come to climate crisis. I dey slowly make peace wit di fact say I no go fit do enough but say I fit do my best instead. Showing up in solidarity wit odas to act, rest and just be, dey help my climate-induced feelings.
Jennifer Uchendu
Anamaría Font Villarroel, Venezuela
Particle physicist
Prof Anamaría Font Villarroel na researcher on particle physics, and she dey focus on superstring theory, wey seek to explain all particles and fundamental forces in nature by modelling dem as tiny, vibrating strands of energy.
Font research don deepen di understanding of di consequences of di theory wen e come to di structure of matter and quantum gravity, wey also dey relevant to di description of black holes and di first moments afta di big bang.
She don previously receive di Fundación Polar award for Venezuela and dis year dem choose am as a laureate for di Unesco Women in Science award.
Qiyun Woo, Singapore
Storyteller
As environmentalist and content creator, Qiyun Woo dey use social media to share ideas about climate change.
Her online platform, The Weird and the Wild, dey dedicated to make climate science more accessible and less scary. E dey focus on content to advocate, educate and engage communities on climate change action.
She dey co-hosts one environmental podcast wey dey focused on South-east Asia called Climate Cheesecake, wey aim to break down complex climate topics into more manageable slices.
She also be National Geographic Young Explorer.
Di climate crisis dey complex, overwhelming and scary. We fit approach am wit fierce but gentle curiosity - instead of fear - so we go fit keep our heart soft to care for di world, while sharpening our tools to dismantle wetin no dey work and build wetin dey work.
Qiyun Woo
Elham Youssefian, US/Iran
Adviser in climate and disability
Elham Youssefian na human rights lawyer wey blind. Na strong advocate for di inclusion of pipo wit wen addressing climate change, particularly in relation to emergency response to climate incidents.
Dem born and raise Youssefi for Iran, and im enta di US for 2016. Today, she dey play important role for di International Disability Alliance, one global network of ova 1,100 organisations wey dey represent pipo disabilities.
Her mission na to educate decision-makers on dia obligations wen e come to di impact of climate change on pipo wit disabilities. She also dey champion di immense potential of individuals wit disabilities for di fight against di climate crisis.
We, as individuals wit disabilities, don prove time and again our ability to overcome intricate challenges and find solutions even wen e be like say anyone no exist. Pipo wit disabilities fit and gatz stand for di forefront of di battle against climate change.
Elham Youssefian
Wetin be 100 Women?
BBC 100 Women dey name 100 influential and inspiring women around di world evri year. We dey create documentaries, features and interviews about dia lives - stories wey dey put women at di centre and we dey publish and broadcast dem for all BBC platforms.
Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook. Join di conversation wit di hashtag #BBC100Women.
How we take choose di 100 Women?
Di BBC 100 Women team draw up one shortlist based on names wey dem gada through research and di ones wey dey suggested by di BBC network of World Service Languages teams, and also BBC Media Action.
We bin dey look for candidates wey don make headlines or influence important stories ova di past 12 months, and also dose wey get inspiring stories to tell, or wey don achieve somtin wey dey significant or influence dia societies in ways wey no go necessarily make di news.
We also assess some names wit di theme for dis year – climate change and im impact on women and girls around di world, and we bin select 28 Climate Pioneers and oda environmental leaders.
We represent voices from across di political spectrum and from all areas of society, we explore names around topics wey split opinion, and nominate women wey don create dia own change.
We also measure dis list for regional representation and due impartiality before we choose di final names. All women don give dia consent to dey on di list.
Credits
BBC 100 Women Production Team: Valeria Perasso, Amelia Butterly, Rebecca Thorn, Paula Adamo Idoeta, Cordelia Hemming, Laura García, Sarah Dias, Lucy Gilder, Mai Kanaaneh, Mark Shea, Vandana Vijay, Kindah Shair, Haya Al Badarneh, Daria Taradai, Lamees Altalebi, Firouzeh Akbarian, Sana Safi, Kateryna Khinkulova, Tamara Gil, Mouna Ba and Chris Clayton.
BBC 100 Women Editor: Golnoosh Golshani.
Production for World Service Languages: Roberto Belo-Rovella and Carla Rosch.
Design: Prina Shah, Jenny Law, Matt Thomas, Pauline Wilson and Oli Powell.
Development: Scott Jarvis, Arun Bhari, Alexander Ivanov, Preeti Vaghela and Holly Frampton.
Photo copyrights: Miller Mobley, Maciek Tomiczek/Oxford Atelier, Arati Kumar-Rao, Hamna Haqqi, Craig Kolesky, Pano AI, L. Reid, Benjamin Jones, Yober Arias, Amanda Triplett, Anny Roberts, Diyor Abdughaforzoda, Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB, Qinghai Snowland Greatrivers Environmental Protection Association, Jason Boberg, Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP, New Balance Paraguay, Jo Anne McArthur, The Cartier Women's Initiative (CWI), Lucy Piper, Louise Mabulo, Christian Tasso, Martin Chang, Konstantin Deryagin, Gabriel Quintão, Abel Canizales, Patrick Wally, Sarah Hale, Jimena Mateot, Lucas Christiansen, Hana Walker-Brown, Woody Morris, Xinyan Yu, Chris Parker Edzordzi Sefogaht, Taseer Beyg, Albert Kamanga Zeeya Creations, Salem Solomon, Luke Nugent, R. David Marks, Lee Tinklim, Satu/VTI, FIFA, Josh Finche, Kibuuka Mukisa, Phoebe Xu, Gregory Vepryk, Darko Tomas CROPIX, Wanjira Mathai, Rufat Ergeshov, Osvaldo Fanton, Dani Pujalte, Giuliano Salvatore, Fondation L'Oreal, Daniel Eduardo, Tatyana Egorova, Dovana Films, Jimmy Day/MIT, Editorial Caminho - Leya, Khine Hnin Wai Foundation, Andrew Sikorsky, Ramón Tolosa Calderón, Mariam Siddiqi, Feral Films, Sebastián Aliaga, Diyor Abdughaforzoda, The White Helmets/Syria Civil Defence, Ellie Varley, DGL Nunnery, Mustafa Abumenes, Emanuele Elo Usai, Fazal Raham Arman, Emilia Trejo, Mattia Zoppellaro, Martin Lupton/Light Collective, Yasmina Benslimane, Pavlo Botanov, Marijeta Mojasevic, LenadraPella/International Federation of Sport Climbing, Gal Mosenson, Getty Images.
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