Impact

world

This Canadian Lawmaker Has Become The First To Address The Parliament In An Indigenous Language

This was the first time when a language other than English and French was officially acknowledged and allowed for use within the legislative chamber.

Women

This Kenyan Refugee Woman Has Made History As The First Black Mayor In Northern Ireland

42-year-old Lilian Seenoi-Barr had been campaigning for an end to forced marriage and female genital mutilation – or FGM – for Massai women in Kenya.

Impact

Mexico Has Elected Its First Woman President

61-year-old Claudia Sheinbaum, a physicist and energy engineer, had also made history in 2018 as the first woman mayor of Mexico City.

Women

This Chinese Citizen Journalist Who Was Jailed For Reporting On COVID-19 Has Finally Been Freed

Zhang Zhan, an activist and lawyer, had documented the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown in China, questioning and critizing the government’s response in her social media videos and essays.

Women

This Deaf Indian Woman Has Become The First Lawyer To Argue At India’s Supreme Court Using A Sign Language Interpreter

28-year-old had been denied an interpreter during trials because the courts thought an interpreter would not have the legal knowledge to properly interpret legal cases.

Women

This Spanish Region Has Started Providing Free Reusable Period Products For Everyone

All girls, women, transgender and people who menstruate in Catalonia can now receive period products and professional advice at no cost from nearly 3,300 pharmacies across the region.

LGBTQ

This Taiwanese Drag Queen Has Become The First East Asian Person To Win “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

"Taiwan, this is for you!"

Impact

This Australian Former Political Advisor Who Said She Was Raped By A Colleague In Parliament Has Finally Got Justice

The court found that Bruce Lehrmann was “hellbent on having sex” with Brittany Higgins, who was drunk at the time, and did not care if she had consented or not.

Impact

Sweden Has Passed A New Law That Makes It Easier For Young People To Change Their Legal Gender Identity

Previously, people in Sweden needed to be 18 to change their legal gender, but the new law lowers the age to 16.

Impact

Poland’s New Government Has Agreed To Start Drafting Laws To Lift Its Near-Total Ban On Abortion

In 2020, Poland’s right-wing government outlawed abortions for fetal abnormalities, banning abortions for almost all cases.

LGBTQ

Germany Has Passed A New Law Making It Easier For People To Change Their Gender

The law, which passed on Friday April 12, will allow people over 18 to choose their legal gender through a simple declaration.

Impact

These Elderly Swiss Women Sued The Government For Not Doing Enough To Fight Climate Change And Won

The women argued that the government's inaction violated the rights of elderly women, who are particularly impacted by heatwaves caused by climate change due to their age and gender.