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There is no stereotype of the Irish homeless woman – she is young or slightly older, educated or without a leaving certificate, healthy or sick. The “careers” of those living on the streets of Dublin are very individual. But much more often than in the rest of Europe their stories are female. 41 percent of the homeless in Ireland are women.

 

Women are the heart of the protests in Lebanon. They stir up the crowd with megaphones, stand up to police officers, and encourage their children to take to the streets against corrupt politicians.

 

Spain is being hit with a “tsnuami of feminism” with its government having far more female state ministers than anywhere else in Europe. Despite this, the road to equality moves slowly with mothers being especially disadvantaged.

 

Nicole Kidman prefers one, J.K. Rowling and Diana Ross have one. Duchess Kate and even her husband Prince William. Not the same designer handbag – but a female bodyguard. Lisa Baldwin works in Ireland, Great Britain and beyond. 

 

In Ukraine, those with a disability are still being pushed to the margins of society. Young women in particular are pushing back and in so doing, they are creating a new generation of role models.

 

One year of trash in one little jar! How is that even possible? For the last three years, Shia Su has consistently lived waste-free and explains how to do it on her website and in her book. For her, it’s important to influence others by putting a positive spin on the so-called zero waste concept.

 

As a child, Olga Lucía Álvarez would play pretend procession and reenact mass services with her siblings. Despite resistance from the official church in Rome, the 77-year-old Colombian woman was ordained the first female catholic priest and bishop in Latin America.

 

Sisters of Europe is a thrilling new project that empowers and connects women across Europe through inspiring stories from 17 countries, four public Agoras in Berlin, Paris, Warsaw and Athens and a political action.

 

Artificial insemination by a female egg donation is banned in Germany. For Rita Vassena and her team in Barcelona, it is routine. Many German women come to her clinic looking for help, women who are otherwise not able to become mothers.

 

Who responds to messages when someone writes the European parliament on Facebook? Karolina Wozniak from Poland and her team. Europe as a topic is near and dear to her and communication is her passion.

 

Marlène Schiappa is the secretary of state for equality, which on paper, makes her France’s highest-ranking feminist. Her main objective above all else is to fight against sexual harassment in public as well as improving the cohesiveness of family and career for women. These problems are near and dear to the 35-year-old who has experienced them herself.  

 

Starting end of 2018, it will no longer be permitted to import old clothes to East Africa. With this new development, countries in the region want to encourage their own textile industries. Seamstresses in Uganda are happy about the news. Through this, the fashion industry can provide more employment opportunities for women to be self-employed or to find work in factories.

 

Women in Saudi Arabia will be granted more rights in the future. The sudden change of rhetoric of crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman is driven by economic interests, but this is of little importance to women. They are happy to have more freedoms, and the startup “Glowork” is ready to help them.

 

Fatima Nazari is the fastest skier in Afghanistan. She has won the “Afghan Ski Challenge” twice now in the Bamiyan province. The path that brought her to this point, and her goal to take part in the Olympics, was and still is challenging. In her hometown at the base of the Hindu Kusch mountain range, skiing is still in its early stages with basic infrastructure lacking such as ski lifts and groomed trails. Moreover, the financial funding for professional sports

 

Egyptian women’s rights activist, author and movie maker Alexandria Kinias (53) grew up in Cairo. Today she lives in the U.S. Two years ago she founded the online magazine „Women of Egypt“ to open the debate about sensitive women’s rights issues and to give young women a voice. 

 

Film and television shape our worldview. However, the stories and pictures are often loaded with stereotypes. Recent studies show that women in movies have little say in their own profession. In Germany, a new initiative is emerging that aims for more equality and a 50 percent quota in all German film industries.

 

Sex work provided by Nigerian refugees is thriving as a business in Sicily. In retaliation, a group of former prostitutes from Benin City is fighting the exploitation of girls and want to offer them new perspectives.  

 

It has been 12 months since Donald Trump became President of the United States. Despite having low popularity ratings, Trump’s base still stands behind him. Toni Holt Kramer makes up part of that. She leads the ‘Trumpettes’, a well-to-do group of mainly affluent women who support the President’s agenda between their cruise ship tours and cocktail parties.

 

25-year-old Magdalena Cañas wants to shake people out of their daily grind with her street art murals. For her, art is a social responsibility that should make others feel strong and confident, even spark a resistance. Her favourite subject is a giant girl.

 

62-year-old Ahire identifies as a Dalit – formerly known as India’s “Untouchables”. Dalits take filthy and often dangerous jobs that have made Ahire’s life a constant struggle despite reforms pointing towards a less dim future.

 

Lina Khalifeh founded Jordan’s first self-defense studio for women. First and foremost, she teaches martial arts courses, but also offers discussion-enriched seminars to teach women to stand up for their rights with words and, when necessary, their fists.

 

The American yoga scene is dominated by white, athletic women. Jessamyn Stanley, the Afro-American yoga instructor who describes herself as ‘Fat Femme’, is breaking all the stereotypes. The Instagram star is part of the ‘Body-Positivity-Movement’ that has captured the United States.