Meet Madison, a 9-year-old Champion for Change

Madison Harrison, who launched her own photography business at 7, has loved photography since she was a  toddler. The young entrepreneur, now 9, posted a photo supporting the #62MillionGirls campaign and speaks out about the importance of girls receiving an education.  Read more here and follow the for the full interview with Harrison, where she talks about her passions in photography and her support of Girl Rising's mission to help girls everywhere achieve their dreams.

Visit Photos With Madison and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

girlrising.com - While most 9 year olds are busy making memories, Madison Harrison is also busy capturing them.

Her interest in photography was sparked at her third birthday party and at the age of seven, Madison started her own photography business.

“I love to photograph little girls and their dolls or boys and their toys,” Madison says on what she likes most about photography.

In two short years she’s gone from photographing her friends and flowers (still two of her favorite things to photograph) to organizing dress and canned food fundraisers and even photographing two weddings.

Girl Rising first met this young professional during the #62MillionGirls campaign where she posted a photograph to show her support.

“I am so happy that this campaign is letting the world know that there are so many girls who are not in school,” Madison says. “The more people know, the more it will make a difference. “

One thing that we love about Madison is that she’s working hard to make a difference in the world through her photography projects.

Read the whole story here.

How Do People Live and Cope In The Midst Of Violent Conflict?

We're pleased to meet Zainab Salbi; an Iraqi American author, social entrepreneur and tireless advocate for women's rights; as she discusses how women's resilience and strength shine through even in the toughest of times. "When you keep the joy, you keep the laughter, you keep singing the song ... that is how women resist and show their resilience," she says.

Read about her here and click through for the interview featured on ideastream, as part of TED Radio Hour on NPR. 

wcpn.ideastream.org - Humanitarian Zainab Salbi explains how life continues in the midst of war — and how the ones who "keep life going" are women.

About Zainab Salbi

Zainab Salbi is an Iraqi-American humanitarian who advocates for women's rights throughout the world, particularly in conflict-ridden areas. In 1993, she founded Women For Women International, an organization whose aim is to help women who are survivors of war.

Since then, Salbi has gone on to write a memoir Between Two Worlds: Escaping From Tyranny where she describes her experiences of growing up in Saddam Hussein's inner-circle. Salbi is also the author of The Other Side Of War, in which she shares the stories of other women's experiences in conflict.

She is currently the host of "Nida'a," a talk show for Arab women broadcast throughout the Middle East and North Africa. She is also the Editor-at-Large at Women In The World Media, a digital news platform hosted by The New York Times.

Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Women Deliver: Young Women Climate Warriors Speak

Climate change and sustainable development is a huge global issue, but it's also a women's issue. Existing gender inequalities often widen, and women are most vulnerable to many of the consequences of climate change. Drought, land degradation, decrease in crop yields and more all affect women disproportionately. Women Deliver just held its fourth global conference, and the Women News Network spoke to some young women who are global climate change warriors, fighting for change for women--and the world.

womennewsnetwork.net - (WNN) Copenhagen, Denmark, EUROPE: Seven years have gone by since then, but Majandra Rodrigues Acha of Lima still cannot forget the day she saw the true face of a woman’s vulnerability. It was June 2009 and television channels across Peru were broadcasting the news of a riot that erupted between the country’s indigenous people and the police. In the riot, known as the “Devil’s Curve Battle’ 32 indigenous environmental activists had died defending their land rights.

A particular image on TV screen haunts her even today: “It was an old woman, pointing at the dead people on the street and trying to express her sorrows. But since she spoke no Spanish, nobody seemed to understand her. There was such an air of helplessness around her!” she recalls.

The battle at the Devil’s Curve was a direct conflict between the state police force and a large group of indigenous people who were protesting a government policy that made it easy to grab local’s land for large corporate. Although the protest was peaceful, it turned violent when the police began to crackdown on the protesters. Soon, shots were fired, 32 indigenous people and injuring over a hundred. Nine policemen were also killed in the riot.

