INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2012

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN

Queen Rania Al Abdullah

As well as being the Queen of Jordan, Al Abdullah is the chair of the Royal Commission on Human Rights and the Global Ambassador for Women for Women International.

Jayshree Satpute

Satpute is an advocator for human rights who is working to help prevent deaths of low-income women in India due to childbirth.

Somaly Mam

From Cambodia, Mam is an anti-sex trafficking campaigner and founder of AFESIP, an organization that rescues women from brothels and helps them recover.

Jessica Valenti

Valenti is the writer and founder of Feministing.com, said by the Guardian to have “dragged feminism into the 20th century”.

Emma Thompson

Thompson is best known as a British actress, comedian, and screenwriter but is also the chair for an organization that works to fight exploitation of workers and human trafficking, the Helen Bamber Foundation.

Lydia Cacho

Cacho is a Mexican journalist and feminist, as well as an advocate for human rights.

Germaine Greer

Greer is an Australian writer and significant feminist of the late 20th century.

Pragna Patel

Patel is one of the founders of an organization for Black and Asian feminism, the Southall Black Sisters.

Zainab Salbi

Salbi is an Iraqi American who is the CEO and founder of Women for Women International, an organization that helps rebuild the lives of female victims of war.

Angelina Jolie

Jolie is an American actress and director who as the Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees promotes humanitarian causes, including helping women refugees everywhere.

Graca Machel

Machel is involved in helping South African women and children by advocating for their rights.

Lubna Hussein

Hussein is a Sudanese writer and a campaigner for women’s rights who went on trial after being arrested for wearing pants.

Michelle Bachelot

Bachelot is the former president of Chile and head of UN Women.

Jasvinder Sanghera

Sanghera directs a charity that aids victims of “honour” violence and forced marriage called Karma Nirvana.

Bridget Cook

Cook is the cofounder of Adelante Mujeres, a non-profit organization based in Forest Grove, Oregon that helps low-income Latina women to learn English, earn their GED, gain job skills, and much more.

Alice Walker

Walker is an American poet, writer, and activist best known for her novel The Color Purple. She has also written countless essays and fiction on race and gender that have promoted awareness about women’s roles in society.

Salma Hayek

As well as being a Mexican American movie actress, Hayek created the Salma Hayek Foundation that raises awareness about and aids women who have been abused.