The BBC has revealed the names of the inspiring and influential women on the BBC 100 Women list for 2024.
The shortlist was drawn up based on names gathered through research and suggested by the BBC’s network of 41 World Service Languages teams, as well as BBC Media Action.
Zhanylsynzat Turganbaeva is the widow of the founder of Shoro brand, Tabaldy Egemberdiev. She is currently the director of Supara ethnocomplex.
«Preserving and revitalising Kyrgyzstan’s cultural heritage is a priority for Zhanylsynzat Turganbaeva. She runs an ethnological museum in Bishkek, which features unique national artefacts and attracts large numbers of visitors. Part of her philanthropic work involves the preservation of Kyrgyz literature, including the Epic of Manas, which tells the story of a warrior who is said to have united the 40 tribes of the Kyrgyz region.
One version of the Unesco-listed monumental poem consists of about 500,000 lines of verse and is arguably the longest epic in the world (20 times longer than Homer’s Odyssey). Turganbaeva’s work creates opportunities and resources for «manaschis», entertainers who recite this Kyrgyz classic,» the statement says.
Other women included in the 2024 list include rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot, astronaut Sunita Williams, actress Sharon Stone, Olympian athletes Rebeca Andrade and Allyson Felix, singer Raye, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, visual artist Tracey Emin, climate campaigner Adenike Oladosu, and writer Cristina Rivera Garza.
The BBC 100 Women project shows that despite the challenges faced by women around the world this year, many continue to fight for social change and against climate change by taking on pioneering roles in their local communities.
Uzbek businesswoman Dilorom Yuldosheva was also included in the list.
«We were looking for candidates who had made headlines or influenced important stories over the past 12 months, as well as those who have inspiring stories to tell or have achieved something significant and influenced their societies in ways that wouldn’t necessarily make the news.
A pool of names was also assessed against this year’s theme of resilience. We wanted to acknowledge the toll this year has taken on women around the globe by selecting those who — through their resilience — are pushing for change and improving lives at community or global level. We also assessed names of women working in the field of climate change, from which a group of climate pioneers and other environmental leaders were selected,» the BBC commented on their project.
