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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

Hayat is famous for making major contributions to point-of-care nedival testing and biotechnology. She is ranked by Arabian business as the ninth most Influential Arab woman. Hayat’s own inventions for Diagnostic for All include a Magnetic Acoustic Resonance Sensor, which can help diagnose illnesses on the spot- invaluable where advanced health care is scarce.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (nee. Frances Abigail Olufunmiayo Olufela Folorunso Thomas ) and as Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti . She was born In Abeokula, Southern Nigeria. She was the daughter of Chief Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas,a farmer and a member pf the aristocratic Jibolu-Taiwo family. She was the first female to attend Abeokula Grammar School. She then attended a finishing school in England. She returned to Nigeria to marry the notable educator Israel Ransome-Kuti. They had a loving relationship and were married for 30 years. As a young adult she worked as a teacher, organizing some of the first preschool classes in the country and arranging literacy classes for lower income women. In 1940’s established the Abeokuta Women’s Union. She led marches and protests of up to 10,000 women. She became known as the Lioness of Lisabi. In 1949 forced Alake to temporary abdicate. Both before and after Nigeria’s independence (1960) she remained a political force. On 13th April 1978 she lost her life when she was mortally wounded during a military raid on her dissident son’s Fela family property. She has been named as a strong influence on a number of activists. No other Nigerian woman of her time ranked as such a national figure or had such international exposure ans connections . Cheyl Johnson-Odim (biographer) Sources Wikipedia RISE by Maliha Abidi

Esra’a does not show her face on line -it would put and her and her family at risk if she was recognizable. C She is a Bahraini civil rights activist and founder and executive director of Majal (Mideast Youth) and its related projects including* Crowd Voice.* She founded* Mideast Tunes* which is currently the largest platform for underground musicians in the Middle East and North Africa - it penetrates isolated markets. Read about her many media awards (2008-2015) - paragraph 2. IShe was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 and also appointed to the Wilkimedia Foundation Board of Trustee, In 2018 she was listed as one of BBC’s 100 Women. In January 2023 she was appointed to board of The Tor Project. We want our humanity and our futures in our hands and we use the internet and other forms of technology to fight for those rights Esra’a Her life is dedicated to bringing about change. Sources Wikipedia RISE by Maliha Abidi

Autumn Peltier is an Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate from the Wiikwemkoog First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. Aged 8 she began advocating for the universal right to clean drinking water. In her culture water is one of the most sacred elements. Aged just 13 she addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of water protection. In 2019 she was named Cheif Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation. She is concerned for clean water for the indigenous people across Canada… She is also the leading voice for all Indigenous matters across Canada- history and on-going racism and inaccuracy of Indigenous people, missing and murdered women and access and support for’ the children coming behind us’. Sources Wikipedia RISE by Maliha Abidi

Asima Chatterjee - (nee Mukherjee) was an Indian organic chemist noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine (use of herbs and other plants). Her most notable works included the research on vinca alkaloids, the development of anti-epileptic drugs and the development of anti-malarial drugs. Through her research she developed anti-epileptic, anti-convulsive and chemotherapy drugs to treat patients. From different types of plants she developed anti-malarial drugs with her team. She dedicated 40 years of her time researching cancer and anti-cancer growth drugs. Asima, in 1944, was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Science from an Indian university. In 1975 she received the Padma Bhushan Award - one of the highest civilian awards in India. She lived to the age of 89 and died in 2006 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Her career spanned 6 decades during which she nurtured students, wrote over 400 papers and saved countless lives with her discoveries. Sources Wikipedia RISE by Maliha Abidi

Amna is an Emirati racing driver. She was born in Abu Dhabi. She is a first in several motor sport events. In 2014 she began her karting career and was the first woman to participate at the Rotax Max Challenge (RMC). In 2017 she was the first Arab woman to win the UAE RMC Championship. She was the first female to be selected by ATCUAF to represent UAE at the GCC Young Drivers Academy Programme, which she won. On 16th December 2018 she took part in a motor sport test programme for Formula E after the Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia. She was the first Emirati to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Amna represents women in a male dominated sport and hopes she can inspire Arab women, in particular, to follow their motor sport instincts- and go for it Sources Wikipedia *RISE *by Maliha Abidi

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - AOC is a politician and activist. She has served as the US representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic party. She is the first and youngest ever female member of the Democratic Socialists of America elected to serve in Congress. She supports workplace democracy, Medicare for All, tuition -free public college, a federal jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal and abolishing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She has earned a reputation for vigorously holding politicians and business interests to account.