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Noorjahan Akbar: What the future holds for Afghan women

Al Jazeera speaks to Noorjahan Akbar, a human rights activist, about the immense challenges facing Afghan women, many of whom face physical, sexual or psychological violence, are forced into marriage, and face oppression and instability. Also check out the 101 East documentary Afghanistan: No Country for Women. 

aljazeera.com - Afghanistan's women have made significant gains in recent years, with more girls attending school and more women working outside the home.

But fear still overshadows the lives of many.

A resurgent Taliban recently provoked outrage by publicly executing two women, but as this 101 East documentary shows, the greatest threat many women face comes from loved ones at home.

Activist Noorjahan Akbar talks about the challenges in overcoming conservative attitudes in the face of rising "anti-woman propaganda".

Al Jazeera: How would you describe the current state of women's rights in Afghanistan?

Noorjahan Akbar: Like the current state of the country, the current state of Afghan women is tumultuous and unstable. While - since the US-led intervention - Afghan women have made a considerable amount of progress, with [today's] increased insecurity, economic inequality, and radicalism, we are afraid that our accomplishments will be threatened, and the few civil rights and individual freedoms we have will be taken away from us.

Since 2009, the number of Afghan women working has increased, but a large number of female activists and journalists have left the country due to fear of violence.

When I talk about the threat of violence, I don't just mean the Taliban - even though they are largely responsible for targeting and killing female teachers, police officers, journalists, and activists.

On a daily basis, Afghan women face harassment in public spaces. In fact, nine out of 10 women say they have faced harassment at some point on the way to work or school, and out of those, 14 percent say they stopped going to school because of it. Eighty-seven percent of Afghan women have faced verbal, sexual or physical violence at home.

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This Teen Is Using Modeling to Change the Lives of Refugees

Activist and model Avery McCall has been a fierce champion for human rights since reading Half the Sky at age 12. Through partnering with various organizations, working to support refugees and displaced person and raise awareness of their plight, and using her modeling career and global platform to amplify her message even further; McCall has been much more than a fresh face: She's a fresh voice calling for social awareness, courage, compassion and change.

McCall wrote an article for Teen Vogue discussing her work helping vulnerable people--both displaced persons and refugees--as well as how many people are faced with such a challenge worldwide. As she works as a human rights activist and encourages others to do the same, she says the biggest effect on her has been the personal time spent with refugees.

Click through to read the rest of McCall's article, and visit RefugeeOne and the Girl Up to learn more about the organizations she mentions.

teenvogue.com - What is the one item you would grab if your house went up in flames? Would it be your dog? A sentimental photograph? Your favorite T-shirt? Or would you fear so greatly for your life that you would just run? These may seem like hypothetical questions, but if you’re one of the more than 60 million people who have fled their homes due to war, natural disasters, or persecution, you may have already answered them.

Refugees and internally displaced persons are among the most vulnerable in the world. Whether they have crossed international borders (and are considered refugees) or have been forced to relocate within their homeland (and are considered displaced), they may have witnessed or experienced torture, rape, mass murder, and the destruction of their homes. The Syrian refugee crisis that has dominated headlines and political discourse is one example of how millions of individuals can be forced to flee for their lives due to an ongoing armed struggle. But ordinary citizens in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan have been ravaged as well in the wake of varying conflicts verging on genocide.

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Islamophobia Has Become So Bad That Some Muslim Girls Are Afraid to Wear Their Hijabs

No matter their religion or personal reasons, everyone deserves to feel comfortable to express themselves and dress how they wish. Unfortunately; bigotry, Islamophobia, sexism and a host of other biases keep many Muslim girls and young women from being able to be true to themselves. One writer explores the issue in an article from Teen Vogue last month: The struggle to fit in, how her identity is politicized in ways that others' identities and styles aren't, even outright hostility she and other Muslim women or girls face due to terrorist attacks that have nothing to do with them. Whether Muslim women shed their hijab or choose to embrace it, they deserve respect and understanding; just like everyone. That this even bears stating is disheartening. 

