Isatou initiated a recycling project called One Plastic Bag in Gambia. She noticed that the main streets of N’jau in Gambia were plagued with high piles of trash consisting of all forms from discarded plastics , tins, tyres, house waste and especially plastic bags were surrounded with puddles of water and malaria infected mosquitoes. Isatou brought to life the idea of recycling plastic bags to make purses that could be sold for money. Plastic bags were collected, dried out and then torn into small yam like threads called ‘plam’. These threads would be weaved together to make small hand held bags, It took 10 plastic bags to make a bag. Initially they were ridiculed but it worked. The money generated meant women living in poverty were now able to take care of their families. N’jau Recycling and Income Generation Group (NRIGG) was born. Today they recycle other waste to make jewelry, beads, armchairs, stools, even compost! Today Isatou works with more than 11,000 people and NRIGG is based in 4 separate communities across The Gambia She has travelled the world to share her story. Her village is now clean and tidy. Sources Wikipedia Earth Heroes by Lily Dyu and Amy Blackwell

Chewang from Ladakh in India, who had a diploma in civil engineering (1960), noticed a small stream in his yard had frozen solid under the shade of a group of popular trees, though it flowed freely elsewhere in his yard. He realized that the flowing water was moving too fast to freeze while the sluggish water beneath the trees was slow enough to freeze. Seeking money for his idea villagers and officials thought he was pagal or crazy. Based on this he created an artificial glacier by diverting a river into a valley, slowing down the stream by constructing checks. The next spring the villagers were amazed to find it worked. The artificial glaciers increase the ground water recharge, rejuvenating the spring and providing water for irrigation By 2012 he had built 12 artificial glaciers (there are now15) The largest one is in Phuktsey village - 1000ft long, 150ft wide and 4 ft in depth. Source Earth Heroes by Lily Dyu and Amy Blackwell

Rok Rozman, a former Olympic rower, who is concerned about climate change, has dedicated his life to protecting wild rivers. Too many rivers have had dams built on them.- Dams destroy the natural environment. To build a dam, hydroelectric dams especially, a valley is flooded to create a reservoir, destroying the plants and animals which live there, plus the homes and communities of the inhabitants would be lost… At a rivers conference, without stopping to think, he announced that he and his friends would paddle the affected rivers the following spring.It was to be called the Balkan Rivers Tour. The kayakers tour, which lasted 39 days, began in April 2016. Rok and his friends were joined by 500 kayakers and 1,500 activists from 18 countries- some for days , others fro weeks. TV , radio and newspaper reporters followed the tour - the stories of the local inhabitants were finally heard. On the last day Rok, in Tirana, Albaniia’s capital city gave a speech. The police stopped him from delivering his kayak to the Prime Minister. Source Earth Heroes by Lily dyu & Amy Blackwell

Mohammed is the Founding Executive Director of Ahidhula Swanirvar Sangstha. He lives in Bangladesh which lies on a huge river delta where 3 rivers meet the sea. The country is low lying and flooding is now more frequent and severe due to climate change. It is estimated the country will permanently lose one fifth of its land under water. In the monsoon season children could not get to school. He had a dream to build floating schools. He studied Architecture. Once he had finished his studies he set about creating a charity. No money came forward so he collected waste - like plastic and glass. It took 4 years, by recycling waste, to buy 4 traditional boat hulls. In 2002 his first floating school was launched.In 2004 he received his first international funding. He now has 26 floating schools 8 other countries now have floating schools Source Earth Heroes

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

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

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

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

Maria Teresa, Minerva and Patria Mirabel were assassinated for opposing the dictatorship of Rafael Truijillo. Truijillo invited Minerva and her family to a party and made sexual advances towards her, she refused . He became her enemy. He imprisoned her father who died shortly after his release. Minerva had studied law but Truijillo prevented her obtaining her degree. Minerva was the most active of the three sisters being the founder of June 14 Revolutionary Movement. - an underground revolutionary dedicated to ending his regime. The older sister, Patria, lent her house to store weapons and tools. Truijillo be came aware of their clandestine activities. He arrested the sisters and their husbands. After several months he released the wives. He set a trap. The husbands were transferred to a remote prison. On a visit to their husbands the secret police intercepted them, beat them to death, placed their bodies in a car and sent it off a cliff. They died on 25th November 1960. Historians believe it marked the limits of domestic and international tolerance in the Dominion Republic…The truth behind the assassinations was an open secret. May1961 Truijillo was killed by a group of conspirators. The fourth sister, Dede (or Adela ), did not join the resistance but played a pivotal role by turning their home into a mausoleum in their memory. The remains of the 3 resistance fighters rest in the mausoleum. It was declared an extension of the National Pantheon and located in the Hermanas Mirabal House Museum The sisters today are revered as national heroines, 'las Mariposas’ (the butterflies). 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

