Africa's Forgotten Heroines & Female Authors You Have to Know

Happy International Women's Day! From the animators honoring a 19th century Kenyan revolutionary to pathbreaking female authors whose books you might have missed, OZY's Around The World newsletter today brings you stories of iconic women who've been ignored despite their achievements. Read about them, and more. www.ozy.com Sponsored by From the editor | March 08 Happy International Women's Day! From the animators honoring a 19th century Kenyan revolutionary to pathbreaking female authors whose books you might have missed, OZY's Around The World newsletter today brings you stories of iconic women who've been ignored despite their achievements. Read about them, and more. Charu Kasturi, Senior Editor [Around the World]( [Can These Animators Get Africa to Finally Honor Its Female Heroes?]( Pathbreaking women have been written out of Africa's history books. Animators and visual artists are now bringing them alive for a new generation. Born to poor parents in a coastal Kenyan village in the mid-1850s, Mekatilili wa Menza would rise to lead an army of women and men against British colonial rule. Under her leadership, her Giriama ethnic community would never be subdued by the British. Yet she's largely forgotten, her story covered only in passing in Kenyan textbooks. Award winning photographers Richard Allela from Kenya and Kureng Dapel from Nigeria are trying to change that, celebrating her with a first-of-its-kind animated photography project. They’re part of a growing band of young African animators and visual artists breaking with the hegemony of a male-dominated telling of the continent’s history to honor forgotten or ignored women heroes. They’re using the explosion of social media, increased access to technology and the democratization of content-sharing on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to get past traditional media gatekeepers and reach audiences. [READ NOW]( [Around the World]( [A Performance Hijab for the Olympics]( Entrepreneur Melissa Scott is making a hijab for the modern athlete — and the modern world. When Scott went on a business trip to Central Asia and the Middle East in 2015, she didn’t anticipate designing a makeshift hijab. The 52-year-old Michigan native isn’t Muslim, or the most obvious person to launch an activewear brand. But after her hijab — worn for cultural consideration — caused migraines, she cut out ear holes and sewed in a pocket with the basic hotel sewing kit. The result was what she calls the “first-ever hijab for the digital era,” an athletic performance hijab that includes an interior pocket and ear holes for cellphone or Bluetooth earbuds, or tools like stethoscopes, earpieces, glasses or hearing aids. It took off. Then the requests for more modest activewear kept coming. [READ NOW]( [Sponsored by CARIUMA]( [A Sustainable, Stylish Sneaker]( The future is uncertain. But if the 100% vegan OCA low canvas line from CARIUMA is any indication, we’re ready for a step in the right direction. Made from sustainable materials and designed for comfort all day long, these sneaks are a smart way to step forward in style. Treat yourself to a pair and [save $15 by using the OZYOZY code here.]( [Around the World]( [Four Female Writers You’ve Probably Overlooked]( Expand your literary horizons this International Women's Day with books you don't know but will undoubtedly love. [Around the World]( [Delhi’s Riots Are Over But Mistrust Lingers]( A week after the riots left at least 49 people dead, deep distrust lingers — for neighbors, the police and the government. [Around the World]( [A Bully or a Sexist Double Standard? Britain’s Priti Patel Feels the Heat]( Britain's home secretary is facing mounting pressure to resign amid allegations of aggressive behavior toward subordinates. [Around the World]( [She’s Tackling Nigeria’s Period Poverty With Reusable Pads]( Social entrepreneur Lolo Cynthia offers a moneymaker for rural women. [Around the World]( [She’s Taking Mexico’s Sex Trade to the Next Level: Legitimacy]( Activist Elvira Madrid is skeptical of politics, but is helping shape Mexico City’s legal shifts on sex work. One More Thing [Donald Dossier: Ticket Splitting]( [READ NOW]( OZY Media Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](