It's time to focus on the women, not what they choose to wear. 

Click through for the full article.

teenvogue.com - I remember when I started to feel uncomfortable with my body: I was 11 and suddenly became very aware that there was a “right” one and a “wrong” one. I wasn't sure where I fit in, and even though I was probably completely average or normal, I couldn't see that then through my preteen haze. This is common for many girls that age, but for me it was compounded because when I turned 12, I started to wear the hijab, and became even more uncomfortable in my own skin.

There were days that I was too anxious to leave home because the idea of people staring at me was too much to think about. I still have bad days, but for the most part my hijab is now intrinsic to my identity. For some Muslim women, however, the external impacts of wearing a veil become too much for their mental health. Amidst a growing climate of Islamophobia, many Muslim women who wear a headscarf are choosing to remove their veil. Even though many Muslim women, including myself, still wholeheartedly embrace and wear the hijab with joy and pride, others are voluntarily choosing to remove it due to external pressures. Debra Schubert, for example, who lives in Quebec, chose to stop wearing a hijab after feeling physically unsafe on multiple occasions. "One time when I was living in Montreal, a man followed me into my apartment and yelled at me that I was living in Canada and didn’t need to dress like this," says Debra. Her decision was as much for her mental health as it was out of fear that harm might come to her.

Read more here.

9-Year-Old Girl Completes Insanely Hard Race, Becomes Hero in Fight Against Bullying

You have to check out this story about Milla Bizzotto; a 9-year-old girl from Miami, Florida; who completed an intense 24-hour race designed by Navy Seals--to encourage physical activity and discourage bullying and, let's be honest, because she's clearly awesome.

Bizzotto became youngest competitor to complete the BattleFrog challenge, which is "an obstacle race designed by U.S. Navy Seals and includes running 36 miles, swimming an 8-kilometer course, and 25 obstacles, for six laps," according to Cosmopolitan.

Read more and watch a video interview at the link.

Cosmopolitan - You may want to press pause on your Netflix marathon and put down your package of Peeps because you're about to be schooled in the ways of health by a preteen.

CBS Miami reports on Milla Bizzotto, a 9-year-old Miami girl who is so freaking fit that she completed a 24-hour U.S Navy obstacle race meant for very fit adults. Not only that, she's using her platform to inspire her generation to love their bodies and to be as active as they can be.

This past Friday, Milla was the youngest competitor to complete the 24-hour BattleFrog challenge, which is an obstacle race designed by U.S. Navy Seals and includes running 36 miles, swimming an 8-kilometer course, and 25 obstacles, for six laps. Dang.

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Girls on the Run celebrates 20 years of empowerment

Girls on the Run is an amazing organization, using an interactive curriculum and women volunteer mentors to encourage and empower girls through physical fitness and activity. Step by step (literally), girls build toward goals like running a 5K race—cheered on the whole way by their adult running buddies. The girls bring healthy attitudes and a love of running home, often influencing entire families. It's a powerful, beautiful thing. GOTR is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Click through to read more about this awesome group! 

soapboxmedia.com - Girls on the Run (GOTR) International is celebrating 20 years of empowering young females, and the organization is calling on the public to help celebrate. By using the hashtag #GOTRBorntoRun and sharing what one believes she was born to do, joining the festivities is made simple.

Girls in grades 3-8 make strides toward self-discovery throughout the program, as they train with coaches who incorporate physical activity, along with confidence and character building to prompt self-love.

The nonprofit began in Charlotte, N.C. with 13 eager participants, but throughout the past 20 years it’s expanded to include 225 councils serving more than 1 million girls.

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Millennial men want parental equality – will anyone let them have it?

