To achieve gender equality, we must first tackle our unconscious biases

Australia has a very real issue in gender pay gap and the impact it has on women in retirement. In November last year the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) released Australia s Gender Equality Scorecard and it wasn t pretty. The WGEA scorecard showed that full-time working women earn a base salary that is about 18% less and a total remuneration that is more than 22% less than full-time working men. This equates to a significant gender pay gap with men taking home more http://kkflipkart.angelfire.com/ than 26 000 on average per year than women. Add that up over a working lifetime and the figures are rather scary. Indeed the pay gap translates into superannuation and retirement savings with women retiring with almost half as much in superannuation than men leaving them at much greater risk of poverty and homelessness. A report released last year by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) showed that average superannuation balances at the time of retirement (assumed to be age 60 to 64) in 2015-2016 were 270 710 for men and 157 050 for women a difference of about 114 000. And while these figures are up on the previous two years figures they fall well short of the 545 000 as per ASFA guidelines needed for a comfortable retirement for a single person. It is estimated that more than 40% of older single women live in poverty. How much longer do we allow this to continue when we know the data and the statistics? asks Sandra Buckley Executive Officer at national advocacy group Women In Super. Buckley also points to statistics which show that the fastest growing cohort of homeless people is older single women and that women are more dependent on the Age Pension than men. Clearly the superannuation picture is looking anything but super for women. Given that women also live longer than men on average it is imperative that women have enough money to retire on comfortably. That means earning equal pay among other things. And it s not just an issue for women but society as a whole and the economy. After all improving the financial security of women in retirement reduces women s fiscal reliance on the government partners and other family members. The national gender pay gap has hovered between 15% and 19% for the past two decades. It s not new so why in 2018 are women still in this bleak financial situation? Industry Super Australia s head of consumer advocacy Sarah Saunders says the factors are complex and there is no silver bullet. Superannuation is earnings-linked and women comprise two-thirds of Australia s army of unpaid carers. Time out of the workforce to care for children ageing parents and then later grandkids has a big impact on retirement savings says Saunders. That many traditional female-dominated industries such as nursing and teaching are undervalued and paid less than more traditional male-dominated industries is also an issue. Largely this comes back to the fact that culturally we don t value the work women do as highly as we value the work men do. WGEA spokesperson Jackie Woods agrees: It seems to be very common in Australia that we have the male breadwinner model where the woman takes the more secondary earning role and is more likely to work part-time. While we don t have to always see this in negative way as a lot of women want to spend time with their children when they are young and want to structure their working life in a way that allows them to have time at home. The issue is that there is a very big financial cost that comes with this this is what needs to be addressed. As well as women s disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic work WGEA cites a number of other factors that contribute to the gender pay gap including discrimination and bias under-representation in senior roles lack of workplace flexibility and greater time out of the workforce. It s also due to the different jobs that men and women gravitate towards we call it industry and occupation segregation says Jackie Woods WGEA spokesperson. Our most male-dominated industry is mining while health care and social assistance is female-dominated. You can guess which attracts much higher pay not health care. Also when we look at occupational categories men dominate manager and senior manager ranks which is where we see really big pay gaps. Australia does have quite a highly segregated workforce in terms of industries and occupations that women and men go into. How we break down that segregation is an important part of this conversation. Woods also points out that the data and statistics above are based on full-time employees and women currently make up more than 71% of all part-time employees. The current superannuation system assumes a 40-year continuous work history to accumulate sufficient funds to live comfortably in retirement she says. However this is more often the experience of men rather than women who take breaks from paid work to have children and take on unpaid caring roles for sick and elderly family members. As a result women are much more likely than men to be working part-time and casually and that really has a double knock-on effect because to get that flexibility of part-time hours women are often taking on a role that s lower than their skills and experience are suitable for. It s also usually lower paid and means they re earning less money for which they can accrue superannuation. One obvious step for government here says Saunders is to scrap the 450 monthly earnings threshold which ASFA estimates sees 220 000 women working casual contract or part-time jobs miss out on super. The rapid rise of the gig economy has pretty much rendered the threshold obsolete already says Saunders. Removing it entirely will allow women working reduced hours to build a bit more superannuation while future-proofing the system as a whole . The growing concern around gender pay gap and gender superannuation gap prompted the WGEA to submit a report along with possible solutions to the Senate Inquiry into Economic Security for Women in Retirement in November 2015. The submission noted that women are