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NADJA.co Rethink The News NADJA is an online platform that reports the world through the eyes of women. Stories of women of the past that have shaped our present.

We have a passion for discovering, questioning and sharing amazing stories from around the world. Stories of women of our time who are shaking up their fields, leading the way and creating our future – giving us a glimpse of where the world is going

Last year was our biggest year yet in terms of readership. We believe this shows there is a real appetite for independen...
10/01/2025

Last year was our biggest year yet in terms of readership. We believe this shows there is a real appetite for independent media — for stories that cut through the algorithmic noise and that amplify the voices of women and communities that are often overlooked by mainstream outlets.

This was our mission when we started NADJA Media, and it wouldn't be possible without you — our readers, supporters and collaborators. Thank you for dedicating your precious time to reading, sharing, and contributing to our content. Together we are making an impact.

Swipe through for our most viewed content of 2024, and head to the link in our bio to read the full articles.

🎯 Afghan women on the frontline
We collaborated with the exceptional ZanTimes and Impact Newsletter to publish a two-part doc on women's resistance in Afghanistan.

🎯 “Just let us live”: Sudan’s war and women’s vital role in peacebuilding
We interviewed Dr Rabab Baldo, a prominent Sudanese peace activist for this article on Sudan's civil war, its devastating impact on women, and their role in ending the conflict.

🎯 Stories of exile and resilience: Reclaiming the Palestinian narrative
Our co-founder and editor hosted a panel during the Women in Literature Festival organised by Ananke Magazine, where she spoke to authors Deema Al-Alami and Nimati Emam about the importance of sharing the stories of Palestinian people who have experienced exile.

🎯 The mothers’ movement: How women are fighting injustice in the UK’s family courts
We reported on the scandal of the UK's family courts, and how mothers with disabilities, who are on a low income, or are immigrants are being unfairly deemed ‘unfit’ and face having their children taken away.

🎯A year after Morocco's devastating earthquake: The impact on women and children
As part of our mentorship programme 'How to write for impact', Amal Ouachhou wrote about the devastating impact of the Al Haouz earthquake, calling out the Moroccan government’s response for its lack of accountability.


18/12/2024

💡 What is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)?

The ERA has had a long and winding journey through American legislative history. Originally proposed in 1923 by suffragists Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, it aimed to eliminate legal distinctions between men and women in matters including divorce, property and employment.

For decades it struggled to gain momentum, with each introduction to Congress falling short of support.

Finally, in 1972 the ERA passed Congress and was sent to the states for ratification, requiring approval from 38 states to become part of the Constitution. However only 35 ratified the amendment.

While all 38 states eventually gave their approval the ERA remains mired in legal wrangling. Members of Congress are now urging Biden's administration to take action before his term is up.

👀 Watch our reel to find out more.



***

Photos are public domain except:

Cover image: Women's March LA 2019 by Luke Harold, CC0

San Francisco Women's March participant holds a sign reading "ERA Now" by Pax Ahimsa Gethe, CC BY-SA 4.0

Under the banner of feminism by Marc Nozell, CC BY 2.0

*Content warning: This story contains mentions of s*xual abuse.*In recent weeks, Gisèle Pelicot has emerged as a powerfu...
16/12/2024

*Content warning: This story contains mentions of s*xual abuse.*

In recent weeks, Gisèle Pelicot has emerged as a powerful symbol in the global fight against s*xual violence.

The French former logistics manager gained the public's attention because of the harrowing trial of her ex-husband, who drugged her and allowed at least 51 men to r**e her while she was unconscious.

Her brave decision to push for a public trial and waive her anonymity has brought attention to the crime of drug-facilitated s*xual assault. At the start of the proceedings in September, Pelicot relayed a message through her lawyer: "It's a way of saying... shame must change sides."

The phrase has become a feminist call to action, not just in France but worldwide, and has been emblazoned across countless posters and placards at demonstrations taking place across the country ever since.

