5 Women We Find Inspiring

Aatmiya was built on the mission of More Work for More Women. The perception of female leaders is changing and the brave women before us have given us a platform to speak out. These five women have inspired us at Aatmiya and proven themselves to break barriers, fight stigmas, and be a force for change in the world today.

However, this list is not comprehensive and is only a small portion of women that we find inspiring. All of our knitters at Aatmiya embody strength and resilience and continually inspires us everyday.

1 ) Zainab Salbi

Salbi has been a catalyst for the women empowerment movement beginning in her early twenties. At the young age of 23 she founded Women for Women International, an organization that strives to help women survivors of war. Since its inception they have grown to help more than 478,000 women in conflict areas around the globe. Salbi is the definition of an empowered women and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

2 ) Malala Yousafzai

Malala is a 21 year old passionate advocate for female education. She is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving the award in 2014 for her advocacy work. At 15 years old she was shot by the Taliban in a murder attempt retaliating against her activism. After her recovery the incident acquired international attention, giving her an even bigger platform to continue her advocacy. Her bravery inspires us at Aatmiya and everyone around the world.

3 ) Pasang Lhamu Sherpa

Pasang Lhamu was born into a family with a love for mountaineering. She began climbing at an early age and eventually set her sights on climbing Mount Everest. She tried three times before finally reaching the top on April 22, 1993 and becoming the first Nepalese women to climb the summit. Upon her descent the weather and conditions lead to a serious illness and the loss of her life. She has since been honored by her country and women around the world. A statue was built in her honor at Bouddha, Chuchepati to commemorate her amazing life, accomplishments, and the barriers she has broken.

4 ) Shyam Badan Shrestha

Shyam founded the Nepal Knotcraft Centre in 1984 with a goal of empowering women economically through employment. Most recently she has won The Best Nepali Women Entrepreneur of 2018 awarded by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce. She has been working for decades to uplift the status of locally sourced products, local artisans, and overall, create skill-based jobs for many Nepalis. She has taken Nepali craft to the global arena and built a platform for brands like Aatmiya to thrive.

5 ) Manal al-Sharif

Manal is most well known for her activist work in Saudi Arabia that helped to start a women’s right to drive campaign. During this time, she filmed herself driving, was arrested, and eventually released on bail with the requirements of not driving and not talking to the media. She remained critical of the Saudi government, using social media to bring important women’s issues to light.

There will always be stigmas to break and battles to be won, but with women like these, putting themselves in a position of scrutiny for the wellbeing of others, it is certain we are well on our way to a future where every woman is empowered to demand change.

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