Aisholpan Nurguiv aged 13,became the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival at Ulgii, Mongolia. A documentary about Aisholpan was shortlisted, but ultimately not nominated, for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 2013 she competed at the e day event at the Sonar festival held near Nura. There were 40 competitors this involved shirga (lures) and live prey… She was awarded a prize by virtue of being the only female competitor. Aged 15, in 2015 , she went on her first hunt with her own eagle. Her desire is to become a doctor. The film makers established a fund to help pay for her higher education. Her family became ’ profit participants’ in the documentary. They also donated the 3, 000 euros for winning best Documentary at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Sources Wikipedia Rise by Maliha Abidi

Hannah Szenes or Chanah Senesh was a Jew born in Budepest, Hungary. She joined the British Army in 1943 as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She trained to be a Special Operation’s Executive - SOE . She was learning to be a spy. After training in Egypt she parachuted into Europe near the Hungarian border. Having spent 3 months helping people fight against the Nazis she tried to cross into Hungary. Everything went wrong. She was captured, arrested and tortured as a spy. For 3 months she was tortured but revealed no information about her mission. They even threatened to kill her mother. She was tried, found guilty executed by firing squad on 7 th November 1944, she was just 23 years of age Hannah is regarded as a national heroine in Israel. Her poetry is widely known . The Yad Hna kibbutz as well as several streets are named after her. She has been largely been forgotten in Hungary, her birth place. Sources used Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Halligan

Theresa is the paramount chief , or Inkosi, of the Dedza District in the central region of Malawi. She was the youngest of 12 siblings.She married and had children- all boys. Theresa for 27 years worked as a secretary for the College of Zambia District in southern Malawi. In 2003 the chiefs of the district chose her to be the next senior chief of the district, a district of 900, 000 people… She found that there were high rates of child marriage in her district- children aged 7 and upwards. She could not persuade parents to change their views but was able to convince community leaders to change the civil code to ban early marriages. 50 sub-chiefs agreed to abolish early marriage and annul existing unions. In 2015 a law was passed which prevented marriage before 18. But the constitution and customary law administered by traditional authorities still said children could still marry if the parents agreed. By 2019 she had managed to have over 3,500 early marriages annulled. She is now working to raise the legal age in Mallawi to 21. Her actions have brought her international recognition. UN Women and UNICEF plan to work with traditional leaders elsewhere to replicate the best practices of Theresa. Educate a girl and you educate the whole area- You educate the world Theresa Kachindamoto Sources used Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Hallidan

The race to get to be first to the North Pole and then the South Pole. The American Charles Francis Hall (1821-71) made 3 expeditions and sailed further north than anyone else - he was the first person to visit the north shore of Greenland. Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was a Norwegian explorer, inventor, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian. In 1888 led the first crossing of the Greenland interior traversing the island on cross-country skis… They reached 86 degrees 14 in his Fram expedition (1893-6). The Fram was specially built using wood reinforced with metal. He sailed his ship into the pack ice and hoped the Arctic currents would ‘float’ him to the North Pole. It remained frozen for 2 years. With a companion he tried unsuccessfully to walk the rest of the way. ( read Death and legacy) Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862) was a British Royal Navy Officer and polar explorer was known for his 6 polar explorations of the Arctic. 2 with his uncle Sir John Ross, 4 with Sir William Parry and his own of the Antarctic (1839-1843). On June 1st 1831 a small party located the North magnetic Pole. Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (1856-1920) made 3 expeditions to the Arctic 1898-1902, 1905-6 and 1908/9. During the last one he claimed he had reached the North Pole. He paid for his trips by writing about his adventures in books and magazines. Matthew Alexander Henson (1866-1955), an African American, accompanied Robert Perry on 7 voyages to the Arctic spread over 23 years- 18 on expeditions. In the 1908/9 expedition he claimed that on April 6th 1909 he was the first of party of 6 to reach the North Pole. (Wally Herbert in 1989 published research that suggested they could have fallen 48-97 kms short due to navigational errors.) Carsten Borechgrevink (1964-1934) was an Anglo-Norwegian polar explorer and pioneer of modern Antarctica travel. The race to be first to the South Pole between Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) and Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen 91864-1934) is in most history books. Amundsen was more organized and reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and went on in 12 May 1926 to be one of 16 men to reach the North Pole by the airship Norge ! Scott had already led 1 expedition to the Antarctic. Scott with his 5 friends arrived on 17 January 1912, less then 5 weeks later. They all died on the return journey. Scott kept a Diary. The diary revealed that on 17 March the sick Captain Oates walked out of the camp to die in the snow. Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922)was an Anglo-Irish explorer who led 3 British expeditions to the Antarctica. The Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition (1914-17) to cross the Antarctica from sea to sea struck disaster when the Endurance became trapped by packed ice and crushed. Lifeboats were launched to reach Elephant Island and ultimately South Georgia Island - a voyage of 720 nautical miles - his most famous exploit. In 1921 he returned to Antarctica but died of a heart attack.

