Hi all,

I'm Jenny Teasdale, your Feminist Friday guest editor this week. Thanks Alex for letting me take on the task; continually sending you links for inclusion has clearly paid off!

The theme this week is women doing amazing things around the world, despite being told they can't or shouldn't. I hope it serves to inspire you all to do amazing things, wherever you are and whatever people say.  Follow your dreams.

First up, how Nikki Misurelli motorcycled 17,500 miles across the world on her own. Why? Well, because a man told her she couldn't do it - red rag to a bull ladies! We all know that feeling.

"He said he wanted to motorcycle all the way from Alaska down to Argentina. I asked if I could go with him but he said no, that it was a 'guys only' trip. 'It's too dangerous and intense,' he said. 'You probably couldn't handle it.' "So we broke up and I went by myself."

Boom! Enjoy the full story here.

I've done a lot of work with teenagers from Afghanistan in the last couple of years. I've loved hearing their strong views and seeing their determination, as well as enjoying the music they've shared with me from their home country, where music is often not allowed. Rap is a big, but new thing for young people in Afghanistan. 

Sonita Alizadeh got my attention last year with her song, "Brides for Sale."  Having seen her powerful video, I found out more. In this interview, Sonita speaks about her experience and what she wants for the future for all women.

"In my country, a good girl should be silent.  A good girl should not talk about her future.  A good girl should listen to her family, even if they say you have to marry with him. A good girl means you should be like a doll. Everyone can play with her."

And finally, a story from a country I'm visiting in December - Colombia - how 300 women decided to work together to build what is now known as the "City of Women."  These quotes say it all:

"Everyone - including our own partners - said that we were crazy. [They told us] that this project was impossible. But we demonstrated that it is possible… It's the only housing project belonging to female victims in the country. It's not just the fact that we have a City of Women, but that it was us who built it. We had to learn about construction, topography… Some women designed the blocks. Others built them."

Read the full story here.

I hope you enjoyed reading this week as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next week, your wonderful Alex will be back. Thanks and Happy Friday!