//rage against the system.

As a man, I continue to enjoy undeserved advantages. I get paid better than women. The professional impact of bringing up children is less. The political and economic leaders remain largely male. We still dominate, even in countries that consider themselves progressive. But they are also responsible for an extreme polarization of our society, which in times of growing populism poisons our social culture. Male chauvinism blocks women.
I am writing this article because I believe that we are all better off opening doors of opportunity and equality to women and girls: in classrooms and boardrooms, in military ranks, in all aspects of productive life, and in peace talks. António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN, declared in 2017: "If women take part in peace processes in a meaningful way, the chance of sustainable peace increases by 35 percent."

In the following I am presenting 7 women who rose up against the chauvinist status, as an inspiration for a common struggle against unjust, exclusive, dangerous systems.

One of my earliest memories of that tumultuous 2017 was that deep sigh that could be heard around the world: a defeated Hillary Clinton before the inauguration of Donald Trump (the politician who harassed her throughout the election) took a deep breath to collect herself and then positioned herself proudly on the podium behind Trump. Whatever one might think of Clinton politically or her campaign, that deep breath echoed on a human level. Her calm and imperturbability were admirable.

The next day, women flooded the streets of Washington D.C. and declared their commitment in the fight against chauvinism and sexism. It felt like her screams were inhaling Clinton's breath again and exhaling even more forcefully. In a way, Clinton's determination reflects the power to prevail against thugs, molesters and tyrants, big and small, to defy the system to force positive change; a movement in seven examples:

Bahia:
THE GRAFFITI RESISTANCE!!                                          

Cairo, December 2011: Video footage shows Egyptian security forces beating a woman. A single still from that video, with the robe pulled over the woman's face, exposing her blue bra and belly, and a man in uniform and sneakers preparing to step on her with his foot filled the front pages of several Egyptian newspapers the following day. Shaken - but also inspired - by this moment, the designer and artist Bahia Shehabi painted the streets and walls of Cairo with the graphic of a blue bra. These protest images spread online, received worldwide media coverage, and prompted thousands of Egyptians to march into Tahrir Square. It was the beginning of the largest protest movement in the history of Egypt, a revolution and the beginning of the end of Muhammad Husni Mubarak and a new political symbol for female courage and commitment against the totalitarian order in the Arab world.

Emma:    
A CORRECTIVE DOSE of HARD TRUTH.     

Washington, March 2018: Emma Gonzales survived the Parkland School Massacre on February 14, 2018 and became the face of the March For Our Lives movement in 2018. With her authenticity and her courage against lobbyists and political parties, she reflects the attitude of a new generation. On stage in Washington, addressing a mass audience, she spoke for less than two minutes and then suddenly fell silent to mark the length of time it took an armed man to kill 17 people in a rampage at her high school a month earlier. The contrast between her vulnerability and her punk outfit made an unforgettable impression.

Similar to Dadaism, the first major cultural protest, fueled by disillusionment and moral outrage over the unprecedented bloodbath of World War I, Emma Gonzales recalls the drive and strength of punks in the 1970s.

Punk is not a personality disorder, but a corrective dose of hard truth, a rebellion against authority and institutions. Punk as a political stance, as a social movement, as a fashion trend, as a personal lifestyle brand and as a lens of critical evaluation. Punks combined heavy guitar riffs and rough vocals with political criticism: In Great Britain the Sex Pistols whipped against the 'fascist regime', Elvis Costello condemned the Falklands War and Clash offered an apocalyptic vision of the world. The punks were against the government and the system, and they wanted to be heard. Today, as in the 1970s, frustrated by the political shift to the right and populism, a determined moral outrage is back. Thanks to Trump and Johnson.

Danny:    
THE IRON FRONT.                                                        

Portland, August 2019: For the first 33 minutes of a football game between the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders, fans of both teams stayed silent, creating an eerie silence. This MLS derby match with the most passionate fans in the league is considered a powder keg and is feared for rioting. But that day they had a different message to send.

