Creativity, Connection and Courage
Our focus with the GlobalWoman Round-Up is to seek out women’s voices that speak to, and about, the universal GlobalWoman experience. The qualities that unite us, as opposed to what separates us. Tweet This
In March women from countries including Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Italy, India and America inspired me. It’s our sincere hope that they inspire find a life that is yours.
- Gwen Stefani has been creating music since 1986 when her brother invited her to join the first incarnation of ‘No Doubt’.
Since starting out of a garage in Anaheim 30 years ago, Stefani has explored multiple facets of creativity – writing music, performing as a solo artist and with No Doubt, as a fashion designer with L.A.M.B and motherhood.
In this nearly seven minute interview, Gwen shares her lessons on creativity and success, namely that the key is truth. Tweet This
- Palestinian ex-refugee Hanan al-Hroub won the $1million Global Teacher Prize for her work with refugee children in Palestine. Al-Hroub grew up in a refugee camp and teaches children about non-violence. She educates children about non-violence and has written a book called “We Play and Learn,” which focusses on the importance of playing, trust, respect, honesty and literacy. Tweet This
Click here to watch an exuberant Hanan receive her award.
- Nasreen Mohamedi was a pioneering artist who quietly redefined South Asian modernism. Mohamedi died of Huntington’s disease in 1990, at the age of 53. At the time, she was little known beyond India, but is now considered to be one of the most important figures of South Asian modernism. Tweet This
A new exhibition at the Met Breuer gallery in New York pays tribute to Mohamedi.
- Federica Mogherini is the European Union foreign-policy and security chief. She’s often the only woman in the room and at the table as moderator, negotiating between member states and urging them to speak with one voice. Her main focus is to untangle how Europe should protect itself without succumbing to racism, disunity, and broken ideals. Tweet This
We live in a world that requires big answers to difficult questions. The size of the powers we’re dealing with are the U.S., Russia, China. We need to be big. It’s not diversity that is going to destroy us but fear of diversity.
- Before Elizabeth Gilbert wrote ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ she travelled to Indonesia in 2002 for ten days where she experienced her first life-changing Indonesian story. Before that other life-changing Indonesian story. Her story of connection amongst solitude has always been a universal truth. [tweetthis]Elizabeth Gilbert’s 1st Indonesian story is of connection amongst solitude, which has always been a universal truth.[/tweetthis]
I want to live in a world full of people who look into each other’s faces along the path of life and ask, Who are you, my friend, and how can we serve each other? For that to happen, we must all be travelers—in the world, in our own communities, and even in our imaginations.
- Most refugee families are headed by women. Their husbands are dead, fighting in Syria, or heading to Europe to clear a way for spouses and children to follow.
Raja Banout is one such refugee; a Syrian woman who is courageously choosing to face, and transform, the pain and suffering of war with song. Tweet This
We decided to face war, pain and the suffering of Diaspora with intellectual and cultural empowerment,” says Banout. “I told women we should sing. And they said, ‘You are crazy, we are at war.’ And I said that is exactly why we should sing.
- Isabella Rossellini has always been a fearless spirit and now at 63, she is again breaking rules in the beauty space as a Lancome muse. Her appointment heralds a more expansive definition of beauty—one that’s not limited by age. [tweetthis]Isabella Rossellini’s Lancome appointment heralds a more expansive definition of beauty—one that’s not limited by age.[/tweetthis]
- Beth Ditto believes there’s no such thing as ugly and that make-up is at the heart of feminism. Beth also gets that feminism isn’t about meeting other people’s expectations around your body or your gender.
Makeup is a tool for transformation, of really limitless self-reinvention that lets you try out identities and ideas. You can just wash off what doesn’t work and start over.
#ShareTheLoad: Proctor & Gamble released a long-form commercial for its Ariel brand of laundry detergent in India which speaks to the damage of culturally assigned roles.
The commercial is narrated by an older father who’s afforded a glimpse into the hectic life of his adult daughter. As he witnesses the hectic pace at which she lives life — working, raising a child, managing a household — he laments that he never stopped her while playing house, and never told her that running a household is “not your job alone.”
This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen — showing how stereotypes hurt all of us and are passed from generation to generation.
I’d love to hear from you
Leave a comment below as to which women inspired you this March to find a life that is yours.
Kathryn x
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