archive
The Picture Show
Photo Showcase: Women Share The Secrets To Success
December 8, 2010 Women share wisdom worth spreading in an online photography showcase, curated by Pictory Magazine.
In Kandahar, Girls Show Grit Behind Guarded Walls
November 25, 2010 Within the walls of the Afghan-Canadian Community Center in Kandahar, girls and young women throw off their burqas as they laugh and study together. Many of them want careers. But they know the danger in the Taliban heartland is real. "We want to be brave," says student Tahira Sadisaidi.
King Peggy: American Woman Reigns In Ghanaian Village
November 11, 2010 An American secretary living in Maryland got a phone call at 4 a.m. informing her that her uncle had died and she had been chosen as the first woman to rule in Otuam, a fishing community of 7,000 people in Ghana. Peggielene Bartels, 57, accepted the job and now juggles two lives — from the palace in Otuam and from a modest condo outside Washington, D.C.
From 'Secret Life' To Public Service
October 26, 2010 Theresa Sparks, the executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, is vying to become the first transgender member of the city's board of supervisors. Today, Sparks is open about her background — but for many years, she says she led a "secret life."
Four Days, Nights: A Girls' Coming-Of-Age Ceremony
September 6, 2010 More than 90 girls have taken part in the Isnati coming-of-age ceremony on a reservation in South Dakota in the past 13 years. During the four-day ritual, the girls can't touch food or drink — they are fed by the women in the camp. They also talk with their elders about modesty, courtship, pregnancy and suicide before graduating to womanhood.
The Record
Pop Personae: Why Do Some Women Perform In Character?
August 12, 2010 Female performers like Beyonce create alter egos to reach out beyond themselves and to their fans.
The Naked Reality Of 'Truth Or Dare'
August 4, 2010 To avoid having to tell the "truth," commentator Laurel Dalrymple was game for everything from ringing the doorbell of her misanthropic neighbor to streaking in broad daylight. The one saving grace of the game was joining forces with her friends in the face of the very fear they'd created.
One Sudan Marriage Ritual: An Alluring Dance
July 22, 2010 Young brides in Northern Sudan have been performing the Bride Dance on, or near, their wedding nights for thousands of years. Today, plenty of Sudanese women reject it, saying they don't want to debase themselves.
Dear Diary: A Peek Inside The Pages Of Our Lives
July 12, 2010 As part of the Hidden World of Girls project, NPR is collecting intimate diary entries. With enough of them, they may form a comprehensive tapestry — from elation to depression — of life experiences. And give us insight into a world most people rarely see.
Prescription For A Belly Laugh: My Childhood Diary
July 12, 2010 NPR producer Erin Killian started keeping diaries when she was 8 years old, but didn't realize just how important they were to her until she lost nearly everything in a fire. The diaries help her remember how she used to see the world. And they can serve as a reminder to laugh at yourself — even if it's at a self you barely remember.
In The West Bank, Women With A Need For Speed
July 2, 2010 A group of Palestinian women has entered the male-dominated world of car racing in the Arab world. The women, who call themselves the Speed Sisters, are breaking stereotypes — and raising the concerns of some Palestinian men who say the racetrack is no place for females.
Radio Pictures
After Mother's Murder, Artist Photographs Prisoners
June 30, 2010 On April 1, 1988, Deborah Luster's mother was murdered in her bed by a contract killer who came in through her kitchen window, walked down her hall and shot her five times in the head. Luster, who was 37 at the time of the murder, says she was able to "dig out" of the "mess" she found herself in by photographing prisoners.
In Secret World, Girls Of The '60s Advised The Beatles
June 3, 2010 When science-fiction writer Pat Cadigan was a girl, she and her friend Rosemarie DeCaria invented a secret world where they were twins from the planet Venus. In their imaginations, they had an exclusive contract with The Beatles, advising the band about important matters. It was a world that Cadigan cherished even after she and DeCaria grew apart.
Open Diary: Chronicling The Hidden World Of Girls
June 3, 2010 As part of the Hidden World of Girls project, NPR is looking to create a database of intimate diary entries.
A Woman's Mission: To Teach Birth Control In Nigeria
May 6, 2010 After moving to Nigeria in the late 1950s, Daphne Mae Hunt was determined to teach women about a birth control method based on their menstrual cycles — even though it was taboo to talk about them. Her then-8-year-old son, Nigerian writer Chris Abani, came along to interpret.
