10 October, 2022 Aurélie Salvaire

During the last months, I have decided to engage in a full neuro-psychological analysis, including tests about cognitive, social, sensorial and emotional abilities.

The result being that I have been officially assessed neurodiverse, my cognitive profile highlighting the presence of a High Intellectual Potential. HIP refers to anybody with an IQ superior to 130 and represents around 2% of the population.

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This “giftedness” has pros and cons.

On the bright side, it means that I have a brain that works extremely fast without being aware of it, that I thrive with multitasking, new projects and challenges, that I have a powerful memory, over efficient language skills and reasoning (which explains a lot of my work in writing, storytelling and public speaking), a high sensitivity to others’ emotions and feelings, an important level of empathy and a high speed of information, a superior intellectual efficiency and very high curiosity or craving for knowledge, a strong sensory sensitivity (noises, cold weather, clothes labels or scratchy fabrics…) and a heightened creativity, focus, and innovation.

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On the less bright side, it means that I am subject to higher stress and anxiety, that I have a low inhibition and a high impulsivity, that my high rhythm makes me often impatient and less adapted to the general rhythm of processes and people, that I have to make extra efforts to regulate my emotions which are deeply affected by my environment, that I often have the feeling that I don’t fit in, that I feel extremely bored when my intellect is not stimulated and that this boredom leads very quickly to sadness and depression, that I have difficulty to manage frustrations, that I can be hyperactive and restless sometimes driving myself to exhaustion.

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HPI is mostly linked to genetic and biological factors. And a part of me thinks that my mum was probably an HPI herself. Yet, since the majority of research on neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD has been focused on boys and men, women are often overlooked. Misdiagnosed as anxious, depressed, or simply “sensitive,” many women don’t learn about their neurological differences until they are adults.

HPI people are neurodiverse. Neurodiversity entails people who have a different brain functioning and also covers people with ADHD (5% of the population), people with autism or Asperger syndrome (1% of the population), people with dyslexia or Tourette, Highly Sensitive People and many more…

In total, 10-15% of people around the world are neurodiverse.

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 Neurodiversity is also highly linked with mental health as there is a higher propensity to experience depression, anxiety and stress.

Neurodiversity is finally connected to gender. Gender identities that differ from biological sex (non-cisgender identities) appear to be more common in autism and neurodiversity.

 

In her book Divergent Mind, Jenara Nerenberg explains how many women realize later in life that their mental-health challenges had been rooted in unrecognized attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism.

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The result, Nerenberg suggests, is a “lost generation” of women, riddled with shame and low self-esteem, who “have no name for their life experiences and feelings.” With her new book Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You, Nerenberg hopes to empower “women who have a deep sense that they are ‘different’ from the norm but would never in a million years think they ‘have’ ADHD, Asperger’s, and some other neurodivergent trait.”

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This means that so many smart, sensitive and gifted women, limited by patriarchy to the boring routine of household management, have fell into depression and died. It means that so many smart, sensitive and gifted women have been called crazy and locked up or drugged.

Neurodiversity is part of the efforts of Diversity and Inclusion, as much as gender, race, religion, social class, physical ability or age.

 My journey to this diagnosis has started in December 2019, in Toulouse, in a professional event where another HPI, facilitator and clown, told me: “I am sure you are one too”. Neurodiverse people tend to spot each other. Intrigued by this conversation, I started reading on the topic, books such as “Je pense trop” from Christel Petitcollin or “Asperger et fière de l’être” from Alexandra Reynaud.

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I started to recognize myself in those books. It made sense. I never thought of myself as a specifically gifted person. It had always been easy for me to learn, to study and to perform so this easiness made it natural, organic. I thought it was pretty similar for most of us.

Also because after not fitting in too much during my childhood, I progressively created an environment of similar souls, hypersensitive, restless and craving for justice.

In 2021, I decided to pursue a professional diagnosis with different psychologists in Spain and in France. The result is not really a surprise to me, but it explains a lot of things…

It’s been the difficulty to find a job environment where I thrive instead of mutilating parts of my soul to fit in, it’s been the deep research of meaning and especially professional meaning throughout my entire life, it’s been being bored to death in so many low stimulating environments, being deemed self-centered and not enough empathetic by friends or colleagues when I could not understand why they could not handle a complex situation, it’s been being fired for challenging the norms, feeling depressed for sensing that my potential was wasted and squandered, having existential crisis every six months.

