Rwanda's Soccer Sisterhood

The Iron Dames is one of just three all-female professional racing teams that competes in Grand Touring endurance racing around the world. The group was founded to change the perception of women in the sport and they have successfully shifted attitudes by qualifying for the sport’s top races. While getting sponsorships can be difficult for women in the field, the Iron Dames have received endorsements from top car manufacturers, which further reinforces the legitimacy of their talent and is a sign of their progress in the male-dominated sport.

In New Hampshire, a healing and bonding program is offering veterans and first responders experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder ways to cope with their stressors. From social interactions to equine therapy, participants have reported that the program has had a positive impact on their wellbeing.

FC Sækó is an amateur Icelandic football club that is jointly sponsored by the Football Association of Iceland and the psychiatric department at Iceland’s University Hospital. It brings together players between the ages of 20 and 60 who are in treatment for mental health issues. The traveling team helps participants combat isolation and provides a routine where they have training responsibilities. The success inspired another team in Akureyri. Around 200 people also benefit from other free stress-management services and activities at the hospital, like nature walks, swimming, and acupuncture.

In Diepsloot, South Africa, a small office called Lawyers Against Abuse offers legal support for sexual assault cases in a violent city that traditionally does little to address the issue. The organization offers lawyers, victim advocates, legal counseling, and therapy as they go through the process. Since 2015, they have helped more than 800 women and secured 28 convictions.

Rates of loneliness are increasing across the United States, as people rely on technology rather than human interaction for their day-to-day lives. To directly combat this, a man in Los Angeles created the People Walker app that allows people to request walks in order to create connection.

Sheroes’ Hangout is a cafe entirely run by acid attack survivors in Agra, India. Acid attacks are unfortunately still prevalent worldwide, usually as a result of a woman turning down a man's advances, but punishment for committing these crimes is still lackadaisical. This cafe, founded in 2006 by an activist organization called Stop Acid Attacks, allows women to not cover their faces, talk openly about their attacks, and just be comfortable with themselves.

Once again the bicycle is playing a part in empowering women! In this case, several organizations across the United States are using mountain biking to build preteen and teenage girls' confidence and drive. The dedication and strength that this adventure sport requires disrupts constraining gender roles for girls at a critical time in their development, and programs across the country seem to be growing in popularity quickly.

Surfing lessons are bridging racial divides and providing a therapeutic outlet for disadvantaged children in South Africa. In a society largely segregated by race, children in Cape Town’s black communities disproportionately suffer the traumatic effects of violence and poverty. Waves for Change, a nonprofit based in Muizenberg, uses surf therapy as a way to mentor and empower kids in Cape Town, helping to desegregate South Africa’s beach and surf culture in the process.

In Karachi, Pakistan, a group of women gathers every week to bike around the city, an act that works to bring awareness to equal rights between men and women. Despite backlash from men in the community, the bicyclists encourage each other to stand up to societal norms and ask the question, "If they can ride, why can't we?"

A mental health awareness and suicide prevention nonprofit Building Hope in Summit County, CO is teaming up with another nonprofit called Snowboarders and Skiers for Christ to host a scavenger hunt that educates Coloradans about suicide prevention and raises funds for community mental health initiatives and programs. The scavenger hunt combines a popular physical activity (skiing) with mental or physical puzzles that require participants to learn something about mental health before moving on to the next challenge. The program, called Secret Spot, aims to tackle the taboo around mental health.