From where I stand...
This new series captures the unique and powerful stories of people around the world, through compelling first-person accounts of their daily sustainable development challenges and how they are bringing about change.
Mila Rodriguez
“Through the lyrics of the songs we sing, we are telling the real stories of our lives....” 
Jamila Babuba
“I am among the few women who aspire to a seat in the Adamawa State House of Representatives....”
Dilera Mavlonova
“The voices of women and girls are completely absent in water management...” 
Saleema Rahman
“I think that the lessons I learnt from my difficult experiences can inform the decisions of young women aspiring to work overseas...”
Suvada Kuldija
“We need more awareness raising activities when it comes to reporting violence. Everything I do aims at providing the best education for police officers....”
Charles Kosgei
“I am a father and I have daughters. I do not want to see their rights denied or limited just because they are girls...”
Hajiya Amina Ahmed
“If I am on the receiving end of violence, should I not be included in the discussions to end it?...”
Malvika Iyer
“Being a person with disability is challenging. Being a woman with disability adds extra challenges”
Wafa Sharqawi
“‘Have you lost your mind?’ was the typical reaction from friends and family when I decided to quit my job as a teacher in UNRWA school at my refugee camp to join the Palestinian Civil Police in 1997...”
Mehrezia Maïza Labidi
“I want young women to believe that they have capacities. I always tell them, when you have an opinion, give it...”
Shirley Pryce
“Domestic workers cannot have equal rights until there are laws in place to protect them...” 
Florence Luanda Maheshe
“In the camp too, life was never easy. There wasn’t enough food to feed myself and six teenagers, and now my two daughters who were raped were pregnant...” 
Gulzada Serzhan
“To stop violence against women, in the workplace and other spaces, we need more women at decision-making positions in all fields...”
Pili Hussein
“I thought to myself, I can do this too. Why should it matter that I am a woman?...”
Hayfa Sdiri
“I prefer not to tell people my age at first—people tend to not take me seriously because I am a young woman...”
Aissata Ibrahim Maiga
“I wanted to be in the media since I was a child. But I was pregnant at 14 years of age and by 15, I was married...”
Natalia Minayeva
“When I discovered that I was HIV-positive 20 years ago, my first thought was that I was going to die. There wasn’t much information about HIV, just unconfirmed rumors and misinformation...” 
Maia Țaran
“Just seeing how he opened the door and threw his boots up in the air, I knew how the rest of the night was going to be like...”
Aiturgan Djoldoshbekova and Aigul Alybaeva
“Since my childhood I have seen girls and women not being treated equally as boys and men. I see this in everyday life and in the films we watch...”
Raja Shahwan
“I insisted on completing my Bachelors’ degree while I was already married and had three children. When I started looking for a job, even my best friend said I should focus on caring for my children and husband...”
Hajiya Halima Mahdi
“Inequality is at the root of the conflict. When you have peace in the home, you can have peace in the society...”
Khet Kumari Ghimere
“When I was 21, I went to Kuwait to work as a domestic helper. I loved children and the proposal to babysit two children of a senior police officer sounded like a good job for me. As soon as I arrived, I realized that my job was not just to ‘babysit’...”
Flor Isava-Fonseca
“When I was elected to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1990, it was something unheard of. The Committee had 11 men, no one thought they would see a woman sitting there...”
Abby Wambach
“If you think you're treated unfairly, don't wait for the fear of rocking the boat; rock the boat...”
Lorraine Kakaza
"The village where I live is surrounded by mines. The biggest challenge that we face is the lack of clean and safe water...” 
Maruti Joshi
“When I joined the Indian police force in 1997, I was the first and only female officer in a batch of 35 male officers...”
Sita Shrestha
“For as long as I can remember, I have been walking miles every morning before school to fetch water for my family...”
Patricia Pérez Gómez
“From a young age, I have worked looking after children. Here, in Chiapas, migrant workers come from many states and countries....”
Stella Cosmas Chetto
“At first, my husband was not very supportive because he said ‘politics is a big challenge, you will spend a lot of money and, as a woman you will not gain enough support because politics is for men.’ But I continued and he saw that I was gaining support, he changed his mind...”
Atefe Mansoori
"Farmers didn’t think that I would be able to handle this business, because I am a woman and this is not a woman’s job...” 
Assétou Touré
“I was 6 years old when I was cut.
For me, the most traumatic experience was seeing what my older sister went through. She wasn't as lucky as me...”
Yanar Mohammed
“The situation is very grim in Iraq. We run into many young women who have run away from their homes, who have been trapped by a trafficking group who have put them in brothels, who want to escape to have a better life, and they cannot go back home because they will be killed...”
Desirée Akpa Akpro Loyou
“I was abused twice. The first time was when I was in primary school and was 8 or 9 years old...” 
Sophia Dianne Garcia
“I know that it is possible to achieve the just and humane society that I envision....”