It’s been feeling lonely so many times, struggling to find a romantic partner that could keep up with my pace, feeling that I annoy my entourage with my existential questions, it’s been dealing with constant emotional ups and downs, joy and enthusiasm but also deep sadness, loneliness and sometimes even suicidal thoughts.

It’s been recognizing myself in some of the traits of Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory, it’s been people telling me that I have a very strong energy, family members being overwhelmed by the books, articles, podcasts recommendations I send them when this rhythm of knowledge absorption feels perfectly normal to me, it’s been being able to improvise very easily, to train or speak in public with very short notice without any problem, thriving when a challenge requires to mobilize my brain at a high efficiency level.

It’s been never understanding why we need to live in ONE place and have ONE career, It’s been being a “multipotentialite” or slasher and thriving with different projects and sources of income at the same time, it’s been engaging in unbalanced relationships where my empathy and deep listening skills for my partner’s stories and traumas were hardly matched in return.

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It’s been asking the waiters to turn the music down or leaving a shop because of the blasting noise, it’s been implementing a project or an initiative two minutes after having had the idea of it, it’s been sending emails without requesting previous authorization, it’s been disobeying rules I deem stupid or useless, it’s been feeling deeply hurt by injustice.

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It’s been feeling strongly depressed when the weather is cold and humid, when there is no light or sunshine for a few days, it’s been feeling sad when staying in an accommodation with no heating or cosy decoration, it’s been feeling deeply lonely after spending one or 2 days on my own, it’s being totally bored in meetings who could be summarized in an email, having no patience listening to people who do not go straight to the point, it’s been not sleeping at night after a conflict with friends or colleagues, it’s been struggling to find THE right career path before acknowledging I would have to create my own, it’s been not studying medicine when after a hospital internship I understood at 14 I would be too deeply moved by my patients diseases or deaths.

Image source: https://www.theminiadhdcoach.com

It’s been being rejected by some romantic partners for being perceived as needy and overwhelming when HPI crave for deep emotional connexions, it’s been understanding from a very young age what my parents were feeling or needed and sometimes acting as an adult or a therapist when I shouldn’t have, it’s being able to pinpoint instinctively the defining moment in my interlocutor’s life story, it’s been annoying my boss because I quickly end up telling him/her what they have to do, not out of arrogance but because it seems obvious to me and I think it would be beneficial to the organization, it’s been losing jobs or clients for being blunt and honest, for not aligning, complying or being silent enough.

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It’s been writing my personal blogs in one go as if they were writing themselves organically in my head and flowing naturally from there, it’s been feeling bad for not being able to settle down, being labeled an eternally unsatisfied person by friends or boyfriends, a greedy and unstable one by colleagues, it’s been people reproaching me that I go too fast, that I give them the answer before having listened to the whole question, that I am too unsettled and emotional.

It’s been neurotypical colleagues being afraid of my hyperactivity, feeling threatened by my rhythm or considering that I am dispersing myself when for me everything is actually clearly connected with the higher purpose, it’s hearing all my life “You ask yourself too many questions! Stop thinking! Don’t worry! You take everything too personal!” as if I could do something about it, it’s been losing friends or boyfriends for being too much, for wanting more, all the time.

And so many more things that I haven’t identified yet…

But I guess that at 42, it is easier to accept yourself for who you are. My goal now is to understand even better this topic of neurodiversity and to connect with other people who have also felt as the odd one out for so long.

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Because this is part of changing the narrative about being sensitive, about being a smart woman with emotional needs and the will to carve a path of her own, about challenging mental health stigma and about celebrating our unique gifts in a truly inclusive society.

So if you have a HIP in your team, remember:

  • he or she is not here to take your place! HIP individuals want to work well and fast, and they will have multiple ideas to improve quality and productivity. Their satisfaction lies in seeing the results of the ideas they are behind.
  • They are curious, eager to learn and want to share. They need to have several things to do at the same time and are generally hyper-efficient when working on things they are comfortable and interested in. They reason extremely quickly because they are unconsciously establishing links between all the elements of a problem. They do not always know how to give a linear explanation about how they achieve their results. This means that they may sometimes not be taken seriously. However, most of the time, they have the correct solution long before everyone else.
  • If you are ready to accept that the HIP member of your team is more advanced than you are in some aspects of your work, you will be able to put their capacities to the service of the entire team you both belong to.
  • If you have open-minded discussions with them and take account of their ideas, even the ones that seem completely out of the box, you might be pleasantly surprised!
10 July, 2021 Aurélie Salvaire

After many years working in women empowerment and diversity in neighboring Pakistan, I was given the unique opportunity to come to Kabul for six weeks to deliver an exceptional Leadership training course for our Afghan women staff.

