From women breaking gender barriers in fashion to documenting civil unrest and saving lives, Women continue to push for more. 

Here’s Around the world in five stories.

Bangladesh

In the past few weeks, flash floods have wrecked Bangladesh, as rising waters have washed away whole towns, killing at least 68 people and leaving thousands displaced. 

According to the United Nations, an estimated 7.2 million people across seven districts have been affected by the flooding.  An estimated 60,000 women are pregnant in the affected region, with more than 6,500 births expected to take place in July. 

Of the 926 community clinics scattered throughout Sylhet, 414 are under water. Dr Himanshu Roy, Sylhet’s divisional health director, says that an outbreak of waterborne diseases has left medical staff struggling to cope.

At the frontlines, Young volunteers are leading rescue teams helping women and girls hardest hit by the floods in Sylhet, Bangladesh. 

Read more here.

Bhutan

Last month, Tashi Choden Chombal was crowned Miss Bhutan 2022 and will become the first openly lesbian person representing Bhutan in the Miss Universe 2022 pageant.

In 2021, Bhutan decriminalised homosexuality after King Druk Gyalpo signed off on a law amending the small Himalayan country’s penal code.

“There has been tremendous support for the first queer Miss Bhutan. She has become a queer icon now. This is reflective of the changing times,” said Namgay Zam, director of the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan and LGBTQ rights activist.

Read more here.

Congo

The Congolese fashion scene of La Sape has always had a masculine presence and had been strictly reserved for men. In spite of the challenges, a group of Congolese women have pushed to challenge the status quo, fighting for their style of expression.

Now, Congolese women have joined the movement, dressing in suits, tuxedos, and bow ties. Documenting these women is Congolese photojournalist Victoire Douniama.

Her photo journal, Les Saupeuse du Congo, recognizes the emergence of female sapeurs.

“It originated as a political protest during the colonial era and a movement that called for change in Congo Brazzaville and the DRC,” Ms Douniama said. “It challenges the conservative role of women in Congo and it normalizes freedom of expression, which is vital for Congolese people to become more open-minded.”

Read more here. 

Sudan

Following the protests that shook Sudan in 2018, Reem Aljeally’s artistic pursuits places artists at the frontline to register dissatisfaction on rising prices and the removal of subsidies on basic goods. 

Artists became an integral part of months-long protests that saw Sudan experiencing numerous marches, strikes, and protests. 

Among such artists were Aljeally, who created three murals depicting the involvement of women in the sit-ins at the military headquarters in Khartoum.

Read more here.

United States of America 

This week, Sarah Douglass Morgan was appointed as the new president of the Las Vegas Raiders, officially being the first Black woman to serve in that role.

Ms Morgan’s historic appointment is now the first intersectional advance since the hire of Amy Trask in 1997, the first female CEO of an NFL team back when the team was still based in Oakland, California.

Read more here.