Ahead of International Women’s Day, we spoke to five women leaders who have been instrumental in the response to COVID-19. From the climate crisis, to prevention of domestic and sexual violence, to better access to healthcare for minority groups, these inspiring women are leading efforts for a more just, more sustainable ‘new normal.’

Solidarité feminine pour la paix et le développement intégral (SOFEPADI), an NGO founded by women in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helps women, children and men victims of conflict related sexual violence heal their physical and psychological wounds, and fights impunity for crimes in Ituri.