International Women’s Day 2018 shines a spotlight on the global celebration of women and fight for “gender parity,” with the conversation revolving around the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. March 8th not only represents a day of celebration, but also one for a “strong call to #PressforProgress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive,” according to the International Women’s Day 2018 website.
In honor of International Women’s Day, here are eight Pacific Standard pieces that highlight the stories, voices, and work of some of the world’s most inspiring and action-driven women who continue to push for gender equality and spearhead the fight for other global issues:
- Our series on women around the globe who are leading the battle against combating climate change.
- Our profile of Ava DuVernay, the director of new movie A Wrinkle in Time. In our piece, DuVernay talks about her unconventional road to Hollywood, and her desire to tackle important and challenging narratives.
- Our profile on Ilhan Omar, the first elected Somali-American legislator to the Minnesota House of Representatives, who is working to fight xenophobic politics on a local and national scale.
- Amy Irvine’s essay that discusses the trials of motherhood, in particular its difficulty “in a society that believes women should experience motherhood as a state of bliss.”
- Our interview with Osprey Orielle Lake, founder and executive director of Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, International, which brings women together to raise their voices on environmental issues.
- Our profile of cosmetics company Pound Cake, which aims to create more inclusive make-up lines and reach communities underserved by the industry at large.
- Our reported history of Ms., the feminist magazine that featured Wonder Woman on its cover in 1972.
- Our look at new research that found having successful female role models in the economics field makes female university students more likely to enroll in upper-level econ courses.