With more men caring for children and homes, it's clear that women aren't the only ones to suffer from biased cultural expectations. One writer with the Guardian explores whether it's possible to have it all -- a career, a relationship, and kids -- for millennial men.

theguardian.com - I am not sure when I get to say I am a man, even though I am 23. The perpetual adolescence I am living through has made me suspicious. It’s not that I want to become a Man with a capital M, a bare-chested, sexually aggressive cliche, but I do want to be a dad. I want a good career, a loving relationship and a family in which I am both a homemaker and provider. But is that a realistic aspiration? Can millennial men really have it all?

Take a glance at the British Social Attitudes survey, and it might seem as if the British public still supports the traditional family model. But look more closely, and it’s clear that change is coming. When asked whether they agree with the statement: “A man’s job is to earn money; a woman’s job is to look after the home and family”, only 4% of men and women aged 18 to 25 agreed. There was little difference between the genders. Attitudes toward parental leave reveal a similar change. Asked whether paid leave should be divided between the mother and father, 44% of those aged 18 to 25, and 26% of those aged 26 to 35, agreed that it should, compared with just 13% of over-65s. Yes, baby boomers, your kids turned out all right. But we can’t start celebrating just yet.

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Amandla Stenberg To Star In New Film Inspired By Black Lives Matter

huffingtonpost.com

- Amandla Stenberg

stays slaying.

The 17-year-old actress has landed a lead role in an upcoming film titled “The Hate You Give,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie, which is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, is based on a young adult novel written by Angela Thomas.

Stenberg is set to play Starr, a 16-year-old girl who grew up in poverty and now attends a suburban prep school. The character witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend and must share her testimony in court, which comes with serious challenges and consequences.

Stenberg shared the exciting news on Instagram Wednesday:

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Girl Crush: Rowan Blanchard and Cecile Richards

“Girl Meets World” star Rowan Blanchard and Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards discussed feminism, social media, and more last month; in PAPER Magazine's “Girl Crush” series. It was an ideal match--a quickly rising television star and young progressive voice and a longtime advocate for women's reproductive rights--and Blanchard mentioned Richards as one of her role models, while Richards praised the use of social media among today's young women as a way to get stories out and help mobilize people. “Whether it was their own sexual health stories, their own things that have concerned them, the issues they’ve dealt with as a woman,” she says in the interview. “It can be a really democratizing force.”

The entire discussion is fascinating. Click through to read the entire interview.

papermag.com - In our 'Girl Crush' series, women with mutual admiration for one another get together for conversations that offer illuminating looks into what it's like to be a woman right now.

Back in August, Rowan Blanchard posted an impressively thoughtful essay to Instagram about the importance of intersectionality in feminism, catapulting the 14-year-old Disney Channel star of Girl Meets World into becoming a rising voice of her generation. Her poise, eloquence, and commitment to promoting equality and understanding are traits also shared by Cecile Richards. The president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America was recently in the spotlight for the way she intelligently and gracefully testified before Congress during a House hearing that included accusations and bullying from GOP lawmakers attempting to cut federal funding from the organization. A few months after these events, Richards and Blanchard got together to discuss why it's more important than ever that young women receive information about reproductive health, and why despite this fraught political landscape, there's a lot of reason for hope.

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5 Traits All Powerful Millennial Women Have In Common

From personality to power to vision, Millennial women are leading the way, paving paths and forging futures for themselves--and those around them. Read on to learn traits Millennial women share.

elitedaily.com - When it comes to their career and lifestyle choices, Millennial women know what they desire and value the most. Millennials believe they have the power to create the life of their dreams, and that every day is a new creation. They keep going until they’re proud of the achievements and life they’ve designed for themselves and others.

Here are five traits most of today’s Millennials have in common:

1. They know their worth.

To own your confidence and have an optimistic point of view about yourself, you have to be open to different life situations. Be ready to explore yourself, meet new people and learn to connect with your inner power.

Focus on your talents and strengths because you are there to use your gifts. When you master your talents, life will give you opportunities. Sooner or later, you will get rewarded for the work you put in.

Millennial women let their challenges educate them. A bit of “shaking” will not break you. Embracing your vulnerabilities will allow to you to grow, so make it clear that you are stronger than you might think.

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NOW celebrates 50 years of grassroots feminism in 2016

After 50 years of advocating for women, the National Organization of Women has seen the dialogue on women's issues evolve from the front lines. We have made great strides—but there's still so much more to be done. Whether you're in-the-know about feminist theory or just starting your journey, NOW is a great resource to learn more about the issues or to get involved. This year the organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary at a gala and conference June 24 to 26 in Washington, D.C. Read below or click through for more details.

NOW - Washington, DC - The National Organization of Women ( NOW ), the iconic activist organization that promotes equal rights for women, will be celebrating its anniversary at the 50th Anniversary Gala and NOW Conference, June 24 to 26, 2016.

NOW's celebrations will recognize not only its history of cutting-edge activism on behalf of women, which include some of the most significant victories of the 20th century, but also the important work ahead as the organization pushes forward with its cutting-edge, intersectional and multi-agenda advocacy for the 21st century. As the largest feminist grassroots organization in the nation, with hundreds of thousands of members and activists and hundreds of chapters around the country, NOW conducts national awareness, grassroots organizing, and legal campaigns and lobbying to lead societal change for equality.

NOW was founded by feminist pioneers, including Betty Friedan and Pauli Murray, who saw the need for a civil rights organization specifically focused on women's rights. NOW led the charge in some of the first battles against sex discrimination in the courts and through attention-grabbing demonstrations and boycotts. It played key roles in the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the nomination of the first female Supreme Court justice, and the House passage and long fight for the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. It made front-page news with historic marches and mass demonstrations including a record-breaking 750,000 person March for Women's Lives in 1992.

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Girl summit to focus on child nuptials

For millions of girls around the world, marriage isn't something they daydream about--it's a nightmare. An estimated 7 million girls worldwide are married at an early age, robbing them of their freedom of choice, an education, and a childhood. The Girl Child Summit on March 23 in Kathmandu, Nepal will bring together activists and children from the region to continue addressing the issue and working toward the goal of ending child marriage by 2030--a target set two years ago at the first Girl Child Summit held in London.

kathmandupost.ekantipur.com - Mar 21, 2016- The Girl Child Summit begins on Wednesday with focus on combating child marriage, contributing to the government’s move to end child-, early- and forceful marriages by 2030.

The Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare, with support from UNICEF and the DFID, is hosting the summit in Kathmandu, where around 60 children from Nepal’s 15 districts where child marriage is prevalent will present their views on the practice.

Morang, Saptari, Udayapur, Makwanpur, Rautahat, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Kalikot, Banke, Dailekh, Surkhet, Bajhang, Baitadi and Doti are the 15 districts with high prevalence of child marriage. The 60 children who will attend the summit have already held district consultations and pre-event workshops.

“Experience tells us that formulating law alone is not enough to wipe out this harmful practice. We can do it only by changing the social perception and we hope this summit will go a long way in helping us fulfill our commitment to ending child marriage by 2030,” said Shankar Prasad Pathak, acting secretary at the ministry.

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Woman President Shows Malawi the Way

Malawi’s President Joyce Banda took office during a difficult time economically and politically, in addition to being first woman to be head of state in southern Africa. She is a true leader, for her country as well as for women: Banda has appointed women to key positions since taking power, and even before taking office she spearheaded efforts such as founding National Association for Business Women.

She sat down with IPS News to discuss the link between women's empowerment and sustainable development, health care and education for women and girls, upcoming legislation that will empower and protect women, and much more.

ipsnews.net - Malawi’s President Joyce Banda knows a thing or two about women’s empowerment. After all she is the first female southern African head of state.

But she has not had it easy. Banda had a tough job fixing a sputtering economy after taking over from her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika who died in office on April 5, 2012. In 2011 the country witnessed nationwide protests against Mutharika and the failing economy. The United Kingdom, Malawi’s largest donor, had suspended $550 million in aid after Mutharika expelled its ambassador for calling him an autocrat.

But she did succeed. Since taking office she has implemented of a number of austerity measures, which included selling the country’s presidential jet for $15 million and taking a 30 percent cut in her salary. She also embarked on a range of reforms that not everyone has agreed with. The most controversial has been cultivating closer ties with international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund, which is known for its heavy-handed austerity plans.

But in June, the World Bank said the country’s economy was recovering, with manufacturing expected to grow 6 percent and agriculture 5.7 percent.

In September 2012, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute reported that since Mutharika’s increasingly autocratic rule ended, respect for democracy and human rights has returned to the country under Banda’s presidency.

Read more, including excerpts from the interview, here.

The all-female patrol stopping South Africa's rhino poachers

Across Africa, rhino poaching is up. However, one brave group of conservationists is winning awards and recognition for their success in protecting the endangered, iconic animals. Patrolling the Balule Nature Reserve in South Africa, the Black Mambas--an all-women group--are not only eliminating poaching across the reserve but are also building trust and making connections between the local community and officials trying to protect the wildlife. Read more about their amazing efforts at the link. theguardian.com - “The Black Mambas are winning the war on poaching,” insists Siphiwe Sithole. “We have absolutely zero tolerance for rhino poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. The poachers will fall – but it will not be with guns and bullets.”

Sithole and Felicia Mogakane are members of South Africa’s Black Mambas, the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit that has captured the public’s imagination. But it’s their success in reducing rhino deaths and breaking down the barriers between poor communities and elite wildlife reserves that is their most powerful weapon in the war on poaching, and has seen them pick up their second international conservation award this week.

The two women have travelled to London to receive the inaugural Innovation in Conservation award from UK charity Helping Rhinos. The award recognises projects “with an inspiring and innovative approach” that have shown positive results in protecting rhino populations.

Since forming in 2013, the Black Mambas have seen a 76% reduction in snaring and poaching incidents within their area of operation in Balule nature reserve in the country’s north-east. As well as the famous big five of rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard, the 40,000-hectare private reserve is home to zebra, antelope, wildebeest, cheetah, giraffe, hippos, crocodiles and hundreds of species of trees and birds.

Read more here.

#ShareTheLoad: This award winning campaign video is questioning the issue of gender stereotype in many homes

Even though they are working out of the home in increasing numbers, women in India--like in much of the world--still do the majority of work around the home. A new advertisement for laundry detergent used the ad as an opportunity to challenge India's patriarchal traditions, with a message from a father to his adult daughter recognizing her tireless work and pledging to #ShareTheLoad. Read about it and watch the video below, and click through for more information.venturesafrica.com - “Why is laundry only a mother’s job?” asked Ariel India at the end of their recent campaign launched with the hashtag #ShareTheLoad. Since its launch, the video has garnered over 10 million views, with over 200 thousand shares, and hundreds of comments with varying opinions on Facebook. Clearly, the video has touched a nerve to gain such an enormous amount of attention.

The two minute video details the complexities in the life of women who juggle being wives, and mothers, while working a job, with no help from their partners, and how parents (fathers) are responsible for passing on these cultural stereotypes from one generation to another.

Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook has described the video as one of the most powerful videos she had ever seen. As a big advocate for social change, Sandberg said that the video shows how stereotypes hurt everyone and has failed to evolve overtime due to parental negligence. “When little girls and boys play house they model their parents’ behaviour; this doesn’t just impact their childhood games, it shapes their long-term dreams,” she said in a Facebook post.

Read more here.