Birtukan Fekadu
“Not only did we have no money to buy food with, we didn’t know how to change that...”
Dmytro Shurov
“Kids should see their father is not afraid to be weak sometimes, and their mother isn't afraid to be strong...”
Lyop Chong
“I am now passionate about promoting peace and raising awareness about the importance of peace...”
Salma Belhassine
“It would be a better world if women and girls felt safe in public spaces...” 
Khadeja Ramali
“I am determined to continue advocating that Libyan women are the leaders of today…”
Raphaela Barbosa
“It is important to show women athletes can be anywhere and can do anything...”
Rayanne Cristine Maximo Franca
“It is time that the world hears our voice and the country recognizes indigenous women as equal rights holders...”
Saba Ismail
“Peace is not an overnight miracle. Everyone needs to contribute to build peace...”
Dina Smailova
“Our movement helped other survivors of sexual abuse break their silence, report the abuse and win their cases...”
Pratima Gurung
"With the changing climate and recurring disasters, indigenous women are more at risk than ever before...”
Sarah Quaye Reeves
“The main challenge for me as a woman business owner is the daily sexual advances from male customers and men who represent offices that I provide catering services for. Some demand sex before awarding a contract...”
Casar Jacobson
“I think technology can be part of the solution for women with disabilities. It can truly empower us, if we can access it. Technology sees skills before gender or disability...”
Tatiana Covalciuc
“I don’t want others to struggle as I did for decent work. That’s why I have decided to apply to be a Councilor in the local government to contribute to the economic growth of my city...”
Sandra Letio
“When I first started, no one thought I would be so successful. Many people refused to take me seriously, or give me contracts, because I was young...”
Emm Ali
“I started learning how to weave carpets from recycled material. With every thread [that] I wove, I felt like I was weaving away my sorrows...”
Shurouq Al Hamaideh
“They said that children would not have enough patience or the ability to learn coding and programming. But children can surprise you...”
Francesca De Antoni
“When it comes to peace, men are still the main players in the formal talks. That needs to change...”
Nada Marković
“Helping women heal from the scars of the conflict means giving them control over their lives...”
Balla Mariko
“In Mali, violence against women has reached a point that we couldn’t have imagined before. We are burying our sisters today, tomorrow it could be our daughters...”
Rita Lopidia
“The best part of my youth has been spent working for peace. Now it feels like everyone is slowly giving up on South Sudan. But giving up is not an option for me...”
Ileana Crudu
“In my community, most people believe that women are not as logical as men are. This affects the choices you make in life—it tells you that some jobs are just not for you...”
Edna Valdez
“I went to Hong Kong as a domestic worker in 1996. I worked longer hours than my contract stipulated, I couldn’t take time off...”
Lenche Zdravkin
“It took me only two days to realize who they were and why they were passing by my house by the railway track. I started making tea, boiling eggs and buying fruits to give them. But more refugees started coming...”
Haidara Djeneba Sy
“Extremism started spreading slowly, like a cancer, since the conflict erupted in 2012. Right now, there is a real fear of radicalization and recruitment of our youth by extremist groups...”
Sophia Pierre-Antoine
“A big part of being a feminist is to make sure that young women know that they have rights...”
Sinet Seap
“I sold my gold earrings to pay for the first year of university in Phnom Penh...”
Micaele Fernandes
“Gender inequality in my community is an everyday struggle. Women are still expected to be submissive to men in professional and social settings and are judged severely...”
Tebogo Mashego
“Most mining companies, government and big businesses do not procure from local women-owned businesses...”
Yoeurn Reaksa
“The men at the factory would stare at me and tell me that I was old enough ‘to be eaten. I was the newcomer. Walking the small distance from my sewing machine to the toilet used to be very uncomfortable.’ New women coming to work at the factory often experienced harassment...”
Maria Judite da Silva Ballerio
"I have a niece who has had the Zika virus. She’s indigenous. Women in Brazil are in a state of panic...”
Lucía del Socorro Basante
“I was scared to become a candidate [in the Department of Nariño, Colombia], despite all my years of experience as a lawyer. Fear paralyses you. The fear that male councillors will raise their voices, the fear of not being capable, of being in men’s territory...”
Sonja Dimitrijoska
“Although the job can be very stressful and intense, I love what I am doing. I started working as a humanitarian worker at the refugee transit centre in Tabanovce* [former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia] in October 2015. Trains arrived every two to three hours and we had around 10,000 people arriving and leaving per day...”
Laura Bosnea
"When I was 21, my husband 'stole'* me from my father. I was a student at the time. My father agreed, with one condition—if my husband would allow me to finish law school. But we ended up having two kids and I couldn’t complete my studies...”
Rukmini Rao
“The solutions really are with communities and the people; we should listen to the voice of the people...” 
