World Shakers

What does it take to change the world? Whether it was the rule that forced Muslim women athletes like Ibtihaj Muhammad to choose between competition and wearing hijab or Indigenous women like Mary Two-Axe Earley to lose their official Indigenous status when they married white men, these women fought against it. Sometimes, they used their voice, like disability rights activist Judy Heumann, and Alicia Garza, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter. Sometimes, they led by example, like the STEM-loving Afghan Dreamers. All of them had the courage to shake the world and make a path for other women to follow.

Helen Wolfe’s career spanned over forty years in education, publishing, and social work. She was the author of Terrific Women Teachers and Unstoppable: Women With Disabilities, as well as many teachers’ guides. Helen lived with a lifelong physical disability and encountered many obstacles in pursuing and achieving her goals. She never let that stop her. She brought her empathy, life experiences, and insights into all of her books.

PAGE 1: INTRODUCTION

PAGE 7: JUDITH HEUMANN: STRONGER TOGETHER

PAGE 19: WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN: FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE (ZAHRA MIRZAEI, FAWZIA KOOFI, THE AFGHAN DREAMERS)

PAGE 33: THREE WOMEN BREAKING BARRIERS IN SPORT (IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD, FAIROUZ GABALLA, FITRIYA MOHAMED)

PAGE 4: PREGALUXMI (“PREGS”) GOVENDER: WOMEN’S AND HUMAN RIGHTS

PAGE 50: LILY EBERT: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM

PAGE 59: MARY TWO-AXE EARLEY: SET MY SISTERS FREE

PAGE 67: CHANGING OUR CONCEPTS OF BEAUTY (FATIMA LODHI, OLAKEMI OBI, OGO MADUEWESI)

PAGE 79: CLARA HUGHES: RACING THROUGH LIFE’S CHALLENGES

PAGE 91: ALICIA GARZA: USING POWER TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE

PAGE 101: ANNIE JIAGGE: CRUSADER FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS

PAGE 110: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

LIST OF WOMEN FEATURED:

• Judith Heuman: Stronger Together (US disability rights activist)
• Zahra Mirzaei: Champion of Mothers and Newborn Babies (Afghan midwife)
• Fawzia Koofi: Risking her Life for Women’s Rights (former deputy speaker of the Afghan parliament)
• The Afghan Dreamers: Beating the Odds to Excel in Science (Afghan girls in STEM)
• Ibtihaj Muhammad: Olympic Medalist (US Olympic fencer who competed wearing hijab)
• Fairouz Gaballa: Fighting Discrimination (Canadian long-distance runner who wears hijab)
• Fitriya Mohammed: Changing the Look of the Basketball Court (Muslim Canadian basketball player)
• Pregaluxmi (“Pregs”) Govender: Women’s and Human Rights (South African feminist anti-apartheid activist)
• Lily Ebert: Using Social Media to Fight Antisemitism (Hungarian Holocaust survivor and educator)
• Mary Two-Axe Earley: Set My Sisters Free (North American Indigenous women’s rights campaigner)
• Fatima Lodhi: Being Dark is Divine (Pakistani woman fighting colorism)
• Olakemi Obi: Loving Your Body and Yourself (Nigerian model and activist for diverse plus-size models)
• Ogo Maduewesi: Beauty is More than Skin Deep (Nigerian campaigner for people with vitiligo)
• Clara Hughes: Racing Through Life’s Challenges (Canadian athlete and mental health campaigner)
• Alicia Garza: Using Power to Create Positive Change (US co-founder of Black Lives Matter)
• Annie Jiagge: Crusader for Women’s Rights (Ghanaian judge and feminist activist)

"Young girls seeking inspiring role models need look no further than Helen Wolfe’s World Shakers: Inspiring Women Activists.... With easy-to-read text and a picture of each of the women named, this is a book that will bring new determination for success to many mid-level readers."

"A good choice for those looking for collective biographies that feature women not often covered in school curricula."