I decided to start a thread about past and present examples of women deciding that they have had enough and doing something about an issue that affects them or their communities.
Many women around the world don't consider themselves to be particularly rebellious or brave, yet still find ways to make a difference for themselves and others, usually because they feel pushed into action.
I have always wanted to create a roving exhibition that highlights the personal and collective achievements of women as a way to inform and inspire people (especially other women and girls) about what can happen when women get angry and decide to do something about it. But I've never known how to go about doing something like that.
Anyway, feel free to share stories, articles, videos about women who have taken a step to highlight social issues or challenge social norms, demand accountability from political powers and campaign for societal change, sometimes at great personal cost.
The Land of No Men: Inside Kenya's Women-Only Village
About 30 years ago Rebecca Lolosoli directly challenged her patriarchal society by setting up an entire matriarchal village as a safe haven for the region's women who wanted to escape male violence like domestic abuse, genital mutilation and forced marriage. Her efforts have inspired other women to start their own men-excluding villages.
The Gulabi Gang
Sampat Pal in Uttar Pradesh, India started the Gulabi, or 'Pink', gang to ensure that those born into the lowest caste have an education, avoid child marriages, and earn a decent wage. Her aggressive and outspoken vigilante tactics have made headlines and highlight how government officials themselves fail to implement the laws that should protect vulnerable communities. With over 40,000 members, the Gulabi Gang has quickly become a mass movement.