more likely to re-enter the workforce following retirement due to financial constraints are twice as likely as men to sell their house and move to lower cost accommodation because of financial circumstances in retirement and have a higher life expectancy than men worsening the impact of the retirement superannuation gap. The submission also included possible solutions to address the gender pay gap citing that employers can play a key role by providing women with access to the workforce incentives to encourage retention and opportunities to progress up the management pipeline. Our research suggests that this can be achieved through developing and implementing company-wide strategies and initiatives such as flexible working arrangements paid parental leave and making additional contributions to superannuation to reduce the gender pay gap. The good news is the shift in the financial landscape is starting to happen albeit slowly with a growing number of employers starting to focus on the issue of gender equality. More employers than ever are prioritising gender pay equity as a business imperative said Director Libby Lyons in WGEA s Australia s Gender Equality Scorecard. There has been a substantial increase in employers adopting targeted strategies to support gender equality in areas such as succession planning retention and promotion. More employers report having key performance indicators for managers linked to gender equality outcomes. Lyons went on to say that while this progress is positive there is still much more to be done to reach gender pay equality in Australia. For more information on Women and Superannuation click here
On the last night of a month of fashion weeks Hollywood decamped to Paris for the Louis Vuitton catwalk show. Emma Stone arrived fresh from the Oscars along with fellow actors Sienna Miller Michelle Williams and Jaden Smith. The clothes were quintessentially French said designer Nicolas Ghesquière after the show which repurposed the sculpture galleries of the Louvre as a catwalk. I looked back to the French women who surrounded me when I was growing up. The women who taught me to be the person I am today. There is a particularity to French women and this is quite a strict collection I think. This was a more traditional ladylike show than is typical of Ghesquière who in a stellar fashion career has pioneered an angular futuristic aesthetic. (One of his all-time greatest hits were shoes inspired by Lego; spring s Archlight a bulky jolie-laide dad sneaker is a new season sellout at 780.) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Estrop/Getty Images Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images First on to the catwalk was a black suit with pencil skirt and matching cropped jacket worn with an ivory blouse and black heels. As per old-school catwalk protocol suits for daytime were followed by a flou section of soft dresses and separates before the show ended with eveningwear. Ghesquière said he focused on real women because of the cultural shift around gender equality. It s a dialogue we have every day he said. This dialogue about women is really important when you work in fashion. Asked why this was expressed in a demure and ladylike aesthetic he responded that sometimes we think to empower a woman means putting trousers on her. The women I dress don t dress for men and they don t dress like men. They dress for themselves and like themselves . Catherine Deneuve whose controversial views on the #MeToo movement have been noted came backstage after the show to embrace Ghesquière. So important was this show to Ghesquière that he was one of the few major French designers missing from a dinner hosted by the country s president Emanuel Macron at the Élysée for luminaries of Paris fashion on Monday night. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images The dinner was a glamorous showpiece of Macron s business-friendly messaging promoting France to international entrepreneurs. Thom Browne the US designer who recently moved his show from New York to Paris was seated at the top table. The British designers Sarah Burton and Stella McCartney were also at the dinner. Ghesquière despite his absence from dinner has a well-placed ambassador at the court of Macron in the form of Brigitte Macron a devotee of Louis Vuitton who wore a cutaway brocade frock coat from the current collection to the dinner. (Anna Wintour wore Chanel.) The neat curve-hipped peplum jackets corset-style belts and ultra slim trousers at Vuitton s Paris show made for a more body conscious collection than has been seen on most catwalks this month. But it reinforced several trends that look set to dominate next season: black leather skirts and western styling which made an appearance on high-waisted tight trousers and wing-collared shirts. Topics Paris fashion week Fashion weeks Paris features Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Reuse this content
BHUBANESWAR: Economic disparity is the root cause of the growing inequality between men and women said experts attending a panel discussion organised at Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) Bhubaneswar http://arfplying.over-blog.com/2018/02/how-t-play-and-use-arf-player.html on Wednesday on the eve of the International Women s Day. Experts like Ramadevi Women s University vice chancellor Padmja Mishra former Sambalpur University vice chancellor Priyamabda Mohanty social activist Namrata Chaddha and ILS director Ajay Parida called for concrete steps for empowering rural and urban women to make them self-confident and self-reliant. They also put emphasis on sensitization of both men and women in the society for varying roles and responsibilities of women in different profession. There are several encouraging examples of women achievers in all the fields those who have contributed immensely to the growth of society much more efforts are needed to replicate the success stories and make many more women empowered in the society. Investing in capacity enhancement skill and technology empowerment and motivational activities are truly essential for addressing gender inequality in the society said the panelists.

