Stories

Popular Story Collections

Take a deeper look at our stories from around the world.

41 stories

Video

Watch our videos to learn how AJWS is supporting people around the world who are fighting to improve the lives of millions.

22 stories

Sexual Health and Rights

We support women, girls and LGBTQI+ people, as they organize to end discrimination, stop violence and live with dignity, safety and health.

8 stories

Ruth Messinger

A tribute to a truly extraordinary leader, AJWS’s former President and its first Global Ambassador.

63 stories

Robert Bank

Get to know Robert Bank! Robert joined AJWS in 2009 as our Executive Vice President. As of July 1, 2016, Robert became the President and CEO of AJWS.

14 stories

Photos

A look at the work we do to end poverty and promote human rights in the developing world.

23 stories

Land Water and Climate Justice

We aid communities and movements organizing to protect the land, water and natural resources that people depend on for their survival.

14 stories

Ending Child Marriage

Each year, 15 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18—sometimes against their will. AJWS supports efforts to end child marriage by bringing girls and young women together to define their own futures.

21 stories

Civil and Political Rights

We aid communities and movements that speak out against injustice, hold governments accountable to respect the rights of all people, and work to recover from civil wars and other conflicts.

4 stories

Activists Up Close

Witness social change up close through these videos from around the globe. You'll watch a day in the life of an activist AJWS supports and learn how they change lives and build social movements for justice.

27 stories

30 at 30

In celebration of AJWS’s 30th anniversary, we profiled 30 global leaders who have partnered with AJWS to build a better world.

All Stories

Munmun’s Story: Putting ‘design thinking’ into action

In a tiny, bright blue room tucked away from a chaotic market street in Kolkata, India, 24-year-old Munmun Das has created the neighborhood’s only safe space for girls to express themselves freely. Munmun is one of nearly 150 youth mentors trained by Thoughtshop Foundation to lead a Youth Resource Cell and guide conversations about taboo …

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Ruksana’s Story: Realizing an impossible dream

“As a child, I was awestruck by what nurses could do. And yet I knew that was an impossible dream for me,” says Ruksana Khatun. Ruksana saw her life spread out before her: She’d be forced to drop out of school to work in the fields and support her family, as her father had a …

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Daniel’s Story: “I feel like this place could change my life”

For years, transgender men in El Salvador have needed to hide their identities for fear of violence and persecution from their families and society at large. But HT El Salvador is shining a light on this community, increasing the visibility of trans men through years of hard face-to-face organizing — creating allies of parents, teachers …

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Masafu’s Story: “I had to do something — this cannot pass.”

These days, Masafu Okwara’s sense of pride is as vibrant as the rainbow walls of NGLHRC’s Nairobi offices. But her journey here was long and painful. As one of the of NGLHRC’s program officers, Masafu provides free legal counsel, guidance and often representation to LGBTQI+ people who are unjustly arrested, persecuted or have their rights …

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Alpha

Alpha’s Story: “Even if I call at midnight, they always pick up.”

Alpha lost their parents as a child and began living on the streets of Machakos county, Kenya. Thankfully, they were informally adopted by a teacher who noticed they’d stopped attending school — an opportunity that changed their lives. But challenges persisted. In high school, Alpha was subjected to conversion therapy after a friend outed them …

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Kika’s journey from early marriage to college student

Juanita ‘Kika’ Antelis Juan is the oldest Juan sister, at 26. For Kika, Muñecas Negras inspired an extraordinary change in her life. She grew up in a family of 10 and was married when she turned 15 (In the Dominican Republic, marriage is often forced upon adolescent girls by families struggling financially, to lessen her …

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