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Global Women’s News: What We’re Reading in May
When we think about dangerous cities, we picture dark alleyways late at night. But women and girls around the world face danger every day as they go about their daily lives, simply in attending school, on their way home from dance class, and within their own homes. This month we’re highlighting articles about women and girls who have stood up for their rights in dangerous situations and others who are fighting to make school and home safe havens. It’s not always easy to raise your voice for the things you know you deserve; we’re so grateful to all these strong women, for doing just that.
I’m tired of being scared on my own streets. Here’s how we can make our cities safer
The Guardian
On Tuesday, April 17, Capt. Tammie Jo Shults safely landed Southwest flight
1380 after one of the plane’s engines exploded, spraying shrapnel into the cabin. According to one passenger, Shults, a former fighter pilot with the U.S. Navy, had “nerves of steel” as she safely landed the plane on the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport. A true
WomenStrongWarrior!
Women’s Safety Must Be Part of Transportation Planning
Next City
Jana Korn, a University of Pennsylvania Urban Studies major, talks about how cities can use the
MeToo movement as an opportunity to think critically about how public transit continues to be unsafe for women. Among her solutions, she suggests investing in transportation infrastructure, making it easier to file a complaint, and raising public awareness about how dangerous public transit can be for women.
The plight of Pakistan’s Lady Health Workers
Al Jazeera
Currently, 125,000 women are employed as part of Pakistan’s Lady Health Workers program, working to make primary healthcare accessible to women and children who are confined to their homes. It’s not an easy job, though. Working in some of the harshest conditions imaginable, these Health Workers are often criticized by local leaders for carrying out tasks deemed un-Islamic.