Breaking the biggest report on Ebola sex abuse scandal – the inside story: "It took us about a year to gather detailed allegations from dozens of women in what became a joint investigation. In the end, 51 women spoke to us. They said they were propositioned, abused, or lured into sex-for-work schemes – mostly by international aid workers. Thirty of the women accused men from the World Health Organization." >> Full Story

One woman's efforts to fix a failed state: Hodan Osman returned to Somalia years after her family left and settled in Canada– through her passion and intense drive, she made a truly impressive impact. Osman reformed the military financial system so that soldiers are paid electronically and in accordance with biometric identifiers, accounting for millions of dollars. Her story is awe-inspiring and at times, relatable for many women around the world. >> Full Story

Mexican feminists turn government building into a women's shelter: The takeover of the building of the human rights body was as unplanned as it was swift. One month after the takeover and around 40 girls and women are now living in the historic governmental edifice, which is graffitied from top to bottom with feminist, anti-authoritarian slogans. Government offices are dotted with sleeping bags. Volunteers give classes on everything from self-defense to fire juggling. >> Full Story

Tomorrow is Indigenous Peoples Day in USA! Two easy ways you can stay more regularly informed: listen to an Indigenous women-led podcast and subscribe to the International Work Group for Indigenous affairs' newsletter with the latest news and publications about indigenous peoples all over the world.
 
Nupi Keithel is a 16th-century bazaar in India in which all the vendors are women. It's a fountainhead of social and political activism and one of the largest markets run by women in all of Asia. One photographer set out to document those vendors: “I found my heroes in a group of disenfranchised women using their voices and bodies as an instrument of change in a conservative society. Ever since, I have been trying to understand how women living in far-flung corners of this country, with little to no privilege, are asserting themselves in a culture that oppresses and subjugates them.” 

A hotel celebrating female empowerment opened this week with more than 60 artworks highlighting the achievements of women. One of our favorite pieces is a mural of Ruth Bader Ginsburg composed of 20,000 hand-painted tampons. 

Strega Nona is a children's book from the 70s (fun fact: the book was banned in the US for being too "witch-positive") and recently we've been seeing some great memes inspired by her on community care as self care and capitalism. 

If The Bloom leaves you craving even more women-powered media then check out these 20 feminist blogs! Don't have time to read all 20? Start with the Feminist Majority Foundation blog including empowering instances of the fight for gender equality around the world.

This weekend many around the globe celebrated World Mental Health Day and for the occasion the first ever virtual global march for mental health is taking place. Beautify your social media feed by following some excellent accounts focused on wellbeing like @rashawndajames and @thrive. 

Megan Thee Stallion used her performance on Saturday Night Live's season premiere to criticize Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron for failing to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor. During the show, Megan spoke directly to the audience: "We need to protect our Black women. And love our Black women 'cause at the end of the day, we need our Black women."

Sneaking in a fun and inspiring motivational video here for you.

Ok so this isn't necessarily "fun" per se but it's definitely entertaining– though at times cringe-worthy – content: Am I the Asshole is a Reddit forum where people post about a particular conflict and ask readers for an objective opinion on whether or not they’re an asshole. And it's become one of the most exposing online spaces of gender inequality in America.

More incredible book recs from African women writers, brought to you by Bloom ambassador Kuhlekonke: "In Maru by Bessie Head it is not the love triangle between the protagonist, Margaret, and the two potential suitors which captured me. It is the love that she has for her land and its people, a love that they do not return. Her cultural background coupled with the ethnic conflict rife in her community mean that she is treated with disdain, condemned to be an outcast. Bessie Head’s haunting prose paints a picture of what love could be while showcasing the tragic nature of people, making this novella a must read."

"It's great for younger women to see this and to see that women's work can be recognised." 
– Jennifer Doudna

Two women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on the genome-editing tool CRISPR. This is the first time women scientists have won the award without a male collaborator, a feat that breaks away from the traditional patterns of collaboration in academia. 

Noteworthy among the Nobel awards was also that to poet Louise Glück, the 16th woman and first American woman since Toni Morrison to win the prize. “In her poems, the self listens for what is left of its dreams and delusions, and nobody can be harder than she in confronting the illusions of the self”, shares Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee.

And while the Nobel Peace prize certainly went to an incredible organisation, The Bloom team felt that the media coverage of some of the nominees was a missed occasion to highlight truly special changemakers (overshadowed, in part, by the nomination of Donald Trump). We're taking this opportunity to reclaim space and mention just a few of the notable human rights defenders who were deserving of a nomination.

So without further ado, the nominees for the alternative Bloom Peace Prize are..🏅Co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, Tanzanian activist Rebeca Gyumi, Spanish journalist Helena Maleno, the #MeToo movement, Indigenous rights activist Joan Carling, and Pakistani women's rights activist Mukhtar Mai.