Women we love
There are so many women who deserve to be celebrated, yet they go largely unnoticed and uncredited, whether they find themselves working in politics or art. If you add the layer of a minority background, the lack of recognition and representation is even greater. This is why we are using this women’s day as an opportunity to share the stories of some of the incredible women out there who are making a significant impact...
Liv Little
After finding herself frustrated with the lack of diversity at university when studying politics and sociology, Liv Little founded gal-dem. This media publication covers everything from news to arts and is available both in print and online. At its core is the commitment to telling the stories of people of colour and marginalised genders. Since the journey started in 2015, Little’s passion project has blossomed into a team of over 70 women of colour who work actively to champion marginalised voices. As stated on their website, gal-dem is dedicated to paving the way for a more representative industry – pointing to a 2016 study that found the British journalism sector to be 94 per cent white and 55 per cent male. Little’s own written work usually centers around intersectionality, asylum and women’s rights, and she has worked for organisations such as Women for Refugee women.
Carlota Guerrero
Tired of ancient white men depicting the female form in their art? It is time for you to meet the Barcelona-based photographer and art director Carlota Guerrero. Her work blurs the lines between feminism, nature and performance, and the atmospheric result has attracted global recognition and an astounding 321k followers on Instagram. Guerro is reimagining the female nude, standing apart from other artists as she communicates vulnerability and strength, all while desexualising the female body. One of her recent projects includes fundraising for Proyecto Daphne, which is a project supporting vulnerable immigrant and refugee women and mothers in Spain.
Celine Semaan
Lebanese-Canadian Celine Semaan is the designer, writer, and CEO you need to keep your eye out for. Through her nonprofit organisation Slow Factory Global and Open Education, she is advocating for systematic change by working towards intersecting human rights with environmental justice. Last September she opened Open Education, a free, online educational program offering classes for Black, Brown, Indigenous and minority ethnic people working in the fashion industry. The programme is looking at fashion’s impact economically, socially and from an environmental standpoint.
Inka Cresswell
Bristol-based marine biologist turned wildlife filmmaker Inka Cresswell is educating the next generation and driving real conservation impact. Through filmmaking, talks and workshops she aims to inspire more girls to become involved in the STEM industries. Her last talk focused on how in order “to solve issues beneath the waves we need to understand what is happening on the surface”.
Lily Madigram
Lily Madigram is a name you should take note of. After being discriminated against for being transgender at school and experiencing a substantial improvement as a result of the Labour Equality Act of 2010, Madigram decided to join the movement herself. At the age of 18, she became the first openly trans woman to hold a role in the Labour party. Since then she has used her position as Women’s Officer to lead a successful campaign to save Sure Start centres from Conservative cuts and convinced the council to protect local refugee funding. It should also be mentioned that Madigram is committed to working for transgender equality and is clear in her stance on the depredation capitalism has caused the environment. In other words, Madigram is a young voice in politics that is worth paying attention to and she has her eyes on number 10.
Alexa Von Fuerst
Photography can be a tool for change. At least that is how Alexa Von Fuerst likes to put it. Von Fuerst grew up in Italy and was sucked into the art of photography at the age of 16 when she was given a camera by her father. In an interview with Vogue Italy, she describes her work in a nutshell as “feminine, surreal and progressive”. Her late 20s have been spent in the buzzing cities of London and Paris, where she has been exploring themes of female sexuality, acceptance and body positivity. One of her latest series which truly encapsulates her activist spirit is A Study of Fertility which aims to open the dialogue on the taboo of menstruation.
Aoife
If you have not yet made it to the wondrous world of TikTok, it may be time to do so. 19-year old Aoife, also known as @eeffuhh, utilises this platform to create an open dialogue about feminism. In a calming and balanced tone, she explores the definitions of feminism and the purpose of the movement, and never shies away from debating its shortcomings. Her well-articulated nature and commitment to sharing about feminism have led her to gain 29.6k followers and over a million likes, and her online presence is continuing to grow.
On a final note, we want to highlight that the women included in this list are just a few of the many inspiring voices out there – voices who deserve to be recognised year-round. NUET strives to bring their stories into the light, so do not forget that you can explore our archives. There you can sift through articles about everything from the photography project challenging the misconceptions about queer women, an analysis of the impact of all-girls schools and women in chess, skating and coding, to one woman’s journey to empowered birthing.
Illustrations by @Zsofimayer.
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