It had been six months in the making.

The intensification of the conflict between the Talibans and the Afghan army, the imminent withdrawal of the International Military Forces probably leading to a darker future, the current drought plaguing the country and on top of it all, the multiple waves of Covid epidemic did not make it easy.

The armored vehicle that welcomed me went through the multiple security check points and crossed the town to join the ICON compound, east of the airport.

Surrounded by thick walls and barbed wires, constantly overflown by helicopters or military planes displacing Afghan troops or evacuating American military, the working atmosphere is relatively tense to say the least.

Afghanistan is one the most challenging duty stations of WFP, and the third largest operation in the world so the security concerns are omnipresent. Every day, security alerts flood your email account, each staff member must report their presence by radio check before 10pm, and the surrounding fireworks celebrations or carrier blasts can often be misinterpreted for worse.

The universe is suddenly reduced to your room, your office, the cafeteria and the gym for six weeks out of seven. And Covid has just added an extra layer of tension in this already anxiogenic environment. Given the fourth wave currently happening and the saturation of local hospitals, masks have to be worn at all times, gatherings are reduced to four people and the contact cases are immediately isolated in their rooms for 14 days. So the atmosphere is far from festive, and the dreaded PCR results are the gateway to the sporadic family or friends reunions. That is, if the commercial flights are not suspended and the evacuation measures not in place.

So kudos to our international team on the ground.

Yet, this is nothing compared to our national staff’s reality, and especially our women national staff, putting themselves at risk every day for working in a UN agency in the current political context. Most of them prefer to not mention it to their family or friends, and do not appear on LinkedIn or any social media.  

The country office has made significant progress in the last two years passing from 47 national women staff in September 2018 to 82 now amounting to 19% of the total and four more under recruitment. Instead of sending a few chosen ones to international trainings in Bangkok, the HR decided to give the opportunity to all the national women team, even the ones from the field offices who flew in specially for the occasion from Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat, Faizabad or Mazar-e-Sharif.

Each cohort of 10-15 participants gathered in the dimly lighted UNHCR bunker for three consecutive days and, despite the social distancing, managed to create special bonds among each other. They practiced public speaking imagining themselves future presidents of Afghanistan, they shared tips on how to navigate a hostile working environment where they might not always be as valued as they should, they mapped out their professional and personal objectives in a volatile world. They have identified the structural barriers limiting their progression and explored solutions at an individual and systemic level.

The participants have shared their role models such as Afghan poet Rabia Balkhi or national heroine Malalai of Maiwand. They have also learned to know themselves better through MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) tests and sharing their lifemaps. They have learned about the different types of leadership (autocratic, delegative, democratic…), the difference between a boss and a leader, and the qualities of inclusive leaders.

We talked about self-care, sisterhood and empowerment. The Country Director came every week to share her lifepath and her experience coming from an Irish family of 11 kids and rising to the cusp of leadership in the organization. This training is part of the capacity development effort since most of women national talent is still quite junior and there is a strong aspiration to reach leadership positions at national or international level in the coming years. The strong bonds among them will be instrumental in the months to come to maintain their motivation intact and ultimately cross the glass ceiling to the highest positions.

In a national context where only 19% of the women participate in the workforce and the adult women literacy rate is 20%, these women are an exception.

They are smart and bold. They are resilient and powerful.

They are the future of the country. And I am truly honored to have met them.

Nobody deserves more our admiration than the women national staff of WFP Afghanistan.

14 April, 2020 Aurélie Salvaire

Last week, we were thrilled to organize our first virtual bootcamp!

Given the current circumstances, we wanted to bring love and support to our beautiful community!

From Monday 6th to Friday 10th of April, every afternoon, we gathered to talk freely about how women all around the world are experiencing the current situation.

