Women of the World Podcast — Episode 2 Release Date: May 27, 2016 Hosts: Mary Dixon, with Samira Harnish and Sydney Grosbeck Guest: Diane, from Burkina Faso

Episode Summary: In the second episode, the team recaps a deeply moving Mother's Day celebration at the Leonardo Museum, shares news of growing volunteer support, and welcomes their first in-depth guest — Diane, a young civil engineering graduate from Burkina Faso whose story of political activism, survival, and resilience embodies the courage at the heart of Women of the World's mission.

Topics Covered:

Mothers of the World at the Leonardo — The team reflects on WoW's sixth annual Mother's Day celebration, held at the Leonardo Museum, where the Mothers of the World art installation by 25 artists was unveiled for over 120 guests. Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and his wife Julie attended. Samira spoke about the extraordinary sacrifice refugee mothers make — leaving everything behind to start over for their children. For women from countries like Burma and Somalia where Mother's Day isn't observed, this was a first-ever celebration of motherhood.

Volunteer Growth Update — Following the LDS Church's "I Was a Stranger" initiative, WoW's volunteer base surged to over 80 — up from a typical five to seven per year. Samira was also featured in an interview with Bold Global, discussing the impact of this wave of support.

Guest Story: Diane from Burkina Faso — Diane came to the U.S. on a student visa four years ago, learned English from scratch, and earned her degree in civil engineering. She shares her story of growing up under a 27-year dictatorship, her political activism as a student, and the violence she survived — including female genital mutilation as a child and rape by military forces during a 2011 student demonstration. Despite her father cutting off contact after she refused an arranged marriage, Diane chose her own husband and her own path. At the time of recording, she was awaiting a June 3rd asylum hearing. Diane was also writing a book — a fictionalized memoir in French about a young woman's experience with FGM and sexual violence, intended for readers in her home country to break the silence around these issues. She describes Women of the World as the first place she felt at home, saying Samira makes women feel they can still dream.

WoW Fashion Show — Diane participated in a recent WoW fashion show wearing traditional clothing from Burkina Faso, with photos available on the Women of the World Facebook page.

Links & Resources:

1. Women of the World: womenoftheworld.org
2. Donate: womenoftheworld.org/donate
3. Facebook: facebook.com/womenoftheworld.org
4. Available on iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of female genital mutilation, sexual violence, and political persecution.