Letter from the Editors

Dear WAF’s Readers,

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the U.S. — and the fifth anniversary of Women Across Frontiers. And we couldn’t be more optimistic about the power of women’s voices around the globe.

The world has changed enormously since 2015: The #MeToo movement has become an international phenomenon, giving millions of women a prominent platform on which to share their experience of sexual harassment and abuse. Recently a Chilean feminist street protest spread virally around the world and became a powerful feminist anthem. Slowly but steadily, women are redefining the conversation about the intersection of gender and power.

We are proud of the small part WAF has played in this emerging revolution.

WAF advocates daily for gender equality through our partnerships with other NGOs and our on-the ground reporting. We have covered a wide range of topics, such as limited access to menstrual products in Sub-Saharan Africa; the need for urban designers to address issues concerning women, resulting in the emergence of “female-friendly cities”; and the plight of child marriage– children who have been sexually exploited by coercion or outright violence in Guatemala and become young mothers.

WAF has helped obtain pro-bono translators for Central American women and children who have been detained at the U.S border seeking asylum here.

We have spotlighted courageous individuals whose work is making a real difference in women’s lives — people such as Anna Keys, founder of a groundbreaking school and NGO in Malawi, and Tracy Kajumba, who worked at the frontline of climate change adaptation in Uganda.

The magazine has profiled successful women in male-dominated fields, such as the Argentinian race car driver Julia Ballario.

In our podcast series WAF has presented issues like Venezuela’s humanitarian and political crisis and homophobia  in Jamaica.

Yet, as global gender parity remains a distant reality and reproductive rights are at stake in the U.S. and abroad, let us highlight the need for action.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we would like to ensure the voices of women and girls will continue to be heard.

Toward this end, we are pleased to share the following new Spring WAF’s stories:

• WOMAN: an inspiring worldwide project giving a voice to 2,000 women across 50 countries
• A powerful chilean feminist street protest is rocking the world
• Child sex tourism in the Dominican Republic: Meet Ana and the organization that fights the commercial sexual exploitation of children
• From our podcast series, we introduce Civil Bikes, an Atlanta-based organization that leads cycling tours highlighting the contribution of women and people of color throughout the city

As always, thank you for your support.

Karina Mirochnik, Co-Founder and Executive Editor and the WAF team