Fai-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi - by profession is a barrister - he is a Muslim scholar and principal and founding trustee of the Hijaz College in Nuneaton, England. He is founder of the Hijaz Community. He is also National Convenor of the Muslim Action Committee and Secretary General of the International Muslims Organization. Professor Haroon Ahmed - is a scientist specialising the fields of microelectronics and electrical engineering. He is at the Cavendish Laboratory, the Physics Department of the University of Cambridge. Hasnat Khan -he is a heart and lung surgeon. best known for his relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales. Isabella Abbott (1919-2010) born in Hawaii -was an educator, phycologist, and ethnobotanist.She became a leading expert on Pacific Marine algae. Mohammad Naseem (1924-2014) -by profession a doctor- Muslim leader and political activist-was chairman of the Birmingham Mosque Trust (Central). Musharraf Hussain - scientist, educator and religious scholar in Nottingham, U.K. Chief Executive of the Karimia institute and author of Chief Editor of the Invitation a Muslim family magazine. He is also a senior trustee of Muslim Hands an international charity working in 50 countries. 2006 chair of the UK-Indonesian Islamic advisory group by Prime Minister. 2008-10 chairman of the Christian Muslim forum. Tariq Ali - a political activist, journalist, historian, filmmaker and public intellectual. Author of many books (See list and 5 covers). He contributes toThe Guardian Counter-Punch and London Review of Books. Ziauddin Sardar is a scholar, award winning writer, cultural critic and public intellectual who specialises in Muslim thought, the future of Islam, futurology, science and cultural relations - author and editor of more than 50 books.( See 6 covers)

Some basic information about Asians List of Asian people List of faiths, with numbers of followers, in Asian culture Percentage of Christians and showing dominant faith, in Asian countries List of Festivals and Celebrations Brief information on Cuisine

Academia and Education Humanities Sara Ahmed - professor of Race and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London *Natural science Hassan Ehsan Masood - a science writer, journalist and broadcaster. Saiful Islam - professor of material Chemistry at the University of Bath, recipient of Royal Society Wolfson Research merit award Syma Knalid - biophysicist and Professor of Computable Biophysics in Chemistry at the University of Southampton. University Leadership and Executives Nazir Afzal - solicitor - spent most of his career in the Crown Prosecution Service. In 2018 became chair of the Corporation Board at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi- lawyer, politician - former conservative party chairman and now member of the House of Lords (2007) Science and Medicine Nadia Bukhari - pharmacist - since 2003 she has been serving in academia at University College of London. She is the global lead at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (IPF) to promote gender equality in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2018 awarded the youngest Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Also the first Muslim female to be on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for England,U.K… Quanta A. Ahmed - a physician specializing in sleep disorders. She is also an author, newspaper columnist and a women’s rights activist. Rozina Ali - a microvascular reconstructive plastic surgeon and consultant with special interest in breast reconstruction, plus also being a television presenter. Source Wikipedia