12 women leaders who changed the world for better in 2020
At the end of 2019, India’s ruling party enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act, which introduced religion as a criterion for citizenship.
But people wouldn’t let this happen without a fight—least of all an 82-year-old woman named Bilkis Dadi (birth name Bilkis Bano, dadi means grandmother), who joined thousands of others in a Muslim neighbourhood in Delhi to protest. Every day, Bilkis sat at the protest site from morning until night. Throughout the winter chill, she was undeterred.
Although Bilkis and her fellow protesters were shut down, she was widely celebrated and even included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2020. In the face of powerful opposition, this woman has become an equally powerful reminder of what is worth fighting for.
10. Monica Lennon, Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP), and Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland
Half of the world’s population menstruates. And yet, almost no society has come to grips with the fact that sanitary products such as pads and tampons are as essential as toilet paper.
That changed in November when, thanks to Monica Lennon and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland became the first nation in the world to make sanitary products free. Lennon has long been a champion against “period poverty” that leaves too many people unable to afford the basic products they need to menstruate with dignity.
In debating the bill, Scottish lawmakers discussed issues such as endometriosis, illuminating aspects of women’s health that are so often overlooked, but essential to a woman’s ability to thrive. Advocates hope that the example of Scotland will help erase the cultural stigma around menstruating and ensure that more women and girls across the world can achieve their potential.
11. Sanna Marin, prime minister of Finland
Despite its reputation for being a progressive oasis, Finland has an oppressive law on the books— the Trans Act—which requires trans individuals to undergo mental health screenings and sterilisation if they want to obtain legal gender recognition. The country’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, intends to change that. She has spoken in favour of people’s right to self-identify, saying, “It’s not my job to identify people. It’s everyone’s job to identify themselves.”
This is the latest feminist act by Marin, whose coalition government is led by all women. Her support for ending the Trans Act is an assertion of feminism, which seeks to dismantle outdated notions of gender norms and ensure that everybody can define who they are and live as they choose.
12. Nemonte Nenquimo, leader of the Waorani nation, Ecuador
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