AW80W shares the stories of women from across the globe
Around the World with Eighty Women (AW80W) is an ongoing storytelling project, hosted on Medium and supported by the publication Fourth Wave, that celebrates the lives of women from across the globe. Its mission is to highlight the commonalities among women, revealing that we share more than we often realise. Each article in the series aims to celebrate women from all walks of life and with a range of lived experiences while dispelling myths and overcoming stereotypes.
To date, more than 25 women from over 20 countries and across six continents have shared their story for AW80W, and their words have reached thousands of supportive readers. As the community grows, so too does my passion for being a cheerleader for women. Every story adds another perspective and explores the richness and diversity of women’s lives.
Join a growing community of women at AW80W as we continue the journey of discovering different parts of the world via the inspiring and heartfelt words of (extra)ordinary women.
WHAT INSPIRED IT?
The initial idea
came to me
in a dream
I woke up one morning and told my husband I was going to interview 80 women from all over the world to help us understand each other better. My friend Safia, who grew up in Somalia, would often tell me stories about her early life before moving to the UK, and they fascinated me. That’s how I knew from the beginning that I wanted the project to be as inclusive as possible and that the focus should be on ordinary women living extraordinary lives.
Read Safia’s story here.
In a world where it feels like we’re becoming more divided, or that our lives are hidden behind headlines and statistics, I wanted AW80W to bring women from various cultures together to preserve their stories and give their voices a platform.
Women’s words must be heard.
WHO’S BEHIND IT?
Hi, I’m Rachel Palmąka Mace
Welcome to my corner of the internet, where I share the stories of amazing women from across the globe. I’m an Edinburgh-based writer, tutor, lapsed academic, feminist, editor-in-chief for the publications Subtle Sledgehammer and Vignette Archive, and founder of the AW80W project. Much of my writing focuses on women and people from marginalised groups.
In March 2026, I attended the 70th Commission on the Status of Women conference as an online participant with UN Women UK – a United Nations organisation that is the global champion of gender equality – and regularly publish work that foregrounds issues affecting women globally through publications such as Fourth Wave, Bitchy and Modern Women.