Women who have made waves this year

The end of the year is just around the corner.

So far, this has been a year filled with both hope and disappointment for women everywhere, from the criticisms of the Me Too movement to successes such as finally having comedian Bill Cosby incarcerated for years of sexual abuse.

In Kenya, we have seen two widely reported murders of young women because of their romantic relations, amidst all the others whose murders never reach the media.

But where there have been disappointments, there have also been heart-warming moments. There are women who have reached far and beyond their calling to inspire others to do the same. Today, we celebrate four such women.

Gladys Cherono, celebrated marathon athlete

The 45th edition of the Berlin Marathon that was held on September 16 this year had all the markings of an historical event.

And while all the glitter was captured by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge who set a new world marathon record time, another Kenyan booked herself into the annals of history. Her name is Gladys Cherono.

In two hours, 18 minutes, and 11 seconds, Ms. Cherono captured the Berlin marathon women’s title the second year in a row. This was no mean achievement. At the age of 35, she had conquered the celebrated Ethiopian long distance runner, Tirunesh Dibaba, who was the bookmakers’ favourite.

Ms. Cherono’s run to victory started at the 25th kilometre mark when she broke away from the leading pack. Her record time was not just a personal best, it was also the fourth fastest time in the history of women’s marathon.

“My target was to break the Berlin course record and improve on my personal best time, and I’m happy to have achieved this,” she said.

Ms. Cherono now has three Berlin Marathon titles to her name. She won her first of the Berlin Marathon race series in 2015. Although she started running road races in 2004 in Spain, it was not until 2012 that she became a prominent figure in world athletics.

Over her running career, Ms. Cherono, who was the 2014 World Half Marathon champion, has scooped titles in the 5,000 and 10,000 distances locally and internationally.

Nadia Murad, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient

On October 5, 2018, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to Congo’s Dr. Denis Mukwege and Iraq’s Nadia Murad.

The two laureates were awarded for their efforts towards ending the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Dr. Mukwege, a gynaecologist who is known as 'The man who mends women' was also awarded for treating over 46,000 women with aggravated sexual injuries for free.

Nadia Murad, 25, is a rape survivor. Her activism for girls and women who are survivors of genocide, trafficking and assault as a result of war situations is what won her the prize.

“Ms. Murad is just one of an estimated 3,000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the Islamic State (IS) army in Iraq,” the statement announcing her award said.

Ms. Murad and other young women and underage girls had been captured on September 15, 2014 by the IS in the remote village of Kocho in Sinjar, northern Iraq. She was a member of the minority group known as Yazidi, which IS was aiming to eliminate.

In her village, IS massacred over 700 people including her six brothers and mother. The militants then took Ms. Murad and other girls and held them as sex slaves in the Mosul city. Ms. Murad was bought and sold several times. She was subjected to grievous acts of sexual assault including gang rapes.

“I was one of thousands of women who were captured and sold into slavery by IS. I endured rape, torture and humiliation at the hands of multiple militants before I escaped. I was relatively lucky; many Yazidis went through worse than I did and for much longer. Many are still missing. Many have been killed,” she says in her memoirs, The Last Girl.

After three months of torture and sexual abuse, Ms. Murad escaped after her captor left the house where she was kept unlocked. She was taken in by a neighbouring family who helped smuggle her out of Iraq.

At the age of 23, in 2016, Ms. Murad was named the United Nation’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. Ms. Murad’s award could not have come at a better time, given the ongoing global campaigns against sexual violence.

Indeed, Ms Murad’s efforts and Nobel prize have finally given victims of sexual violence a voice on the world’s stage.

Sahle-Work Zewde, first woman president of Ethiopia

On October 25 this year, Sahle-Work Zewde made history when she became the first female president of Ethiopia.

Ms. Sahle was unanimously approved as president by the Ethiopian parliament, raising hopes for millions of girls in the country that has previously been known as averse to gender balance. Ms. Sahle is currently the only female head of state in Africa.

“I know I have said a lot about women empowerment, but expect me to be even more vocal in the coming years about the rights of women and equality,” she said.

Over and above, though, the 68-year-old’s rise to the presidency is only the latest of her achievements. She holds a resume that is rich with her milestones as a continental and international diplomat.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sahle was serving as the special representative of the United Nations Secretary General to the African Union in the position of the Under Secretary General of the United Nations. She was the first woman to hold this position.

But this was not her only leading role at the United Nations. In 2011, she was appointed Director General of the United Nations Centre for East and Central Africa office. She also served as a permanent representative of Ethiopia to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Ms. Sahle, who is a natural science graduate from the University of Montpellier, France, is also the only second woman in Ethiopia’s history to be appointed as an ambassador.

Lupita Nyong’o, a Kenyan making waves in Hollywood

In 2013, Lupita Nyong’o became the first Kenyan to win the prestigious Oscar Award.

She had just graduated with a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama when she landed a role in the movie 12 Years a Slave.

Apart from scooping the Oscar award for Best Supporting Actress, Ms. Nyong’o also won the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Supporting Actress. She was then nominated for the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

To some critics, Ms. Nyong’o’s rise to become a top Hollywood act was an achievement of sheer luck rather than talent. But this was no fluke. She beat top Hollywood acts such as Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, June Squibb and Sally Hawkins to the academy award.

This year, she stamped her presence as a household name in Hollywood with her role as Nakia in the superhero movie Black Panther. The highly acclaimed film, which was shot with an estimated budget of about $210 million, has so far garnered over $1.3 trillion.

Coming hot on the heels of this mega success, Ms. Nyong’o is now a 2019 Hollywood walk of fame honoree.