Ultimately Pelicot has said that she hopes French law and attitudes around r**e and consent will change. During her moving testimony, she said: "I wanted all woman victims of r**e — not just when they have been drugged, r**e exists at all levels — I want those women to say: Mrs Pelicot did it, we can do it too.

"When you’re r**ed there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame — it’s for them. It’s true that I hear lots of women, and men, who say you’re very brave. I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society."

Pelicot has been named among the BBC's 100 Women of 2024 and cited as one of the 25 most influential women of 2024 by the Financial Times.





Yanomami and Ye’kwana women have created a human rights booklet for the women of the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, Braz...
12/12/2024

Yanomami and Ye’kwana women have created a human rights booklet for the women of the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, Brazil’s largest Indigenous land.

The booklet is the result of a workshop on human rights facilitated by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and the Instituto Socioambiental, following a request from several Indigenous associations during former president Jair Bolsonaro's administration.

It addresses key issues such as combating violence against women, and protecting cultural practices like marriage rights and access to forest resources. It also reflects women’s concerns about health.

The Yanomami Indigenous Territory spans more than 9.6 million hectares. Despite its legal protections, the territory has been under siege for decades due to illegal mining and deforestation. During Bolsonaro's tenure these invasions escalated, with deforestation and violence against the Yanomami people, especially s*xual violence against women and children, being particularly acute. Diseases brought in by miners such as malaria, are serious problems due to the area's lack of public health services.

The human rights booklet is the first document of its kind to be created by and for women. “Before, there was nothing specific for women’s rights because it was men who created rights, they were the only ones who spoke and we were not fully included, but we evolved and the creation of rights for women was considered,” said Ana Lucia Paixão Vilela, representative of the Kumirayoma Women's Association.

During the workshop, Roni Raitateri, treasurer of the Kurikama Yanomami Association, said: "It is important that we are all connected, together, and united to face the problems, especially the abuses against our women and the deaths of our children caused by miners."

Cover photo: Aerial view of Amazon rainforest and Solimões River, Brazil, by Lubasi

Give up the doomscrolling and start joyscrolling instead, beginning with this week's round-up of uplifting news that cel...
06/12/2024

Give up the doomscrolling and start joyscrolling instead, beginning with this week's round-up of uplifting news that celebrates women.

✨ ‘Her Story’ is the feminist comedy written and directed by Yihui Shao that has been touted as China’s answer to the Barbie movie.

✨ Belgium has become the first country in the world to give s*x workers employment rights like sick days, health insurance, maternity pay and pension plans.

✨ The Dosti Peshawar Women Literature Festival took place in Pakistan, a five-day event giving women writers a platform to share their stories and ideas.

✨ The Worcester Craftivists are a group of creative activists who are drawing attention to violence against women with an installation of crocheted roses - one for every woman killed in the UK in the past year - in the city of Worcester.

✨ Taxi firms run by women are providing safe rides for women, children and older people in Bolivia.


Almost half of Ghanaians believe the police and courts must do a lot more to protect women and girls from discrimination...
05/12/2024

Almost half of Ghanaians believe the police and courts must do a lot more to protect women and girls from discrimination and public harassment, according to the latest survey.

Just a quarter of the people surveyed feel that law enforcement authorities are doing enough to protect women and girls.

Additionally, 22% said that schoolgirls are “often” or “always” discriminated against, harassed, or harangued for s*xual favours by teachers.

The study also found that, despite the need for greater protection from discrimination and harassment, 61% think women and girls are likely to be believed if they make a complaint to the authorities.

🔗 Get the full story via the link in our bio.





"We will fight to the end against bad politics that ignores the lives of the weak and forgets its responsibility to conf...
03/12/2024

"We will fight to the end against bad politics that ignores the lives of the weak and forgets its responsibility to confront the great challenges of climate crisis and inequality."

Jang Hye-young is a South Korean politician, filmmaker, disability rights advocate, and LGBTQ+ activist. As a member of South Korea's Progressive Justice Party, she is known for her efforts to advance anti-discrimination legislation.