Margaret Yvonne Busby, born in Gold Coast (now Ghana ), became the youngest, first black female publisher in GB. Along with Clive Allison they were co-founders of Alison and Busby, a London based Publishing House, in the 1960s. Notable works Daughters of Africa 1992 New Daughters of Africa 2019 2020 she was voted one of the 100 Great Black Britons. 2021 honoured with the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement award. 2023 named president of English PEN. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Loujain is from Saudi Arabia. Until 2018 women were not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. In 2014 she deliberately set out to challenge Saudi Arabia’s proscription against female drivers by live streaming her trip as part of a Women to Drive campaign. She was jailed for 73 days.n She has been arrested and released on several occasions for defying the ban . She has been charged with** attempting to destabilise the kingdom** In May 2018 she was effectively kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) In 2018 the law was changed. The ban was lifted while she was in jail. In jail she is said to have endured torture, electrocution and threats of dismemberment and rape. In December 2020 she was sentenced to 5 years 8 months in jail by a special (terrorism court’. She was released on 10th February 2021 on strict prohibition conditions and faces a 5 year ban on travel. Despite her release Lourjain is far from free. Awards for her defiance In 2015 she was ranked 3rd in top 100 Most Powerful Arab Woman In 2019 received the PEN America/Barbey Freedom 2019/20 nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2020 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Malihi 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

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

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

Tererai was born in Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe)in 1965. The children in the poor village of Zvipani received little education. The boys received some basic primary education to help them get a job; the girls almost none because they were expected to get married. Tererai’s father accepted a ‘brideprice’ of a cow and she was married aged just 11. By the age 18 she was the mother of 3 children ( a fourth lost due to poor nourishment). Her husband beat her for wanting an education In 1991 Jo Luck, who headed a development organization visited her village. Jo asked her about her dreams, she replied to get degrees in America. Encouraged by her mother she wrote down those dreams, put the paper in a tin and buried it. In 1998 she moved to Oklahoma with her husband and 5 children. 2001 she had a degree in agriculture education. In 2003 MA degree , husband deported for abuse. Married Mark Trent. 2008 PhD degree- looked at HIV/AIDS programs for women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. After each degree she returned to Zimbabwe, unearthed the tin and checked off each goal. In 2009 her life story featured in Half the Sky by Nicholas and Sherl WuDunn. Excerpt from book published by The New York Times. Oprah Winfrey ran a segment in an episode. Oprah sent a crew with Tererai to Zimbabwe to dig up the tin. In 2009 she founded the Tinagona Foundation, later renamed Tererai Trent International which has funded several schools in Zimbabwe. In 2011 Oprah revealed Tereria was her all-time favourite guest and donated $1,5 million so she could build a school in her home village. 2015 published children’s book The Girl who Buried her Dreams in a Can 2017 * Awakened Woman: Remembering and Igniting Our Sacred Dreams** a self help book, was named the Outstanding Literary Work, Instructional at the 49th NAAP Image Awards. She has helped educate 1000s of children In Zambabwe while inspiring millions around the world. Tereria fulfilled her dreams Sources Wikipedia *RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World * by Maliha Abidi

Sanmoa was born in Chongqing, China in 1948. With the communists rising in power her family moved to Taiwan. She was an avid reader which caused her to neglect some areas of other studies. Her father educated her at home. and also hired other teachers. Her art teacher called herself Echo and she inspired Sanmoa to adopt the same name. In 1967 she set off on a journey to US and Europe.Mastered both German and Spanish. Married Jose Maria Quero, an engineer, in 1973.He quit his job to become her travel partner. They went to the Sahara desert. Stories of the Sahara, her first book, was a collection of travel essays -it eventually sold more than 10 million copies. In her lifetime she visited 59 countries. She wrote 19 more books. Tragically she committed suicide in 1991. Sanmoa 's books continue to be red in many languages by readers all around the world. Sources Wikipedia RISE: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World by Maliha Abidi

Nawal El Saadawi wrote numerous books on the subject of women in Islam. She was described as Egypt’s most radical woman. Nawal was founder and president of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. She studied medicine in Cairo and New York. She was appointed Director General of Health Education at Egypt’s Ministry of Health. She remained in post until she published Women and Sex -in which she criticised FGM (Female Gential Mutilation) - aged just 6 she had under done FMG.She was expelled. As a psychiatrist she had special insight into the traumas and injustices Egyptian women faced daily. Her writing empowered women but proved unacceptable to Egyptian political and religious authorities. She was imprisoned for a time and wrote Memories from the Women’s Prison (1983) using toilet paper and an eyebrow pencil . Nawal was a prolific writer writing both non-fiction and fiction.They were translated into many languages. ( Selected works) She fled Egypt in 1988 when her life was threatened. She returned to Cairo in 1996 where she stayed until her death in 2021. They call me a wild and dangerous woman. I speak the truth. And truth is wild and dangerous Nawal El Saadawi Sources Wikipedia Rise: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the Worldby Maliha Abidi

Mazian is Malaysians first astrophysicist whose work has pioneered her country’s participation in space exploration. In 1975 she earned a B Sc.(Hons), followed by being the first woman ever, in 1981, to gain a Ph.D in Physics both from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand (founded in 1869) She has helped create the curriculum at the national university. In 1990 Prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad placed her in charge of the Planetarium Division of the P.M. 's department. From 2007-2014 she served as the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna. In 2017 she was named director of the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Offi ce for Asia and the Pacific. From May 2023 she is a Non- Executive of HKATG, a mostly China funded satellite program. Mazian has received many honours during her ling her lifetime. ( See honours) She is a female astrophysicist in a male dominated field. She believes that her unyielding passion has played the biggest role in her success, keeping her focused only on putting her country on th map for space exploration. Sources Wikipedia *Rise: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the World *** by Maliha Abidi