Mental health champion Uchendu shines on BBC 100 Women list alongside other African pioneers



This year, many women from all over Africa participated. bbc 100 women A list of inspiring and influential women.

Named to this year’s list is Jennifer Uchendu, the only Nigerian on the list, who is dedicated to climate change and mental health advocacy and whose recent research has shown that Africans, especially young people, focuses on investigating the impact of the climate crisis on the mental health of people.

The 30-year-old environmental activist founded sustainability-focused organization SustyVibes to attract leaders to action at the United Nations (UN) climate change conference, commonly known as the Conference of the Parties (COP). It is operated.

Recognizing that climate change is having a disproportionate impact on the lives of women and girls, this year’s BBC 100 Women list features, for the first time, a special focus on the groups of women who are leading the fight against the climate crisis.

The BBC 100 Women List 2023 recognizes those who are inspiring and leading their communities to tackle and adapt to the devastating impacts of climate change in their region by naming 28 climate change pioneers from around the world. I praise you.

The announcement of this year’s list kicks off the BBC’s 2023 Women’s 100 season. Focusing on the rights and diverse life experiences of women around the world, it will deliver special content including interviews, documentaries, features, digital and social journalism on BBC UK and global television. radio services, BBC iPlayer and BBC.com.

The African women included in this year’s list are:

Ulanda Mutamba, a campaigner from Malawi, is calling for enforcement of existing laws that protect girls from early marriage and increased investment to address the health risks associated with early pregnancy. Esi Vuobasa, a Ghanaian fishmonger, helped found an association aimed at supporting local women whose income sources are threatened by coastal erosion. Nazira Mohamed Ramin, a women’s rights and climate change activist from Western Sahara and founder of the Almasar Library Center, wants to educate women and children about health and the environment in the Saharawi refugee camp in southwestern Algeria. ing. Nima Namadam, a disability rights advisor in the Democratic Republic of Congo, founded Hero Women Rising, a grassroots organization that uses education and technology to amplify women’s voices and teach them how to advocate for their rights. Vee Kativhu, a content creator and YouTuber from Zimbabwe, has launched Empowered by Vee. Through this platform, we aim to make higher education more accessible to unserved and underrepresented students around the world. Shamsa Arawiro is a female genital mutilation (FGM) activist from Somalia who aims to educate and raise awareness through her powerful and direct online videos. Paulina Kijian is a writer who became the first woman to have her novel published in Mozambique with her debut novel The Ballad of Love in the Wind in the 1990s. She recently won the Camões Prize, which is considered the most prestigious literary award in the Portuguese language. Yasmina Benslimane is the Moroccan founder of Politics4Her, which promotes the participation of young women and girls in political and decision-making processes. Susan Chomba, a Kenyan scientist and director of the World Resources Institute, works to protect forests, restore landscapes and transform Africa’s food systems.

African women named as one of 28 climate change pioneers on the BBC’s 100 Women list include:

Zandile Ndlovu is South Africa’s first black female freediving instructor and founded the Black Mermaid Foundation to expose young people and communities to the ocean. Jennifer Uchendu, a Nigerian mental health advocate, has focused her recent research on examining the impact of the climate crisis on the mental health of Africans, especially young people. Wanjira Mathai is a Kenyan environmental advisor with over 20 years of experience who led the Green Belt Movement, Kenya’s iconic indigenous grassroots organization that empowers women through tree planting. Gladys Kalema-Jixoka, an award-winning Ugandan veterinarian and conservationist, is working to save the country’s endangered mountain gorillas, whose habitat is being eroded by climate change.

Other notable names on BBC 100 Women 2023 include former US first lady, lawyer and campaigner Michelle Obama, footballer Aitana Bommatti, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, actress America Ferrera and beauty world These include powerhouse Huda Kattan, AI expert Timnit Gebru, and author. Oksana Zabuzhko and feminist leader Gloria Steinem.

But what makes the BBC 100 Women list so unique are the new names. These include 28 climate pioneers announced in time for the 2023 United Nations climate change conference, COP28, which begins in Dubai later this month.

They also include Paraguayan sprinter Camila Pirelli, Pakistani midwife Neha Mankani, and Thai indigenous and LGBTQ+ rights activist Matcha Pornyin.

Others recognized for their work on the climate crisis in a variety of fields include Brazil’s Secretary of State Sonia Guajajara, firefighter Sofia Kosacheva, and climate change advisors Irina Stavchuk and Cristiana Figueres. There are also women who do.

This season will focus on the practice of child marriage, as 12 million underage girls are forced into marriage each year. The data-driven project will examine the surge in concerns about climate anxiety and hear from women whose reproductive choices are influenced by environmental concerns. Ride the roads with Mexican truck drivers who work in dangerous, male-dominated jobs, and climb the mountains with a group of shepherds who brought wealth and transformation to their communities in less than a generation.

You can read the full BBC 100 Women list for 2023 here. www.bbc.com/100women

Lilian Landau, Senior Controller, BBC News International Service, said: This diverse list of influential and groundbreaking grassroots women who have made a difference in their fields, from the community level to international politics, is an inspiration to us all.

“In a year where heat waves, bushfires, floods and other natural disasters dominate headlines and wars weigh heavily, it’s important now more than ever that the BBC World Service continues to shine a spotlight on women and their struggles around the world. important to climate change. ”

In addition to the list, BBC 100 Women will present a season of specially commissioned content and documentaries featuring some of the untold stories of this year’s BBC 100 Women.

In conversation

BBC News will broadcast exclusive conversations with some of the most globally recognized women in this year’s list.

BBC 100 Women in Conversation: Amal Clooney, Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates

Twelve million underage girls are forced into marriage every year, a crisis that the United Nations says will take more than 300 years to resolve at current rates. Three of the world’s most prominent humanitarians have pledged to work together on this issue. In an exclusive episode of BBC 100 Women, Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates talk about the work they’re doing to fight child marriage and scale up the work of grassroots organizations.

It will be broadcast on BBC News on Saturday 25 November at 01:30 and 08:30 GMT, and Sunday 26 November at 07:30, 14:30 and 21:30 GMT.

Source: guardian.ng

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