Her commitment to disability rights stems from personal experience. When she was 13, her autistic sister was placed in a care home as her family struggled to care for her with little support from the government. Her other sister was sent away to boarding school and her mother left the family home; Hye-young was sent to live with her grandparents. The childhood trauma she experienced inspired her to become an activist. She also made a documentary, Grown Up, about caring for her sister.

At the age of 35, she is one of South Korea's youngest members of parliament. In 2021, she was named in Time Magazine's 100 Next, a list celebrating emerging global leaders.

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while others work behind the scenes - but all are trying to make the world a better place.

Our top stories this week include tributes to women in history and culture, from the suffragettes to an Iranian pop icon...
30/11/2024

Our top stories this week include tributes to women in history and culture, from the suffragettes to an Iranian pop icon.

✨ Disney has agreed to pay a $43 million settlement to address longstanding pay disparities between male and female employees.

✨ In Italy, Marisa Rodano, a renowned women's rights activist and politician, has been honoured by having a street named after her in Rome.

✨ Barcelona's FEM Kolectiva has been recognised with the 25 November Award for their innovative approach to feminist urban design.

✨ A new documentary sheds light on the life of Iranian pop singer Googoosh, whose music became a beacon of resistance following the revolution in 1979.


Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while ...
25/11/2024

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while others work behind the scenes - but all are trying to make the world a better place.

This week we are highlighting the work of Carolina Díaz Pimentel, a Peruvian journalist and mental health activist. At the age of 29 she was diagnosed with autism, and also has bipolar II disorder. She credits the diagnosis with improving her mental health, as she says previously she felt like she was "living in a world that spoke a language I didn't know and without subtitles."

She now uses her platform as a journalist to promote awareness of neurodivergence, autism and bipolar disorder, and advocate for better access to diagnosis, education and inclusive work environments.

Pimentel is the co-founder of the Peruvian Neurodivergent Coalition. As well as advocating for change, the group organises picnics in parks where attendees choose a different coloured tape to signal whether they want to take part in activities or if they would prefer not to be approached, creating a relaxed environment where people can benefit from company without feeling overwhelmed.

In 2023, Pimentel was named one of the most influential women in the world by BBC 100 Women.

It's been a week of awards recognising courage and freedom, plus a win for reproductive justice in Wyoming. Here are our...
22/11/2024

It's been a week of awards recognising courage and freedom, plus a win for reproductive justice in Wyoming. Here are our favourite stories of the week:

✨ Zholia Parsi, a women's rights activist from Afghanistan, has been honoured with the prestigious Martin Ennals Award.

✨ Icelandic artist Björk has unveiled an immersive sound installation in Paris that reproduces the calls of endangered and extinct animals, coinciding with Cop29.

✨ Iranian journalist Nasim Soltanbeygi has won Index on Censorship's 2024 Freedom of Expression Award for journalism.

✨ Shanley Clemot McLaren has received an award for fighting cybers*xism at the UN's Young Activists Summit.

✨ Breaking barriers in the automotive world, Girls Auto Clinic in Pennsylvania is a an all-women auto repair shop.

✨ A Wyoming judge has overturned the state's sweeping abortion ban, including its prohibition on medication-induced pregnancy termination.


In India, when the need for an organ transplant arises in a family, women feel a hidden pressure to become donors. Accor...
20/11/2024

In India, when the need for an organ transplant arises in a family, women feel a hidden pressure to become donors. According to several data sources, women make up more than two-thirds of living donors, while most recipients are male.

While there is no centralised data for living organ donation in India, doctors at three different hospitals point out that women consistently outnumber men when it comes to donating organs for their male relatives – a trend seen across years, cities, and hospitals.

Between 2008 and 2017, women constituted 74% of kidney donors in three centers and 60.5 percent of donors for liver transplants in five centers.

Data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), meanwhile, revealed that four out of five organ donors in India between 1995 and 2021 were women, and four out of five people who received the organs were men.

In this report, Mythreyee Ramesh and The Quint Team investigate the reasons why women outnumber men when it comes to donating organs: a combination of guilt, physiological factors, and family structures where men are the main breadwinners.

Read the full story via the link in our bio.

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while ...
19/11/2024

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while others are working quietly behind the scenes - but all are trying to make the world a better place.

This week we're highlighting the work of American writer and historian Rebecca Solnit, who has authored more than 20 books on feminism, western and urban history and social change.

Solnit is also a climate justice activist, serving on the board of the climate group Oil Change International. She is behind the climate project Not Too Late, which shares practical resources for organising, campaigning and importantly, of recognising the impact of people power.

Her essays are regularly featured in media outlets such as the Guardian and Literary Hub, and while she tackles complex, thorny subjects, her message is one of hope. Following the results of the latest US election, a post on X read: "They want you to feel powerless and surrender and let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving."

Photo: Trent Davis Bailey

From historic milestones in Colombia to bold leadership in Botswana, here are our favourite stories of progress, creativ...
15/11/2024

From historic milestones in Colombia to bold leadership in Botswana, here are our favourite stories of progress, creativity and resilience led by women this week.

✨ In a landmark move, Colombia has outlawed child marriage, a significant victory for advocacy groups that campaigned tirelessly for 17 years.

✨ In the United States, Black and Latina women are taking center stage in labour unions, bringing crucial issues like parental leave, healthcare and protections against s*xual harassment to the forefront of negotiations.

✨ Designer and ecologist Zoe Gilbertson is making waves in the fashion industry with her not-for-profit company, Liflad CIC, focusing on ethical textile production.

✨ In Columbia, South Carolina, 'We Believe Women' is creating safe spaces for women of all identities to learn about feminism and mutual support.

✨ Lesego Chombo, a 26-year-old attorney, has been appointed Botswana's Minister of Youth and Gender, drawing praise for her new perspectives on leadership.

✨ At Penn State University, students are using digital design to create the ‘Reproductive Justice Cyber Quilt’, highlighting crucial social justice issues while fostering a sense of community among students.

What's your favourite story this week?


15/11/2024

The re-election of Donald Trump has sent shockwaves around the world and a troubling message to girls and women. But this is not the only story.

If the election results and the ensuing surge in online misogyny show us anything, it's that we need women's voices more than ever. Voices from every corner of the globe, representing diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Stories that matter, and that drive change.

👉 This is where it happens. Join us - subscribe to nadja.co and help amplify the voices the world needs to hear.

Only 8 out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 this year are women according to the NGO CARE International. T...
14/11/2024

Only 8 out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 this year are women according to the NGO CARE International.

This is despite extensive research showing that in many regions around the world women and girls are disproportionally experiencing the impact of the climate crisis.

Women’s representation at COP — which stands for 'Conference of the Parties', and takes place every year to assess progress in dealing with climate change — has hardly progressed over the years. At COP28 in 2023, there were 15 women out of 133 world leaders and made up only 34% of national delegates, with only 2% of countries attending having gender-balanced delegations.

Numerous studies show that climate crises increase the risk of stillbirths, miscarriages and maternal deaths.

Climate-induced scarcity and stress increase the risk of intimate partner violence, and also puts more girls at risk of becoming child brides as the impacts of climate change render families unable to feed their children.

This year's COP takes place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The summit, which continues until November 22, has been fraught with controversy so far, including the country's president Ilham Aliyev giving a speech calling oil and gas a "gift of God" and criticising France for committing human rights violations in its overseas territories, prompting the French delegation to boycott the event.

Meanwhile Argentina's delegates were ordered to withdraw from the summit after three days. Argentinian president Javier Milei, who has previously called the climate crisis a "socialist lie", dissolved the country's ministry of environment earlier this year.

💡 We want to know what you think of COP29. Are events like these effective at addressing climate issues, or are they just talk without real impact?

Photo: Dean Calma / IAEA

“Women who do not understand their symptoms may feel isolated and alone, thinking their experiences are not shared by ot...
13/11/2024

“Women who do not understand their symptoms may feel isolated and alone, thinking their experiences are not shared by others."

