In Israel, women want to be seen in a new light. In France, women are working to be heard in a new way.

The circumstances are very different. But two stories today share a common theme.

Israeli women point to wartime work not only as solo family leaders or advocates, but as combat soldiers – a recent role for them. French women are challenging an adulation of male French film icons that brushes aside sexual abuse allegations piling up around them. However gradually, these women are shifting perceptions, pressing against limitations, and breaking down roadblocks. They’re changing the broader conversation about equality.