Sylvia Nansat Nwantu-Julde
“Every girl has the potential to be who she wants to be in life if she knows her rights...”
Maha Aasi Emm Ala’a
“My message to other women is, ‘always rely on yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are old…use your strength and capabilities...”
Marie Goretti Ndacayisaba
“Women need to live a life without violence. We want to work, go home and dream...”
Charo Mina-Rojas
“I grew up in an afro-descendent community in Cali, Colombia, surrounded by strong and capable women. Yet, the men in their lives dictated what was right or wrong...”
Farmala Jacobs
“The time has come for us to ask ourselves some serious questions—What is it that we can do differently? What can we no longer afford to do?...”
Lamija Gutić
“In my country, we don’t give enough credit to women in technology and science, and we rarely challenge stereotypes when it comes to women and ICTs...”
David Kovačić
“Ending violence against women and girls is hard work, but it’s not impossible”
Modesta Mujawariya
“We have learned how to promote equal access to farm revenue for both men and women farmers...”
Coumba Diaw
“They said that a woman couldn’t run for elections. They said that a widowed woman couldn’t be a Mayor…that a woman did not have the skills to manage a community. I have proved them all wrong...”
Janneth Lozano Bustos
“Expanding indigenous women’s rights strengthens the collective rights of the community...”
Waad Hayef Alhlaili
“I want to create a space where we can be safe from violence and know our rights...”
Bondu Salia
“I am now able to provide a good meal for my children, pay their school fees and even set aside some money as savings...”
Yayi Bayam Diouf
“They said I couldn’t fish because I was a woman and the fish wouldn’t take the bait from a menstruating woman...”
Abla Al Hajaia
“My sister, who's a lawyer and a woman rights activist, encouraged me to run for local elections. I hesitated at first; even if women are selected, they are expected to be a mere accessory...”
Saudita Marku
“I would like to develop my entrepreneurship, marketing and communications skills to grow my business and improve the guest house’s facilities and overall service...”
Oralia Ruano Lima
“Women were expected to have babies and stay home, while the men earned and made all the decisions. Not anymore. Now women have a voice...”
Chum Sopha
“I was 27 years old and living in Thailand when I heard about the big HIV outbreak in my Cambodian village. I noticed a skin rash on my body, a common symptom of HIV, and I went back to Cambodia to get tested...”
Elizabeth Chatuwa
“Child marriage is a very big problem in Malawi. As soon as a girl reaches puberty, everyone thinks she is ready for marriage...”
Debora Barros Fince
“For sustainable peace, there has to be investments in social development—in education, health, adequate housing and water. And, women must get the role that they deserve...”
Florah Maswanganyi
“I’m a small-scale farmer from Giyani Village. I started with three poultry houses with 1,000 chickens each. But last year I lost 1,800 ready-for-market chickens because of the drought...”
Monira Hwaijeh
“First, I had to stop working because we couldn’t access the communities in the suburbs of Damascus once the conflict started. Then, I lost all my friends. None of them are left in Syria—they have either left the country or are in prison...”
Rubia Aktar
“I migrated to Abu Dhabi in 2011, looking for a decent life. As soon as I arrived, I realized that it was not the job that I was promised...”
Khalida Popal
“In Afghanistan, women football players are called prostitutes. Football is seen as a male game...”
Khateeja Mallah
“Farming is all that I know, my only source of income. I first began working in the fields with my father when I was 10 years old and after that with my husband, to whom I was married off when I was 13...”
Souhad Azennoud
“In our mountain village here in Kissane, in Morocco's Taounate Province, we can see the impact of climate change. People notice it and say, ‘Before, the wheat was higher and didn't need to be sprayed’...”
Nahimana Fainesi
“This is my second time living in communal camps, second time running away from civil war to protect myself...”
Zaad Al-khair
“The day I fled to Jordan there was heavy shelling in my neighbourhood. There were bombings close to our house. It was very dangerous. We had no choice but to run away...”
Sahar el-Salab
“I always said I needed the day off because I was the one who is sick, not my son or daughter.
For that was not acceptable...”
Eisha Mohammed
“I used to struggle to work in the fields but now I proceed to my office, the community solar workshop...” 
Anisa Marama
“I have been selling at Suva Market for 60 years. I like it because it keeps me active; I’d rather be here than stuck at home and it’s better that I earn my own money than rely on my children...”
Cristina Francisco Reyes
“One of the main obstacles I’ve faced, is that women with disabilities are stigmatized and labelled as ‘ill’, as being incapable of developing leadership, incapable of having an impact and influence on social changes, equity, our equality and our political participation...”
Surayo Mirzoyeva
“Many people in our region have lived without clean drinking water for many years and had very little hope that things would ever change...”
Lucy Nduati
“Where I come from, police officers are some of the most highly respected people, and becoming one brought pride to my family. However, being a female police officer in Kenya can pose challenges...”