 Both groups protested against the league's ban on political symbols, particularly the use of the Iron Front logo. Fans of both teams are of the opinion that the symbol from World War II, used by an anti-Nazi organization, should be allowed in the stadium as it represents an opposition to fascism.

The Nazi regime banned the symbol in 1933, so the 33rd minute was chosen to end the silence. At the start of the 34th minute, both groups broke out into chants and a number of fans waved flags with the Iron Front logo on them. Right in the middle, Danny, wears large EISERNEN FRONT earrings, wields a huge ANTIFA banner and whips the crowd with an uncompromising force that fears political systems.

Alexandria:
THE INTELLECTUAL MACHETE.                     

"I'm as strong as a man and they can't take it." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, now the youngest US Congressman, was a bartender until she put together an aggressive campaign for the US Congress and stunned the political world by ousting a powerful incumbent Democrat. Its combination of intellectual charisma and fearless politics has upset the right wing and frightens the Democratic Party establishment, against which it has already committed itself to fight. "Greatness was never a result of circumstance or luck," she says. "It is not an inherited trait or a function of fate. Greatness is reserved for those who fight against the status quo."

Ahed:
A SLAP in the face of THE WORLD.                               

The Palestinian youth Ahed Tamimi was sentenced to eight months in prison by an Israeli military tribunal for beating soldiers. After being arrested with her mother Nariman a few days after the incident, the teen with long blond curly hair quickly became a global symbol of resistance to the Israeli occupation. Tamimi, now 17, did so by defying a long-standing stereotype of Palestinian activists - old warriors and young men throwing stones - while electrifying a Palestinian population discouraged by years of settlement building on their land as the future State was provided. In doing so, it generated renewed international attention for Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Palestinian cause in general. "She's a perfect idol for any girl her age - nobody's ever done that before," said Amereh, an 11th grade student. "If we weren't brave, the Israeli soldiers would think we were weak and would just give up."

Nadya:
“NO PASARÁN!”                                                                              

"You will not get through" a war cry of the Spanish Revolution, borrowed for the fight against the political elite in Russia. Conceptual artist and political activist Nadya Tolokonnikova became known worldwide when she was arrested for being part of the punk feminist group Pussy Riot and their fight against Putin. During her two-year prison sentence for "religious hatred hooliganism" following a "punk prayer" performance in a Moscow Orthodox cathedral, she went on a hunger strike and refused to bow to pressure to give Putin her support in exchange for an early release. After her experience in prison in April 2019, she published her guide to activism "READ & RIOT" with the advice: Do not lie to yourself and do not follow lies.

Feroza:
WITH EYELASH curlers against CHINESE HOLOCAUST                                                      

TikTok has 500 million users worldwide. One of them is 17 year old teenage girl Feroza Aziz.

In November 2020, she put a video on the platform that initially begins like one of the many makeup tutorials - a young woman shows how to use an eyelash curler: “Hey guys, I'll teach you how to get long eyelashes. So, you first take your eyelash curler and then shape your eyelashes. Then you put them aside and take your cell phone that you are currently using and see what is going on in China, how they are building concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims into them, separating families, kidnapping them, murdering them, raping them, forcing them to eat pork, to drink and to force them to convert. "

Shortly afterwards her account was blocked and the video deleted. TikTok, Part of the Beijing-based company Bytedance, faced massive international criticism for censoring the content of its platform. With that, Feroza achieved what she had hoped for: "To raise awareness of a topic that needs to be brought to light." Later, Feroza’s account was restored and the video released again.

The change begins with you!                                                 

Since Trump's America in particular, we have been living under a new kind of patriarchal extremism. The story of women speaking out against injustice, abuse, and male domination for their communities provides a roadmap and warning for those who want to stand in their way. The power of these heroines encourages and also formulates the hope that more women will rebel against this neo-chauvinism, regardless of whether they pursue a political, professional or no career and thus initiate positive change.