In the middle of the stress and the uncertainty, we wanted to offer a safe space to share stories, learn from each other and have fun!

We talked about love and sex under lockdown, the best series to watch or how to take care of our mental health!

We dreamt about the future and celebrate sisterhood together!

More than 200 women registered for our 5 sessions!

From Peru to Japan, from Mexico to Pakistan, Rwanda or Saudi Arabia, it was an opportunity to think the future together!

Here is a quick summary:

Monday 6th of April – 5 pm CET – Love and sex under lockdown

Our relationships are pretty strained during these times. How do you cope? If you are living with your partner, how is it going? If you are physically separated from your partner, how does it feel? If you do not currently have a partner, what is your experience?

We all shared how confinement and social isolation were affecting our relationships. Some were very thankful for their partner. Some were suffering deeply from the physical separation. Some were exploring online dating.

Here are the links that were shared:

Resources for single ladies…
Some books to read:
Little fires everywhere or Blindness
Some were praising the LELO brand… 🙂
How will we live after?
An interesting event sharing resources for our mental health…

Tuesday 7th of April – 5 pm CET –  Having fun in times of crisis. 

What do you do to have fun and laugh? What is the greatest series you binge-watched? The old movies you enjoyed? The dancing routine you have put in place? Share your tips to brighten your mood! 

Some links to share:
– Some circuses offer their shows online for free
Netflix Party chrome extension allows you to watch movies with friends

Dancing is always a good option!!!

Or a Cardio Latin Work Out

For games and parties, check House Party or Stay the Fuck Home Bar!!!

If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution. Emma Goldman.

Wednesday 8th of April – 5 pm CET: Self-care Wednesday. 

How do you take care of your mental health during this lockdown? How do you manage your anxiety? What about your physical health? Do you feel pressured to still conform to beauty standards? 

The participants shared their Self care checklist: journal, read and do yoga and manifestation. Take time for my meals! I also do wellness selfcare twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday where I look after my body with some pampering!


Here is an event on April 23rd on mental health tips.

Interesting videos on mental health: 
https://www.instagram.com/jasonlsilva/


A community of women entrepreneurs: https://www.ogunte.com/



The Art and Practice of Loving: Living a Heartfelt Yes http://www.heartfeltyes.com/read/



“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde


Self care needs to be a harmony between mind, body, and soul. It requires to keep the boundaries and keep away from all forms of dramas to go towards soul liberation.
You can watch the meditations of Tara Brach on this topic! Some organize a full moon ceremony to let go and a new moon ceremony for what they want to invite in their lives.

This too shall pass


A few more links:

The book Why We Sleep from Matthew Walker 

blessingmanifesting.com


https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/mindful-apps/



https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being


The book Lost Connections on Depression and Well Being

For the physical activity, we talked about Yoga with Adrienne as well as cardio activity, kickboxing and capoeira (movement, singing, percussion, loads of soul)
.

Thursday 9th of April – 5 pm CET –  Sisterhood is powerful.  

How do you support your sisters out there? How do women from different countries experiment with the situation? What can you do to show up for them? 

What is sisterhood for you?


A few ideas came out: Free of judgement
, notion of tribe
, pushing each other to succeed instead of bringing each other down.
 The feeling that you are not alone and people are here to support
. 
We tend to overcomplicate things and all we need is the connection.


A few tips:

1. Take on mentees 

2. Do a monthly checkin with sisters 

3. Make time to meet them physically


4. 
Bring up the idea of sisterhood/sorority to my close girl friends and introduce the political aspect of it, hopefully creating a stronger bond between us
.

5. 
Role model to younger sisters the importance of women supporting women. In my case, I think it’s important for my daughter to see the value of authentic female connections.


6. Compliment other women. And challenging them when they don’t accept the compliment. 

7. Start your own group of eco-feminists
. If the political and scientific power is better shared with women we can change our world in a better sustainable world.

Ecofeminism is a branch of feminism that sees environmentalism, and the relationship between women and the earth, as foundational to its analysis and practice. Ecofeminist thinkers draw on the concept of gender to analyse the relationships between humans and the natural world.

Ecosomatics is an emerging interdisciplinary field which connects embodiment practices such as dance and the healing arts with ecological consciousness.


Women for Climate justice : https://gendercc.net/home.html

Friday 10th of April – 5 pm CET – What’s next? 

