Prudence, a 21 year old student, was the first woman in South Africa to openly declare a positive HIV positive diagnosis. After her announcement she was met with insults, presumptions that she was a sex worker and expectations that she would die soon. Her university barred her from finishing her studies. (She lived to the age of 45 and she did gain some diplomas (light current engineering, psychology and management) She turned to volunteer work but struggled with suicidal feelings. She qualified as a sangoma - a traditional healing. *She visited so many grieving families. When lesbians were killed, Pru went. When another HIV positive woman died, Pru was there. When a woman was murdered. Pru was at the font. painted up, dolled up, voice rugged,breathing through her mouth, swearing and joking and sweating, she was there. Sisonka Msimang She a member of the One in Nine Campaign She set up the Positive Women’s Network in 1996. In 1998 she helped start Treatment Action Campaign TAC) She was the recipient of the Felipa de Souza award in 1999. In 2004 carried the Olympic flame in Greece. At the time of her death in 2017 she was involved with many organizations ( See ‘Career’ for full list) Prudence worked to better the lives of those around her,she rose from despair to heroism in incredibly difficult circumstances Maliha Abidi Sources Wikipedia RISE:Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Rigoberta was a member of the resistance movement in Guatemala during its brutal civil war (1960-96). She followed in her father’s footsteps by joining the Committee for Peasant Unity in 1979 and becoming a member of the National Coordinating Committee 7 years later (1986). She escaped to Mexico in 1981. In 1983 she published book 1 Rigoberta Menchu which brought the world’s attention to this Silent Holocaust. Working with numerous local and international organizations she became a leading representative of indigenous and women’s rights around the world. In 1992 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first indigenous recipient and the youngest at the time. She was Presidential Goodwill Ambassador for the 1996 peace accords in Guatemala. She unsuccessfully stood for president in 2007 and 2011. Rigoberta’s activism for political and economic equality, human rights and climate change action continues Maliha Abidi Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

In 2014 Nadia was kidnapped from her home town Kocho and held by the Islamic State for 3 months. ISIS in August 2014 wanted to eradicate Yardis through terrorism and violence. They shot 600 men; the boys were taken to training camps. They killed many of the older women; young women were taken to be sold as slaves. Nadia lost her mother and 6 brothers. Nadia was sold several times and suffered sexual violence by multiple men. On her first attempt to escape she was beaten and gang raped. Her second escape was successful. Hours later she reached an Arab house . The family, at great risk of their own lives, hid her and smuggled out of the region. From an Iraq refugee camp she moved to Germany. She began to speak about what had happened to her and the rest of her people tens of thousands of Yazidis had been killed or displaced. .In just over a year after the invasion she addressed the United Nations . She founded Nadia’s Initiative - a non-profit organization advocating for survivors of sexual violence and the rebuilding of communities in crisis. 2016 appointed first ever Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. 2018 , with Denis Mukwege, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize * for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and conflict*. She is the first Iraq and Yazidi to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Relentlessly she has urged the world to take action and bring ISIS to justice. Read sheet on Yazidis Definition ISIS Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Jihadist military group and terrorist organisation Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Have Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Shirin completed her degree 1969 and later was appointed a judge. In 1971 , during her judgeship. she obtained a doctorate. In 1975 she was appointed chief Magistrate. Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 she was demoted to clerk.She applied for early retirement and left in protest. During the time she was unable to get a license she .began to write books and papers on human rights, Once readmitted she worked privately and with her team took on 6,000 cases without charge. The government saw her as a threat and imprisoned her. With international pressure it was reduced to a fine. Hearing of threats of assassination she moved to GB. In 2003 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for advocating democracy and human rights. She was the first Muslim to win the prize and only Iranian to win a Nobel. She has been in exile in London since 2009 but has never stopped fighting for the rights of Iranians. Sources Wikipedia RISE:Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

She was better known as Mum Shirl. She visited 1000s of prisoners in her life time. When asked by prison officials who she was she replied ’ their mother’. This all started when she visited her brother, Laurie, in prison. As a child she received little education because she suffered from epilepsy. She was unable to read or write but knew approximately 16 Aboriginal languages. This did not stop her from becoming a social worker, a humanitarian activist committed to justice and welfare of Aboriginal Australians. She was a founding member of many Aboriginal committees. ( See list) She dedicated her life to helping others. During her lifetime she was recognized as an Australian National Living Treasure. Sources Wikipedia *RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World * by Maliha Abidi

