When Salian Kouyaté was growing up in Mali in West Africa, he learned to braid women’s hair. Though the craft was discouraged there for boys, he worked to hone the skill that has created a life for him and his family in Detroit
Every year, the Mother Tongue Film Festival, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, showcases films about indigenous cultures that celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity. Most of these films have been made in indigenous languages from all over the world
In a district in India where female literacy rates are half the national average, a group of girls who made it to college despite facing odds in their villages is spearheading a campaign to ensure that more girls go to school
Meet Professor Sandrine Mubenga, whose near death in her native Congo led her to a career in electrical engineering. She also works to inspire girls to pursue science
Western High School opened in Baltimore, Maryland on November 1, 1844 – four years before the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in New York. It is the oldest all-girls school in the country and is very proud of its traditions
Conservation International says an estimated eight million metric tons of plastics go into the ocean every year. And that’s not even counting the amount that ends up in landfills. But slowly, environmentally conscious entrepreneurs are creating alternatives to plastic products
A Siberian village has become a magnet for various fringe faith communities, after a visit by the follower of an Indian mystic. Some believe it’s the site of a mythical temple, others that it’s the center of the universe. Archaeologists have found some pottery
Nearly half of Nigeria’s population are women and about 20 percent of them are living with a disability, according to research by a Nigerian advocacy group. Activists say many of these women face stigma and suffer injustices because of their condition, including gender based violence. But one disabled woman is pushing back to ensure women like her have better access to healthcare and equal justice
The Nenets call themselves “the children of the reindeer.” They number fewer than 50,000. In Russia’s hostile tundra conditions, their lives are much as they were hundreds of years ago
Cambodian Rock Band, a play by Lauren Yee, tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor who returned to Cambodia for the first time in 30 years. The play that officially starts this week at the Signature Theater in New York City received high praise during previews