Why You Should Wear Purple on International Women's Day

New Delhi: International Women s Day is a global celebration of the social cultural economic and political achievements of women. It is celebrated annually on March 8. The past year saw unprecedented global movement for women s rights equality and justice. Global marches and campaigns including #MeToo and #TimesUp were taken up throughout the world on issues ranging from sexual harassment femicide equal pay women s political representation among others. Echoing the sentiment this year s International Women s Day theme is #TimeIsNow: Rural and urban activists transforming women s lives.History Of International Women s Day:Women s Day was first observed on February 28 1909 in New York. At 1910 International Woman s Conference March 8 was suggested to be observed as International Woman s Day. March 8 also became a national holiday in Soviet Russia in 1917 after women gained suffrage there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.Theme of International Women s DayInternational Women s Day 2018 theme is Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women s lives . The UN Women said Echoing the priority theme of the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women International Women s http://kkflipkart.soup.io/ Day will also draw attention to the rights and activism of rural women who make up over a quarter of the world population and are being left behind in every measure of development. CommentsClose X Celebration on International Women s DayGlobal gatherings conferences awards exhibitions festivals fun runs corporate events concert performances speaking events online digital gatherings are observed globally to mark International Women s Day.
There is a school of thought that believes human society was originally matriarchal. From around 1.5 million years ago women were revered as priestesses and honoured for their ability to bear children. Archaeological evidence such as ancient Venus statues seems to support this. But somewhere around 3 000BC the balance shifted and so scholars believe society was thereafter dominated by men; the patriarchy was born. Although this school of thought known as the myth of matriarchal prehistory has been knocking around since the Classical Greek era it really took off in the feminist waves of the late-20th century. Scholars and academics scoured the history books for tales of the queen-priestess of Minoan Crete the legends of the Amazonian women the Germanic tribe of the Sitonians the Cham of central Vietnam anywhere and everywhere for evidence of matriarchies and crucially whether they were something to emulate. Read more Everything you need to know about International Women s Day Closing gender pay gap would boost UK women s pay by 90bn annually Thousands of protesters call for gender equality at March4Women rally But these days the word matriarchy carries some misinterpretations. And it s important to clarify that in feminist thought the ideal of the harmonious nature-worshipping matriarchy is not the mirror image of patriarchy. According to Heide Goettner-Abendroth matriarchy expert and founder of The International Academy Hagia for Modern Matriarchal Studies: In matriarchies mothers are at the centre of culture without ruling over other members of society. The aim she explains to Dame magazine is not to have power over others and over nature but to follow maternal values ie to nurture the natural social and cultural life based on mutual respect . So patriarchy: power over others. Matriarchy: power from within. Nor are we talking Wonder Women and her hidden island of Amazonian warriors. That is to say matriarchy isn t really about women ruling over men. Catherine Endsell is an expedition leader and founder of Matriarch Adventures which takes women out into the desert to observe elephants: the ultimate matriarchy . Endsell explains that she has always been drawn to the idea of matriarchal societies the idea of women living a more egalitarian lifestyle with strong community bonds and a healthy bartering system that is supportive rather than exclusive; wise rather than merely strong . She stresses: I don t see it as a society that oppresses men; more a society that values instinct as much as intellect receptivity as much as assertiveness collaboration as much as individualism and empathy as much as objectivity. Elephants she explains are the iconic matriarchs : In the elephant world successful matriarchs are not self-appointed leaders of their family; they are leaders because their family respects them and they are respected because they are proven over the years that they can be trusted to make wise decisions. Through the years older females become repositories of social and ecological knowledge. So natural leadership qualities and long experience combined are the makings of a wise matriarch. Endsell believes that this is a good example of how wisdom charisma and experience are deemed honourable qualities perhaps we should look for that in our leaders male or female . These days Merriam-Webster defines matriarchy both as a group or state governed by women and as system of social organisation in which inheritance is traced through the female line. These are more commonly known as matrilineal societies where studies record significantly less crime violence and divorce than in traditionally patriarchal societies and significantly more sex. Just look at our two closest genetic relations: the bonobo and the chimpanzee. As Karen Joy Fowler so neatly summarises in her award-winning novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves the bonobo and the chimpanzee are the perfect allegory for matriarchy vs patriarchy. International Women s Day: Why we celebrate it Chimpanzees are a textbook example of a male-dominated animal society. The lowest-status male ranks higher than the highest-status female. Extreme violence and infanticide are common while female chimps have no say in their sexual partners. The seriously endangered bonobo on the other hand found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo is almost identical genetically but could not be more different socially. Sisterly solidarity prevails with the females running the peaceful egalitarian show. The primates are also famed for their use of sex to solve every problem in any situation and crucially with any gender. The two primates so genetically similar and yet so drastically different perhaps provide an insight into the direction human social evolution could have taken. But does Endsell think the concept of matriarchy has a future in society? To live communally as many women around the world do even if they are not matriarchal societies as such is a very nurturing and supportive way to live. And even to this day matriarchal societies exist all over the globe. Below are five very different examples of female-led and matrilineal cultures from around the world. Mosuo China Each Mosuo household is ruled by an ah mi mother figure (Getty) In the foothills of the Himalayan mountains by the Lugu Lake in south-west China there exists the land where women rule or the kingdom of women : the Mosuo. Officially the Chinese government classifies them as an ethnic minority known as the Nakhi but in reality the Mosuo are culturally unique. For the 40 000 or so of the group who call themselves the Na China s one-child policy held no sway. Indeed they have been practising matriarchy for thousands of years. Each large household is ruled by an ah mi the matriarch and property and lineage are passed down through the female line. Typically women take care of business and men take care of the animals. Children belong to their mothers; indeed babies often do not know who their father is for which there is no stigma. This is partly down to what is known as walking marriage Mosuo men stay with their mothers and at night women choose a partner by walking to his home. Couples traditionally did not live together; in fact the language has no word for husband or father . The women take lovers from various tribes enjoying relatively unique sexual agency and freedom from judgement with one exception. Many visitors misunderstand these cultural practices and assume that Mosuo women offer free sex. Tourism has flourished in the area and the Lugu Lake now boasts a red-light district. Minangkabau Indonesia Mingan women of Indonesia are in charge of the land and choose their chiefs (Getty) The highlands of West Sumatra are home to the largest known matrilineal society: the Minangkabau. In fact the population is around 4.2 million. According to legend King Maharajo Dirajo who established the Koto Batu kingdom died in the 1300s leaving three baby sons by three wives. His first wife Puti Indo Jalito is said to have taken charge of the kingdom setting the stage for a female-led society. Both land and family name pass from mother to daughter while men take on religious and political roles although some women do also enter into these spheres. However while the men may take on the leader s role it is in fact the women who choose the chief and can remove him if necessary. But the matriarchal Minangkabau culture has in part been shaped by its diaspora; men typically travel out of the country for long periods of time to work leaving the women behind to care for the land and property. Minangs argue that: Men can live anywhere and so do not need a house like women do. Alapine Village Alabama Lesbian paradise hippy commune no-man s land... there are many epithets for the hundred or so remaining female-only colonies in America but the official name (and spelling) is Womyn s Lands. These communities mainly trace their routes to the original Pagoda by the Sea founded in St Augustine Florida in 1977. A product of the 1970s gay rights and women s liberation movements a group of women made their way to Florida to live together on a beach where no men were allowed. For 15 years the Pagoda had hundreds of female visitors but only a small core community of 12 cottages. In the 1990s some of these women including Emily Greene relocated to a mountaintop in rural Alabama. They formed a camp called Alapine Village which still exists today. According to their website the village is home to a diverse group of womyn who celebrate many spiritual paths pursue a variety of outdoor activities enjoy vegetarian and gluten-free to omnivorous diets . These days around 17 middle-aged women live and work the land together in an ecofriendly community-based and strictly man-free lesbian community. Bribri Costa Rica The Bribri are an indigenous people found in the Limon province of Costa Rica and northern Panama. Census data estimates that there could be anywhere between 12 000 and 35 000 members of the tribe but the effect of colonials and Western tourism has left many disenfranchised and unemployed. Only Bribri matriarchs are permitted to prepare the sacred cacao drink (AFP/Getty) Their society operates on a matrilineal line; women pass on land to their children and tradition and tribal lineage to their grandchildren. Each Bribri belongs to a clan which is determined by their mother. Only women are permitted to prepare the traditional cacao drink used in sacred rituals which gives them a certain spiritual superiority. Bribri legend has it that the cacao tree used to be a woman who was turned into a tree by the gods. Noemy Blanco Salazar a Bribri matriarch of Amubri Costa Rica told Courtney Parker that women are heirs of life . We have to assume this mission that Sibu (Bribri god) proudly entrusted with dignity. We must strive to build valuable ways of being for society. Mother Earth energy is the force that grows in our spirit. Umoja Kenya Umoja is an unusual example of a matriarchy where men are actually banned. A literal no-man s land the village in the grasslands of Samburu northern Kenya is home to survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence. It is surrounded by a thorn fence to keep out all male visitors. The matriarch of Umoja Rebecca Lolosoli founded the village in 1990 with 15 survivors of rape at the hands of British soldiers. Lolosoli herself was recovering from an attack by a group of men as a punishment for spreading women s rights in her village. Umoja which means unity in Swahili has since provided refuge for women of the Samburu. They come from isolated and deeply patriarchal villages along the Rift valley fleeing forced marriages FGM domestic violence and sexual assault. They learn trades sell crafts teach children and show tourists around a cultural centre. They also work in the neighbouring villages to educate women on their rights. As of 2015 there were 47 women and 200 children living in Umoja. 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Progress for some women can no longer come at the cost of continued exploitation and disempowerment for others writes Molly Harriss Olson: Hidden Figures star Octavia Spencer recounted a conversation with her friend and The Help co-star Jessica Chastain about pay inequality in which Spencer pointed out the colour pay gap. For every 77 cents a white woman makes a white man may earn a dollar but an African American woman will earn 64 cents and a Hispanic woman 56. So for an upcoming movie starring both women Chastain tied Spencer s pay to hers increasing Spencer s pay fivefold. It was a money-where-her-mouth-is-moment a profoundly tangible act where anger and frustration triumphed in action instead of fading away into our common humiliation and impotency Women who work as farmers or producers in developing countries will not benefit from black couture frocks at the Golden Globes or examinations of the pay gap in developed countries. They will not benefit from social media storms about the role of the feminist movement or definition of consent no matter how seismic their importance. But we can still make a tangible difference; we can still have our money-where-our-mouths-are moments. We all have the power to bring others with us on the path to equality | Molly Harris Olson Read more
The very first International Women s Day was observed in February 1909 in New York. The event has since then metamorphosed into an important celebration of women s achievements while still being a reminder of the struggle and challenges ahead. Marking International Women s Day 2018 Google Doodle has brought together 12 artists from 12 different countries to create a visual anthology that brings forth unheard stories of womanhood. Lydia Nichols and Alyssa Winans Doodlers and project leads on the IWD 2018 Project explained that they wanted to come up with a concept that would truly celebrate the stories and voices of another group of extraordinary women the everyday women living all over the world . An overview of the Google Doodle for International Women s Day 2018 To do so they reached out to 12 female artists of all backgrounds to share their personal stories in a series of visual narratives. Each story represents a moment person or event that has impacted their lives as women. While each artist tells a unique story the themes are universal reminding us of how much we often have in common. We hope that the combined power of words and images help bring these stories to life in a way that invokes feelings of understanding empathy and spirit of the day Nichols and Winans said in a statement. Nichols and Winans added that the project had been an incredible journey for them saying they d been moved by the candour intimacy and bravery of our contributors stories . Kaveri Gopalakrishnan an independent comics maker and illustrator from Bengaluru is one of the artists whose work has been featured in the International Women s Day 2018 Google Doodle. Her work is a comic about a young girl who reads books on her rooftop growing feathers with every page she reads until she finally takes flight. When the Google team sent in the brief which was Growth I had an immediate picture of a small creature growing into a large strong and mysterious being after feeding off books Gopalakrishnan told Firstpost. The Google Doodle project also issued an open call to all storytellers to share their own personal accounts of moment individuals or events that impacted their lives as women along with the hashtag #HerStoryOurStory. Here s a look at panels from each of the 12 artists stories: Anna Haifisch s Nov 1989 Chihiro Takeuchi s Ages and Stages Estelí Meza s My Aunt Blossoms Francesca Sanna s The Box Isuri s Aarthi the Amazing Karabo Poppy Moletsane s Ntsoaki s Victory Kaveri Gopalakrishnan s Up on the Roof From Love by Laerte From Philippa Rice s Trust From Homeland by Saffa Khan Minutes by Tillie Walden Tunalaya Dunn s Inwards Happy International Women s Day 2018!