There has long been a stigma attached to the menopause. In 2019, María Milagros Kirpach and Miriam Di Paoli decided to raise awareness of the condition. Initially, they knocked on doors to provide information, though they were often turned away. They later held their first meeting, which had fewer than 20 attendees, in a coffee shop.

During those early attempts, they discovered that while everyone shared a biological experience, they also shared ignorance and a lack of support.

As a result they created No Pausa (Spanish for 'no pausing'), to provide information and a supportive space for women going through the menopause.

🔗 Read the full story by Victoria Mendizabal by visiting the link in our bio.

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while ...
11/11/2024

Each week we spotlight a different woman creating positive change in her community and beyond. Some you may know, while others are working quietly behind the scenes - but all are trying to make the world a better place.

This week we are highlighting the work of Dr Rabab Baldo, a Sudanese mediator and peace activist. In the 1990s, along with other Sudanese women she worked to bring women’s voices and needs to Sudan's peace processes.

She has worked with UN agencies in more than 15 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and as a Senior Gender & Inclusivity Advisor in the Office of the IGAD Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
A member of the global network Feminists Connecting for Peace and of FemWise-Africa, she has dedicated her career to including women's voices at the negotiating table.

In August this year Baldo travelled to Geneva along with a number of other Sudanese women activists to propose a peace agreement based on the UN’s resolution on women, peace and security.

Shortly after the talks we spoke to Baldo about the ongoing civil war in Sudan and its impact on women. “Since it started, the war has been fought on the bodies of women," she told us.

“Despite coming from conflicting tribes, [women] have been working together to maintain community cohesion, through the communal kitchens, for example. Women in general bring additional value to the peace process, not only because they are victims of the war, but because they are active in bringing an end to it. We must not ignore this. Even at our consultation in Geneva, the mediation team recognised the value of our involvement as women.”

It has been a difficult week for women, particularly in the US, following an election that will see Donald Trump re-elec...
09/11/2024

It has been a difficult week for women, particularly in the US, following an election that will see Donald Trump re-elected as president. The result has stirred alarm among many women given his history of controversial comments on women’s rights, his conviction for s*xually abusing E. Jean Carroll, and his stance on abortion.

With that in mind, this week we have a slightly expanded edition of our round-up of positive news from around the world, because regardless of the election results, good things are still happening, and good news still matters.

This week:

✨ Seven US states have voted for abortion rights to be guaranteed under state law.

✨ Gabriella Kaslik is giving a voice to women cancer survivors, domestic abuse victims and women affected by human trafficking in a video series and book.

✨ The Stand With a Girl Education Project in Nigeria mentors girls who have been displaced by Boko Haram.

✨ The UK's women's football league has secured TV coverage for the next five seasons.

✨ Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender person elected to US Congress.

✨ Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester have been elected to the US Senate, doubling the number of Black women in the Senate from two to four.

✨ Two women-led grassroots initiatives in St Lucia have been awarded $50k to tackle the climate crisis.

✨ Magician Megan Swann uses 'environmental magic' to inspire children and adults to act more sustainably.

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Our Story

Co-founded by Alia Chebbab and Leila Hawkins, NADJA is an innovative digital news platform that reports the world through the eyes of women. We aim to redefine news from women’s perspectives and focus on women who are changing the world. Launched in 2016, NADJA gives a fresh and unique approach to news rather than competing with other outlets on breaking news.

We believe women play an active role in shaping our world and our future, and deserve to have their voices heard.

Did you know that women make up only 24% of the news, exactly as they did in 2010? Only 19% of online news stories focus specifically on women, and as little as 4% of the stories clearly challenge stereotypes. The media is a powerful tool in influencing how we make sense of the world, and often how we act. But they lack the richness of women’s perspectives and depict an incomplete and discordant reality.

By shining a light on the women who made and are making a difference every day we aspire to contribute to a greater and fairer representation of women in the media.