Gender Still Matters

Madeleine May Kunin; former governor of Vermont and author of “The New Feminist Agenda, Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work and Family;” discusses why gender is still a crucial issue—we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

huffingtonpost.com - Gender bias continues to hover over both male and female voters as they assess a woman's credentials for the presidency. Bias is so subtle that even feminists may not find it in themselves. Today, some women pride themselves in believing that we live in a post feminist society, where there is no longer a need to support women, just as some claim that we live in a post racist society. We may be seeing a new phase of liberation where people can proclaim that they do not have to loyal to either gender or race.

Wait a minute. Yes, progress in both racial and gender justice has been enormous. Once upon a time, when I served in the Vermont legislature, married women couldn't have their own names in the telephone book or obtain a mortgage in their own name. Times have changed, but one look at any group photo of the global leaders tells us who rules the world. If it were not for the suits and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's skirt, then they could pass for a men's soccer team.

The number of women in the United States Congress is at a record high at 19.4 percent. We still are obliged to include decimal points to boost the number. We cannot stop promoting (qualified) women in leadership until the number reaches 50 percent, not just because of gender, but because political leadership will look more like American voters. Studies have shown that corporations which have a significant number of women and people of color on their boards did better than all white male boards during the 2008 recession. Diversity in the workplace mirrors diversity in political leadership; it is guaranteed to produce different outcomes in some areas.

Read more here.

Why This Organization Wants to Help Get More Latinas Elected to Office

Especially in an election year, the fight for inclusion and representation is essential. One group, Emily's List, is working hard to get Democratic women elected--and they're looking to be more inclusive of non-white women as well, advocating to get more Latina women elected to office. Learn more about their efforts at the link. latina.com - Latinas are vastly underrepresented in U.S. government, and Emily's List, one of the largest organizations for women in politics, is starting a new initiative to help change that.

“As the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, we understand the power Latinas hold – at the ballot box and on the ballot itself. While Emily’s List has played a role in electing every Democratic Latina currently serving in Congress, we know we need to do more and now is the time,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List, in a press release. “The stakes in this election could not be higher — for Latinas and for all of us. With Donald Trump leading the Republican fight to divide our nation and roll back opportunities for women, Latinas will not sit on the sidelines. Together, we will work to break down barriers, not build walls.”

The group has already established a national Latina Advisory Council, where leading Latinas in politics, business and civil rights services work together to get pro-choice democratic mujeres elected to public office by reaching out to voters.

Read more here.

A Challenge to Emma Watson (and All Feminists): Learn about Challenges for Women with Disabilities

Actress, activist and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has long had our admiration for her moving speech at UN Headquarters in New York City to launch HeForShe, but it's perhaps even more admirable that she's learning feminism and activism as she goes--just like all of us--and is allowing fans to come with her on the journey. To that end, she announced last month that she will take a year off from acting for "personal development, including learning more about women's issues and advocating for women around the world. Because feminism includes the rights of all women some, like Sarah Blahovec writing for The Huffington Post, are urging Watson and other feminists to learn more about disability rights. Continue reading for more information, and for resources to learn even more.

huffingtonpost.com - Last week, actress and feminist powerhouse Emma Watson made waves in the media after announcing that she would be taking a year off of acting for “personal development” and to promote gender equality around the world. As somebody who grew up during the Harry Potter generation (the books spanned my childhood, and I graduated high school right before the final movie was released), I was one of the many girls that had Hermione Granger as a fictional role model in my life. Emma Watson is now one of the more visible and very admirable young feminist role models due to her work with the United Nations on promoting the HeforShe Campaign. And while she is taking on the challenge of promoting women’s equality around the world, I still see some room for growth in her feminism on something that is missing from most women’s (even intersectional) feminism. While examining intersections of race and class are starting to make a buzz (but still have very, VERY far to go), very few feminists know about the specific obstacles to equality for women with disabilities.

Read more here.