Sylvia is a Ugandan academic (BA, MA , DrP) and human rights activist in Uganda. In 2004 she was recognized by several women’s organizations in Uganda for her human rights activism. In a speech in October 2016 she called for a revision of the Ugandan laws that discriminate against women. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights Sylvia Tamale Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Malihi Abidi

Shirin’s work centres on opposites religous/secular, East/West, masculine/feminine. She does not consider herself as an activist but sees her art *as an expression of protest, a cry for humanity When the Iran Revolution erupted in 1979 she was in the USA she wondered if she would ever see her family again. In 1990 she was reunited with her family in a very different Iran from the one she had left . It inspired her first major work Women of Allah which featured photographs of veiled women with overlaid text. It attracted global attention. It felt hear was someone who could describe what it was like to be an Iranian woman. Her art is too threatening for the Iranian Authorities so she has been in exile since 1996. Her art is a weapon on 2 fronts - against the Iran regime and the unreal perceptions of Iran held by the West. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Maria was recognised by the Indonesia in 1969 as a National Hero for her. work towards the emancipation of women. This was 45 years after her death in 1924. Born Maria Josphine Catherine Maramis she was made an orphan when both her parents died froma disease when she was only 6. Maria, with her siblings were adopted by their uncle. Girls were primed for marriage from an early age. They were taught to read and write and received some science and history tuition. When she married her name changed to Maria Walanda Maramis. She began to write an opinion column for the local newpaper. Her topic owere motherhood and the woman’s role in caring for the health, well being and education of their families. In 1917 she founded Perctaan Ibu Kepada Anak Turunannya PIKAT , in English The Love of a Mother toward her children. The organization taught mothers how to cook, sew and childcare. PIKAT spread to other islands. It offered women a network through which they could exchange skills and information. Her daughters became teachers. Maria also worked for political change. In 1921 women were given permission to vote for their representatives. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Maria,from Brazil, married a Columbian husband and they had 3 children After he was granted Brazilian citizenship he became violent to both his wife and children. He shot her in the spine and she became a paraplegic. He escaped punishment because he said it happen when they were burgled - the police accepted the story. He then tried to electrocute her her while she bathed. For the next 19 years she fought to have him jailed. He was tried twice, found guilty but went free each time. In 2002 sentenced to 8 years in jail but released in 2003. Maria campaigned for changes in the law with regards to domestic violence. She took her case to the Organization of America States. August 7th, 2006, the Maria da Penha Law was passed. It entered into force on 22nd September 2006. Brazil now recognizes multiple forms of violence against women and sets stricter punishments to abuse. A change that has had a life saving impact on countless women. Today Maria is the coordinator of studies of the *Associacao de Parentes e Amigos de Violencia de Violencia (APAVV) Sources Wikipedia *RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Have Changed the World * by Maliha Abidi

Magte Chunneiiang Mary Kom is a former boxer and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (2016-22). Mary has a number of notable firsts for a female boxer from India. She was the only female Indian boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics -in the flyweight category she won bronze. She is the only boxer to win the Amateur Boxing Championship 6 times. At the 2014 first Indian female boxer to win gold at the Asian Games. At the 2018 first Indian female boxer to win gold at the Commonwealth Games. She has been ranked No.1 female light-flyweight by the International Boxing Association. In 2017 the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports appointed her and Akhil Kumar as national observers of boxing. Mary’s parents were concerned that boxing would stop her finding a husband. She found a husband, they had 2 children and she returned to boxing. Her husband supported her - gave up his job to look after the children- so she could continue. Mary has opened a boxing academy in Imphal and been a Member of Parliament. * Take me as an example and don’t give up Mary Kom Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Oumou is a Grammy Award winning Malian Wassoulou musician from Bamako, Mali. In 1970 , aged just 2, she was brought up by her mother, Aminata Diakite. Her career 'began ’ at the age of 5 when she won an inter-kindergarten singing competition in Bamako, at the Omnisport Stadium, in front of an audience of several thousand. She left school at an early age and began singing in the streets to help her mother. Aged 16 she went on tour with the percussion group Djoliba to Europe and the Caribbean. Inspired by her reception on tour she established her own musical group. In 1990 recorded her first album* Moussoulou* (Women) with Amandou Ba Guindo - 200,000 copies sold. (in total recorded 8 albums -see Discography) She is considered an ambassador of Wassoulou. Her music has been inspired by the music and traditional dances of the area. Since 1990 she has performed at some on the most important venues in the world. Oumou . is an advocate for women’s rights, opposing child marriage and polygamy. In 2003 she was named ambassador for FAO. In 2022 she was cast in her first acting role. She does not want to become a politician While you’re an artist, you’re free to say what you think, when you are a politician you follow instructions from higher up. Oumon Sangare ,

