5 trailblazing women you’ve never heard of

From the farmer’s daughter who set up the only safari resort in the world run solely by women, to the first female Dalit to win a seat in Pakistan’s parliament, women who have challenged stereotypes and refused to give in to fear or discrimination tell their stories.

Originally posted on theguardian.com

Zaman runs a schools’ roadshow under the Extremely Together programme, travelling across Britain to teach young people how to resist violent extremism, and to question hate and propaganda.

Namshali says, “As a woman, working in this kind of environment, you have to be very tough and very strong,” she says. “Be confident and believe in yourself, even if the world doesn’t, and the rest will follow.”

In Pakistan’s 70-year history, a woman from a low-caste Hindu background has never reached this upper echelon of political power. This month, however, Kohli became the first female Dalit member of Pakistan’s Senate.

In 2013, Meza, 55, was forced into exile in the UK, and was accepted on the University of York’s protective fellowship scheme for human rights defenders.

Amid violence and drought, Loitaruk struggles to get parents to value education. Across the country, three-quarters of adults are illiterate, Unicef estimates, and many schools lie abandoned in the towns and villages.

Read more about these incredible women here