Kindling Change: Women’s Rights and the Power of Resistance

From the suffocating grip of systemic inequality to the persistent violence that seeks to break their resolve, women around the globe are fighting against deep-rooted forces that try to keep them silent, subjugated, and unseen.

The fight rages from the classrooms where girls are denied their right to learn, to the hospitals where women’s health is dismissed or denied. It pulses through workplaces where gender-based discrimination thrives, and echoes through the streets where women are subjected to violence and control.

The struggle is fierce, and it is relentless—but so are the women. They rise, they fight, and they refuse to be bound.?

In some nations, women continue to battle for the most fundamental human rights—the right to vote, the right to work, the right to live free from violence. In Afghanistan, the return of the Taliban to power has erased decades of progress, stripping women of their basic freedoms—virtually establishing a gender Apartheid. Since 2021, the Taliban has denied girls access to secondary education, pushed women out of government roles, banned them from public protests, and even forbidden them from speaking to one another in public. The regime's restrictions on women serve as a stark reminder of how fragile hard-won freedoms can be.

In other nations, those same hard-won gains are under siege as reactionary forces push to roll back progress. In the United States, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has sparked sweeping abortion bans across numerous states, denying women access to vital reproductive healthcare. Many women face devastating miscarriages or complications that endanger their lives. They endure excruciating pain and emotional suffering, yet restrictive laws block them from receiving the medical care they desperately need. In some tragic cases, this denial has caused sepsis, life-threatening infections, and even death.

Yet, despite these obstacles, women everywhere refuse to back down. They persist. They resist. And in doing so, they change the course of history.

Today, on International Women’s Day, we honor the women who, like fire, ignite change, break barriers, and transform the world with their determination.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a relentless flame against Iran’s tyranny, defending women, children, religious minorities, journalists, and those facing unjust persecution. Imprisoned, lashed, and thrown into solitary confinement for defying compulsory veiling laws, she refuses to be silenced. In December of 2024, Iran’s morality police came for her husband, Reza Khandan. His crime? Advocating against Iran’s compulsory veiling laws and the death penalty. Now in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, Reza faces a three-and-a-half-year sentence (on top of time already served) for supporting women’s rights in Iran. But no prison cell, no sentence, and no act of repression can extinguish their fight for justice and freedom.

Marina Pisklakova-Parker saw the hidden embers of suffering in Russia—domestic violence, ignored and unchecked. Shocked by the staggering numbers of women brutalized in their own homes, she founded Russia’s first crisis center for women, giving them a beacon of hope where none had existed before. Against resistance from law enforcement and a legal system that refused to acknowledge the crisis, she persisted. Because of her, domestic violence is now on the record. And because of her, thousands of women have found safety.?

Theary Seng , a Cambodian-American human rights activist, has spent her life fighting for democracy and justice in Cambodia. She has paid a heavy toll for her courage, enduring baseless charges and imprisonment for daring to speak truth to power. And yet, even behind bars, her voice remains a burning ember. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights stands with her, urging the world to listen. Seng’s struggle is not hers alone; it is the fight of every person who believes in justice, in human dignity, and in freedom.?

Lesley McSpadden carries that same fire. U.S. police murdered her son, Mike Brown, while he was walking down a St. Louis street with his friend. But she turned her grief into action, standing up for all mothers by sharing her family’s story with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Before the world, she reclaimed her family’s human rights to truth and reconciliation, never losing sight of the light in her long fight for justice.??

Alessandra Korap Munduruku stands up as a guardian of her people’s land and rights. She fights for the demarcation of Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon, confronting big business that seek to exploit her homeland. Through protests, advocacy, and legal battles, she defends the rights of Indigenous communities, proving that resilience is also about standing firm against forces that seek to destroy.

Maximilienne C. Ngo Mbe, a Cameroonian human rights defender with over 30 years of experience, has led the Central African Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC) since 2010. Through her efforts, she has illuminated the path for human rights in Central Africa, advocating for civic space and fundamental freedoms despite enduring constant threats and reprisals. Her courage in the face of adversity is a testament to her relentless pursuit of justice, embodying RFK Human Rights' call to speak truth to power. Maximilienne's work ignites change by holding governments accountable and challenging the forces that seek to silence human rights defenders. She stands as a beacon of hope for those who, like her, refuse to let the fire of freedom burn out.

These women remind us that resilience is not passive. Each of them, in their own way, embody the spirit of Mummy’s words: “For anyone to achieve something, you have to show a little courage. You’re only on this Earth once. You must give it all you’ve got.”

But the fight for equality does not rest solely on the shoulders of activists and human rights defenders. Governments, businesses, and global institutions must commit to meaningful change—strengthening laws, enforcing protections, and ensuring women’s voices are heard and valued.?

It is not enough to celebrate women’s achievements one day a year; we must commit every day to dismantling the barriers that prevent gender equality from becoming a reality.