Wilma and her 10 siblings grew up in extreme poverty in Oklahoma Cherokee territory. They spoke Cherokee, and were taught traditions by tribal elders. The family moved to San Francisco where they lived in a troubled neighbourhood and struggled financially. Separated from tribal ways and facing racism and discrimination she found school difficult. This helped transform her into a feminist and activist. She married, had 2 daughters but her husband discouraged her personal growth. Her dedication to native American issues pushed her to pursue university education. She divorced her husband and began to work as a social worker.in Oakland. She returned with her daughters to Oklahoma to work for the Cherokee nation. She developed programmes for healthcare, child and elderly welfare. She also secured community infrastructure development grants. Surviving a near fatal accident she became Deputy Chief to Ross Swimmer. On Ross moving into federal politics she became chief. She held the post for 10 years - re-elected twice. She was progressive, farsighted and focused on cultural pride. She emphasised economic growth and social programmes. There was improvement in all areas *I want to be remembered as the person who helped restore faith in ourselves Wilma Mankiller on the Cherokee Nation Sources Wikipedia RISE:Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Michaela Ewuraba Boakya- Collinson professionally known as Michaela Coel is best known for creating and staring in the E4 sitcom Chewing Gun (2015-17) for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. (See list of other awards and nominations)) She has written and performed professionally since 2006. Aged 22 she enrolled in the Guildford School of Music and Drama. She was the first black woman admitted there for years. She has also written several books (See book sheet) e In 2018 she gave the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. She showed her integrity by turning down $1 million offered by Netfix so she could retain full rights and creative control of I May Destroy You Again, which was aired on the BBC instead. The self-aware ‘misfit’ is now a show business insider, contributing to positive change in the industry while creating some of the in original programming in years. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Baby Noor Jehan was her stage name(born Allah Rakhi Wasai) was a famous playback singer (one whose voice is played over actor’s lip-syncing) and an actress. She worked first for British India and then the cinema in Pakistan. She had command of Hindustani classical music as well as other genres. She recorded over 20,000 songs in different languages -Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi. She sang 2,442 songs in 1,148 films. She was awarded 15 Nigar awards and the national* Star of Excellence*. In 1951 she appeared as a main character in her first Pakistan film. She was also co-director with her husband - becoming Pakistan’s first female film director. Her career lasted over 50 years. 1965 saw the war of Pakistan with India. Her patriotic songs broadcast on the radio apparently had a profound effect on the morale of the Pakistani soldiers. Following the partition of India she moved her family to the new nation of Pakistan. Her presence in Pakistan shored up the entertainment industry in Lahore. Noor returned to India in 1982 where she was received by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sources Wikipedia RISE:Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Gua was born in a family of peasants in the impoverished region of Hua County, Henan Province in China. Seeing the poverty, underdevelopment in her village and the violation to her own grandmothers was the stimulus for her lifelong dedication to improving the rights of women . Aged 18 she attended law school at Peking University, graduating in 1983. She worked at the Ministry of Justice, All China Federation for Women, The All China Association of Lawyers.* In 1995 she attended the Fourth International Forum for Women Lawyers and the United Nations International World Conference on Women in Beijing. Her intension was to observe and interview members, she left an activist. She, with others, founded the Beijing University Law School Women’s Legal Research and Services Centre, also in 1995. It was the first non-profit- making non-government organization specializing in women’s legal aid in China. It grew to become an influential force in safeguarding the rights and interests of women. 2010 Beijing University disassociated itself from the centre. 2016 Chinese government ordered it to be shut down. Despite this Guo continues her work as first public interest lawyer fighting full-time on the front lines to protect women’s rights. In 2019 Gua was awarded Right Livelihood Award for her pioneering and persistent work in securing women’s rights in China. Sources used Wikipedia RISE:Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Leymah Roberta Gbowe, with her collaborator Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ,and WIPNET, were responsible for ending the second Liberia Civil War in 2003. Together they led the Women of Liberia M ass Action of Peace (WIPNET) to end the civil war. They took hundreds of women to the hotel where the peace talks had stalled and stopped the negotiators from leaving until days later an agreement was reached… *The peace hall has been seized by General Leymah and her troops *Abubaker (Read the paragraph In June …) The president of Liberia , Charles Taylor went into exile but was eventually apprehended and sentenced to 50 years imprisonment. 2005 Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf became the first woman president of Liberia. 2011 Leymah and Ellen shared the Nobel Peace prize with Tawakei Kaman. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Berta was assassinated, in her home, in 2016, by armed intruders after many years of threats against her life. She was a Honduran environmental activist, indigenous leader, co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organization of Honduras (COPINH). She had dedicated her life to change Honduras where the rights of indigenous people were routinely violated,activists killed and women died every 18 hours. She successfully led a grassroots campaign/ blockade in 2013, which lasted a year against the world’s largest dam builder to stop the building of the Agua Zarca Dam at the Rio Gualcarque. Protesters were beaten, shot and tortured by the military Berta’s courageous efforts won her the prestigious Golden Environmental Prize.in 2015. In July 2021 Roberto David Castillo, the former president of Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), was found guilty of being a co-conspirator in her murder and sentenced to 22 1/ 2 years in prison. Sources Wikipedia* RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World* by Maliha Abidi