On the occasion of International Women s Day celebrated each year on March 8 American company Mattel is honouring 17 female global role models with their own one-of-a-kind commemorative Barbies. These incredible and accomplished women include artists aviators athletes and filmmakers among others. The launch of the Barbie dolls the company says is to show girls that they can grow up to be anything. Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real life role models to remind them that they can be anything Lisa McKnight Senior Vice President and General Manager Barbie said in a press statement. With 86% of US moms worried about the type of role models their daughters are exposed to we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models in an effort to inspire more girls.Join us by sharing your role models using #MoreRoleModels. #IWD2018pic.twitter.com/FnEuBsDh23 Barbie (@Barbie) March 6 2018The line up part of Mattel s Shero programme includes dolls of 14 modern-day role models and three historical role models from diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds. These women come from diverse backgrounds and fields and are breaking boundaries to inspire the next generation of girls. the company said.The special International Women s Day line-up includes director of Wonder Woman Patty Jenkins youngest snowboarding gold medallist Chloe Kim Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin and Italian soccer player Sara Gama.Many of those featured in the new line-up of inspirational dolls took to Twitter to express their joy. Can t express how totally mind blowing and delightful it is to have your childhood favorite resemble you!! Thank you @Barbie for this incredible honor and for celebrating all kinds of women everywhere. What a great way to inspire the girls of tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/X5FteJQltn Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) March 6 2018Ahh! Im so happy to be honored as a @Barbie Shero alongside these incredible women! #InternationalWomensDay#Barbiepic.twitter.com/U0J7ajM0Sd Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) March 6 2018Proud to partner with @Barbie this #InternationalWomensDay to show girls - YOU CAN BE ANYTHING!#Adpic.twitter.com/nMdT7jMK8L Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) March 6 2018The three historical dolls include Mexican artist Frida Kahlo American aviator Amelia Earhart and mathematician Katherine Johnson. The figurines will come with information about the personality and their contribution to the society.The company also called on people to share some of the women they look up to using the hashtag more role models . In honor of #InternationalWomensDay we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls.Join the conversation by sharing your role models using #MoreRoleModels. pic.twitter.com/5oJnZywk7s Barbie (@Barbie) March 6 2018The tall skinny and blue-eyed blonde Barbie has had quite a makeover in recent years. Mattel as part of their Shero programme that began in 2015 has previously released Barbies inspired by achievers like US Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad - the first US Olympian to compete while wearing a hijab - as well as model and body activist Ashley Graham. Sheroes are given the Barbie brand s highest honor a one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness in celebration of their roles in expanding the possibilities for girls everywhere the company said. CommentsClose X Who s your shero? Let us know in the comments below.If you want some more inspiration here are 15 quotes by women for International Women s DayClick for more trending news
NEW DELHI: On International Women s Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to talk about a 106-year-old woman who had inspired him and urged others to write about some women who inspire you. Kunwar Bai a resident of Chhattisgarh sold her goats - her sole source of livelihood - to build a toilet in her village. The toilet the first in the http://kkflipkart.withtank.com/ village was built in 15 days and cost Rs 22 000. Her contribution towards a Swachh Bharat can never be forgotten. I am deeply inspired by her noble gesture shared PM Modi. I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai s blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh he added. Kunwar Bai passed away earlier this year but lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapu s dream of a clean India. PM Modi is expected to visit Rajasthan s Jhunjhunu today to mark the start of the National Nutrition Mission which seeks to reduce under-nutrition and low birth weight bring down anaemia among young children women and adolescent girls and to reduce the prevalence of stunting among children. The initiative will also mark the expansion of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao movement. Through their exemplary deeds several women have left an indelible mark in the history of humankind. They continue https://t.co/Hxg9fHMllm Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1520472435000 I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai s blessings during one of my visits to https://t.co/iZWSX4H07c Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1520472882000