What is a Mother Worth?
“No one has ever believed in me except Lua Nova,” proclaimed one young mother who has battled a lifetime of domestic violence, homelessness, and drug abuse in the favelas of São Paulo, Brazil. She and the rest of the residents of Lua Nova’s rehabilitation program have been engaged the past three...
Leading Women ChangemakeHERS Reveal Blueprints for Action
Celebrating the International Women’s Day Centennial Imagine a master class for social change: an academy of action where concrete advice, guidance, and direction for every level of changemaking – from the first spark of an idea to the scaling of an innovation across the globe – are shared by some...
Ashoka's Changemakers Reflects on ChangemakeHERS Campaign, Women's Issues
In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Ashoka's Changemakers launched the inaugural ChangemakeHERS movement, celebrating the work and social impact of some of the world's most inspirational women. Building on Ashoka's 30-year history as a pioneer in social entrepreneurship...
Creating Change: Innovations in the world of disability
One of the most important roles Ashoka can play is to convene our Fellows around shared challenges - providing a platform for sharing, learning and collaboration. After a number of Ashoka fellows have worked in a particular area—education, health, privacy, housing, etc - we look for patterns or...
Gender Trends
While the crucial role of women as agents of change in developing communities is well acknowledged, the role of women as change-makers in the US social sector is less well explored. Nick Kristof’s great piece in this weekend’s New York Times Magazine shines a spotlight on the latter. The article, “D...
New Data Shows Progress for Maternal Health
The maternal health community has been buzzing this week about a report on maternal health released by the Lancet and featured in the New York Times. The report uses new and improved maternal health data to evidence significant declines in maternal mortality worldwide between 1980 and 2008. Why is...
Kuwaiti Sisters Lulwa & Balsam Al-Ayoub
Ashoka has just elected its first Kuwaiti Fellows: sisters Lulwa and Balsam Al-Ayoub (pictured above with other members of the Kuwaiti Olympic team). Both are professional fencers and use their status to support gender empowerment. What’s fascinating about Lulwa and Balsam is how their personal...
Co-President Diana Wells Wins Running Start Award
Ashoka Co-President Diana Wells was celebrated as one of 10 winners of the first annual Women to Watch Award by Running Start, a Washington, DC-based organization that empowers young women to be political leaders. The award honors ten of the most impressive young women leaders in the country and the...
Meet Attila Mong - A Storyteller-in-Residence
Hungarian journalist Attila Mong made news himself in 2010 when he publicly protested a controversial and repressive media law by observing a minute of silence on his daily news show on the Hungarian Public Radio. That symbolic gesture was enough to get him suspended. Since then, he has continued to...
Syrian Ashoka Fellow Arrives in Canada
Through his organization, Dubarah, Edward is creating a system of support - entirely volunteer based - to enable refugees to integrate, find work, and establish a life for themselves in the countries they now call home. Something beautiful happened on February 10: We welcomed Syrian Ashoka Fellow...