Fatema grew up in the harem of her affluent paternal grandmother along with various female kin and servants. She came of age during a progressive movement. She had the opportunity to step outside the harem doors and receive a university eduction Beyond the Veil: Male-female Dynamics in Muslim Society, written for her PhD, recognizes the power of Muslim women in relation to the Islamic faith. She is regarded as an Influential feminist figure, as she was a renowned public speaker, scholar, teacher, writer and sociologist. Fatema is considered to be one of the founders of Islamic feminism. Sources Wikipedia** RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi*

Wangechi is primarily known for her painting, sculpture, film and performance work. She has established her career in New York City and lived there for more than 20 years. She has directed the female body as subject through collage painting, immersive installation and live and video performance while exploring questions of self -image, gender constructs, cultural trauma, and environmental destruction and notions of beauty and power. Her work often centred on Black women’s bodies.Her Afrofuturist worldscapes confront the pain and discourse of our time. Her art work allowed her to release her anxiety following the 9/11 terrorists attacks. She created beautiful collages using paints, inks and cut-outs from magazines, In 2003 she was invited to take part in a group exhibition with 12 other artists - a major turning point in her career. In 2018 she created scuptures for the exterior niche of the facade for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is the founder of* Africa’s Out* a platform to* advance change through the power of art and activism.* Wangechi has exhibited across the world, an artist attuned to some of the most complex nuances of the 21st century. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Have Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Raziyyat-Utd-Dunya Wa Ud-Din, popularly known as Razia Sultan, was the fifth Sultan of Delhi. She was courageous, just and generous. She was the only female ruler to sit on the Delhi throne. She was the daughter of Sultan Shamsuddin Litutmish. He had 3 sons. The eldest and heir died prematurely The other two were more interested in the indulgence of royal pleasures rather than leadership. Razia administered Delhi (1231-2) when her father was busy in the Gwalior campaign. Litutmish nominated her to succeed him. fe or mistreaa On his death Ruknuddin Firuz , her half brother, succeeded him and his mother, Shah Turkan, wanted Razia executed. But Razia instigated the general public against him. Ruknuddin and his mother were assassinated. Razia, a female, was now Sultan.She adopted masculine attire in court and on the battlefield.She believed in her supremacy as a ruler and took the title Sultan - (she refused to be called Sultana because it denoted a wife or mistress of the Sultan). Her reign was short. She was a great leader who cared deeply about the empire and was popular with her subjects. She expanded the territory of the state, and fostered peace and prosperity. There was unfortunately resentment against her and she reigned for less than years (1236-40) . She married one of the rebel leaders - Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia in an attempt to regain the throne but was defeated by her half brother and successor Muizuddin Bahramin in October 1240 . She was killed shortly afterwards. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi