Rosie #1: Tawakkol Karman
Tawakkol Karman is a Yemeni human rights activist, journalist, and politician. She is the first Arab woman and the second Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.
Tawakkol Karman started her activism in 2005 by founding and leading the group “Women Journalists Without Chains” that aimed at promoting freedom of expression and democracy in Yemen. She played a key role in the 2011 Yemeni revolution, which resulted in the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Tawakkol Karman also serves as a member of the advisory board of several human rights organizations around the world and as a member of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. She continues to be an advocate for human rights and democracy in Yemen and the Arab world.
References:
- https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2011/karman/facts/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawakkol_Karman
Rosie #2: Sappho
Known as “The Tenth Muse,” Sappho was a Greek lyric poet and one of the world’s earliest known female writers. While considered an extraordinary author within her own time, her works continue to inspire to this day.
Sappho was a renowned ancient Greek poet who lived on the island of Lesbos around 600 BCE. Sappho’s poetry was well-known and highly regarded in ancient Greece and Rome, and it was considered so powerful that it was said to be able to change the minds of rulers. Many of her poems have been lost but some of her verses are still preserved in fragments and through quotations.
Sappho was also known for her contributions to society and for establishing a school for young girls on Lesbos where she taught poetry and music. Today, Sappho is considered one of the greatest lyric poets of ancient Greece and one of the most famous poets of the ancient world.