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protesting against incidents of reports regarding the arrest of throughout India. Perhaps, most
police brutality and all racially 15 young students in Daraa. notable is this group’s willingness
motivated violence against black She organised her first protest to beat male abusers with sticks
people, particularly in the United in Chicago, demanding the end to teach them a lesson.
State of America and the United of the martial law in Syria. Later, Leader: Sampat Devi Pal
Kingdom. using Facebook, she coordinated
rallies in Syria, helping anti- Movement: Women of Liberia
Since 2013, these women have regime activists on the ground, Mass action for peace
managed to bring the issue of as well as distributing the digital (Liberia)
police brutality against black footage to various media outlets. In 2003, the women of Liberia
men and women — a problem She also personally visited Syria Mass Action for Peace ended
that has existed for decades to deliver medical supplies but a 14-year civil war in Liberia
— into the mainstream. And due to her influence and constant by staging several strikes,
it all started with the hashtag death threats, she remains in the including a sex strike. The
#BlackLivesMatter. United States. peace movement started in
Leaders: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Leader: Ala’a Basatneh Monrovia, Liberia and worked
Cullors and Opal Tometi to end the Second Liberian Civil

History tells the story of female heroes championing social,

environmental, and political change over and over again

Movement: Syrian Revolution Movement: The Gulabi Gang War. Thousands of Muslim and
(Syria/United States) in India (India) Christian women from various
Ala’a Basatneh did not spark The Gulabi Gang, founded in classes mobilised their efforts,
the revolution against Assad in 2006, is a vigilante group that staged silent nonviolence
Syria, but she did become one of fights against the oppression of protests that included a sex strike
the lead organisers of the effort women in India and encourages and the threat of a curse.
against the current government. women to reject the idea that “We would take the destiny of
From her room in Chicago, they must be silent. Among this tiny nation into our own
Basatneh communicated with many other issues, some of the hands,” Gbowee told the Women
journalists, protesters, and Gulabi Gang’s main focuses are of Liberia. “In the past we were
activists to coordinate meetings, putting an end to child marriages, silent, but after being killed, raped,
obtain footage and photos promoting the education of girls, dehumanised, and infected with
for release, and has become shaming molesters and rapists diseases…war has taught us that
a leading voice for the Syrian in public, and training women in the future lies in saying NO to
conflict. Her story is a reminder of physical self-defence. violence and YES to peace!”
how much we can accomplish by Leaders: Crystal Roh, Leymah
properly utilizing the tools at our With over 100,000 members, Gbowee and Comfort Freeman
disposal. the “gang” personally confronts
families to persuade them against
Basatneh became a political imposing forced marriages and
online activist in 2011, after news other problems facing women

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