The Best of Women, Power and Politics

Over the past 10 months, I.M.O.W. has inspired more than
300,000 people from 206 countries with its global online exhibitions. Now
that the Women, Power
and Politics exhibition is available in its
entirety online, we invite you to share the inspiring stories of women
claiming and exercising their power with those closest to you.

Start by showing them the welcome page
or sharing a few of the most popular stories below from the Women, Power and Politics
online exhibition:

• Two
  Million Women Leaders and Counting – Since 1993, an
  astonishing two million rural women in India have become leaders in
  their village councils, or panchayats.
  By law, one third of these seats are reserved for women.

• Fashion
  Is Political – U.S. fashion editor Robin Givhan
  explains that politicians— both male and female—craft what they wear as carefully
  as what they say.

• Cartoon
  as a Political Manifesto – Cartoonist Catherine Beaunez
  illustrates women’s place in French society with biting humor. See
  examples from her book of political cartoons: On les aura! or
  “Let’s get them!”

• Théâtre
  Aquarium – Naima
  Zitan created a social theatre to educate and inspire
  her countrywomen. To reach even those who are illiterate, Théâtre
  Aquarium performs in villages, souks, markets, and mosques .

• Body as
  Art – Kenyan-German artist Ingrid Mwangi uses her body to
  interrogate social and political conventions. Her internationally
  acclaimed artworks are always visually striking and often disconcerting.

• Cicciolina’s
  Sexual Politics – Can sex and politics mix? Yes, said voters
  emphatically in Rome, Italy, when they elected porn star Cicciolina as
  their representative in parliament.

• The
  Ticket that Might Have Been – Long before Hillary Clinton
  and Barack Obama,
  Shirley Chisholm
  made a brave, albeit unsuccessful, bid for the U.S. presidency. As an
  African American woman running in the 1970s, she knew that she would
  lose; nevertheless she remained “unbought and unbossed.”

• Singing
  for Change – What is the best way to garner support for a
  woman’s cause? Twenty Algerian women created a music video to help end
  Algeria’s repressive Family Code.

• The Curse
  of Nakedness – A woman’s body can be a powerful weapon. By
  threatening to strip naked in public, Nigerian women shamed one of the
  world’s largest oil companies into listening to their demands for
  justice.

• A Curtain
  between Worlds – The meaning of the hijab, or veil, is
  debated around the world. Lebanese-born artist Georgina Choueiri
  explores the issue from the inside out and the outside in.

• Bravest
  Woman in Afghanistan – Malalai
  Joya drew a capacity crowd at the I.M.O.W. Speaker
  Series program in August 2008. Hear the controversial Afghan
  parliamentarian speak about women’s human rights and democracy in her
  war-torn country.

Be sure to check out the new Women, Power and Politics toolkit,
highlighting ways to take action and resources from our many contributors and
partners. For example, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation offers four
extensively researched guides
to aid those seeking higher office. The Women’s Learning Partnership has
created an invaluable leadership training handbook.
Global Fund for Women features a guide
to fundraising, and The White House Project offers tips
on how to stand up and be noticed.