What is your dream for the after lockdown? At a personal and global level? What do you think will change? Are we heading towards a more feminist and inclusive future? Or towards more control and totalitarianism? What is your hope and vision? What is our role designing this new phase? 

Here are the links we shared:

https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200405/48285133216/yuval-harari-mundo-despues-coronavirus.html

https://www.ft.com/content/10d8f5e8-74eb-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca

https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/26/fear-of-covid-19-is-a-mental-contagion-ben-okri

Charles Eisenstein: 

https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/?_page=3&fbclid=IwAR1UgPT3p0XuXfyVEkQsRM4wWW20L8pLni_UvAr5aKAnvtTPu444-E0LKD4


Podcast version of his text “Coronation”: 

https://charleseisenstein.org/podcasts/charles-eisenstein-daily-the-podcast/


This is already a very good article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/07/what-coronavirus-can-teach-us-about-hope-rebecca-solnit?fbclid=IwAR3aHcWoCkJNqhnkUSCd6hb5s9kJd8pneIGbrWOtVZrOz6KGNJs8RKYMs-I

Bruno Latour suggested 6 questions to help people choose what activities they want to keep, what they want to stop and by what we would like to replace them (sorry its in french) : http://www.bruno-latour.fr/fr/node/851.html

https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief


French NGO Alternative organise conference on line to prepare a feminist, ecologist and social world : https://alternatiba.eu/2020/04/pour-un-jour-d-apres/

#philanthrophy  #changeleadership  #moneytalks #FinancialLeadership



For German speakers: dreaming about the immediate future (2022):

https://beyond-corona.org

FOR JOBS: https://blog.movingworlds.org/social-impact-jobs-in-europe/  

There is also GAIA initiative (based on U Theory): https://www.presencing.org/gaia


Build our relationships with neighbours


Take time to read articles / books to be prepared for after


Take time to look / feel / listen to nature


Infiltrating the political groups and NGO, now they open their group, at least in France, they are invited anybody who wants changes



Reach out to friends who are not convinced by feminism



yes planting and watering seeds in our close environment (family, friends, colleagues ..) we have plenty of time right now, and them too


https://embodimentcircle.com/embodiment-circle-online-resources/

Feminist group from Peru:
https://www.facebook.com/pariopaula

Next steps

Given the reception, we have decided to go on with a regular weekly session every Friday at 5pm CET in order to share the vision we have of the future world! So stay tuned on our social media and join us online!

Stay safe!

16 November, 2019 Aurélie Salvaire
Photo credits: sowetanlive.co.za

“I was raised to be limitless… [and] I was born an artist.”  These are the words of 27-year-old Ofentse Pitse, a woman who is carving her name into the history books. Pitse is the first black South African woman to conduct and own the first-ever all-black orchestra, Anchored Sound. 

The Mabopane-born architect believes her musical gift is a calling; her late grandfather Otto Pitse was also an orchestra conductor and trumpet player. 

She first played an instrument at the age of 12. She grew up in a single-parent home and her mom was always supportive of her endeavors.  She fell in love with sounds from there and was exposed to many types of music, ranging from gospel to jazz. She credits her grandfather as well and believes she is his reincarnation. People have shown their appreciation and enthusiasm for a female orchestra conductor.

“Conducting is a whole different ballgame. You have to have a particular understanding, the mind, and the spirit for each and every instrument. You have to have an understanding, you have to do a lot of research.

“You have to have a certain kind of confidence to stand on that podium and lift a baton and conduct people who are looking at you saying, ‘but she’s a woman’, because they are used to these old men standing in front of them, conducting. You have to walk in there with a certain kind of reverence and confidence.”

Pitse is a forward-thinking and bold young woman and she credits her mentors for her classical music knowledge as she does not have a formal musical qualification.

“My teaching was unconventional, nothing was on paper. The furthest I went in music was grade three or grade four and everything else was basically mentoring. Early this year, I reached out to two of the best conductors, one being Mr Thami Zungu, the head of music at TUT and Mr Gerben Grooten, the conductor of the UP philharmonic. These are amazing conductors… they have spent a lot of their time teaching and crafting this talent within me,”  Pitse said.

The orchestra has a vocal coach who helps with training the members as though some are studying music at tertiary while others are pursuing other avenues, but still want to utilise their talents.

Her vision for the orchestra is that they contribute in shedding light on African composers and propel each other and other young black youth to excellence.

“I’m a believer in the black narrative and a believer in the black child.”  

This article originally appeared on sowetandlive.co.za It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.

10 November, 2019 Aurélie Salvaire

Chloe Swarbrick, a member of the Green Party, shut down an older politician who interrupted her speech on climate change.

Chloe Swarbrick used the viral phrase to shut down an older heckler

Swarbrick used the viral phrase to shut down an older heckler

A video of a 25-year-old politician in New Zealand, who used the phrase “Okay boomer” to casually swat away an older heckler in parliament, has gone viral.

Chloe Swarbrick, a member of the Green Party, used the popular meme adopted by millennials – widely considered to be aged between 23 and 38 – during a debate about climate change.

he politician was discussing the Zero Carbon bill – which would set a target of zero carbon emissions for the country by 2050 – and claimed the burden of tackling the climate crisis would fall on her generation.

She said: “How many world leaders, for how many decades, have seen and known what is coming, but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors?

“My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury.

“In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old – yet, right now, the average age of this 52nd parliament is 49 years old.”

At that point, an older politician – reported to be Todd Muller, the opposition spokesperson for climate change – interrupted her speech, to which she coolly responded with “Okay boomer” – and carried on.

Ms Swarbrick hit back at online criticism, firing back at one user, saying: “I was talking about the generation that comes after us not having the luxury of ignoring this, all the while being met with a barrage of yelling.

“I then spoke about being 56 in 2050, and both Todd and Scott kept yelling. So I responded. Were you in the House?”

This article originally appeared on skynews. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.

6 November, 2019 Aurélie Salvaire
Greta Thunberg Team Up with a Hollywood Actor to Stop the Climate Crisis
Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming up to end the climate crisis.


“There are few times in human history where voices are amplified at such pivotal moments and in such transformational ways – but Greta Thunberg has become a leader of our time,” DiCaprio wrote on Instagram. “History will judge us for what we do today to help guarantee that future generations can enjoy the same livable planet that we have so clearly taken for granted.”

Thunberg recently delivered a powerful speech to world leaders at the UN. The speech was a departure from her usually reserved demeanor. Emotionally, she scolded world leaders. She warned them that young people of today will be watching and holding them accountable for climate offenses.

“I hope that Greta’s message is a wake-up call to world leaders everywhere that the time for inaction is over,” DiCaprio wrote. “It is because of Greta, and young activists everywhere that I am optimistic about what the future holds. It was an honor to spend time with Greta. She and I have made a commitment to support one another, in hopes of securing a brighter future for our planet.”

This article originally appeared on livekindly.co. It was reposted in the interest of our readers with a more feminist headline. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.

1 November, 2019 Aurélie Salvaire
View image on Twitter

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a 2-time Olympic and a 4-time World Championships winner at 100 meters event. 

She is also the only woman to win a World Championships title after becoming a mother. 

And, wait, the oldest at that.

Suvarna Haridas@Suvarna_haridas · Oct 1, 2019

33-year-old @allysonfelix breaks Usain Bolt’s record for a number of gold medals in the world championships! She’s a mom of a preemie baby who lost her Nike sponsorship because she advocated for pay protection during pregnancy. #motherhood

Suvarna Haridas@Suvarna_haridas

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, who was the first mom to win an Olympic or world 100m title in 24 years and the oldest woman (mother or not) to do it at age 32!

View image on Twitter

Anything I write beyond this will pale in comparison, but let me try.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s eleven-year reign over the 100m:

Year Event Gold Medal Time
2008 Olympics 10.78
2009 Worlds 10.73
2012 Olympics 10.70
2013 Worlds 10.71
2015 Worlds 10.76
2019 Worlds 10.71

She is The Greatest of All Times.#DohaWorldChampionships #WorldAthleticsChamps

View image on Twitter

 A decade after her maiden World Championships title, Shelly-Ann did it for the fourth time.

Unlike her previous appearances, though, the victory wasn’t really anticipated this time. She was coming after a break that she took while pregnant and was competing with the best around the world.

However, in her typical style, she did what had never been done before.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica is the 100m GOAT:
4th-fastest ever, with an unmatched 100m medal collection: FOUR 100m world titles in 10 years, along with TWO consecutive Olympic 100m golds and a bronze: https://www.nbcsports.com/video/2019-track-and-field-worlds-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce-wins-gold-100m-dash …2019 Track and Field Worlds: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins gold inShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins her fourth 100m dash title at the 2019 Track and Field World Championships.nbcsports.com36912:25 AM – Sep 30, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy104 people are talking about this

She clocked 10.71 seconds – which was exactly the same time she took to clinch her second title at the tournament. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce just took off! All eyes are on her for #Tokyo2020! #WorldAthleticsChamps 6238:32 PM – Sep 29, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy242 people are talking about this

What stood out, though, were the pictures of Shelly-Ann holding her kid after the victory. “This is a victory for motherhood,” she told AP.

In 2009 we knew her as Pocket Rocket, in 2019 she’s Mommy Rocket!

We say a big congratulations to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as she wins her 4th World Championship title!

Jamaica could not be prouder of you Shelly-Ann ! #TVJDOHA #TVJDOHA2019

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
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And in another interview given to CNN, she said: My secret is just staying humble and just know who you are as a person and athlete and just continue to work hard. It’s a wonderful feeling having my son witnessing this.

“The females keep showing up.” — Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, holding 2-year-old Zyon, after winning the world 100m title at age 32, oldest ever and 11 years after her Olympic debut title in 2008 (when she wore braces).1,4028:57 PM – Sep 29, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy476 people are talking about this

Her 2-year-old son Zyon even joined her on the field, making it one of the most historic images of our times

This article originally appeared on ScoopWhoop . It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.

15 October, 2019 Aurélie Salvaire
Esther Duflo
Copyrights: Getty Images

Esther Duflo has said she is “humbled” by her success in winning this year’s Nobel prize for economics and hopes it will “inspire many, many other women”.

Prof Duflo was part of a trio, alongside her husband Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer, to win the prize.

Their work had “dramatically improved our ability to fight poverty in practice”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said.

Prof Duflo is only the second woman to win the prize since it began in 1969.

At 46 years old, she is also the youngest recipient of the prize.

“Showing that it is possible for a woman to succeed and be recognised for success I hope is going to inspire many, many other women to continue working and many other men to give them the respect that they deserve like every single human being,” she said.

Prof Duflo’s husband was her PhD supervisor and their work, alongside that of Prof Kremer’s, has focused on poor communities in India and Africa. Their research helps show which investments are worth making and also what has the biggest impact on the lives of the poorest people.

For example, their research in India found a high level of absenteeism among teachers. They found employing them on short-term contracts, which would be extended if they had good results, led to significantly better test results for students.

Another project looked at how the demand for de-worming pills for parasitic infections was affected by price. They found that three quarters of parents gave their children these pills when the medicine was free, compared to just 18% when they cost less than a US dollar, which was still heavily subsidised.

The research has helped inform decisions on whether medicine and healthcare should be charged for and, if so, at what price.

Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer
Image captionAbhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer

Prof Banerjee and Prof Duflo both work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, while Prof Kremer works at Harvard University.

“I didn’t think it was possible to win the Nobel Prize in Economics before being significantly older than any of the three of us,” Prof Duflo said.

The trio will receive nine million Swedish krona (£728,000).

Effective tutoring

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the winners had introduced “a new approach to obtaining reliable answers about the best ways to fight global poverty”.

It said they had broken the complex issue into “smaller, more manageable questions” making it easier to tackle.

“As a direct result of one of their studies, more than five million Indian children have benefited from effective programmes of remedial tutoring in school,” the Academy said.

“Another example is the heavy subsidies for preventive healthcare that have been introduced in many countries.”

The Nobel economics prize – technically known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize – is the only award not created by philanthropist Alfred Nobel.

Instead, the economics prize was created by the Swedish central bank “in memory of Alfred Nobel” and first awarded in 1969.

Last year, William Nordhaus and Paul Romer won the prize for their work on sustainable growth.

The US economists’ research focused on how climate change and technology have affected the economy.

In 2017, US economist Richard Thaler, author of the best seller Nudge, won for his work in behavioural economics.

Since it was first awarded in 1969, Americans have dominated the awards.

This article originally appeared on BBC News. It was reposted in the interest of our readers. All rights reserved with the respective owners of the information.