Meet the women on the front line of animal rights activism! This International Women’s Day, we’d like to introduce you to three AMAZING women, who have dedicated their lives to fighting for the rights of animals.

Keep reading to meet award-winning photojournalist, Jo-Anne McArthur, activist and public speaker, Dina Aherne, and Anita Krajnc, founder of the Animal Save Movement.

Jo-Anne McArthur is an award-winning photojournalist, sought-after speaker, and the founder of We Animals Media. She has been documenting the plight of animals on all seven continents for almost two decades. She is the author of three books, We Animals (2014), Captive (2017), and HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene (2020) and was the subject of Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall’s acclaimed documentary, The Ghosts in Our Machine. Jo-Anne is based in Toronto, Canada and travels many months each year to document and share the stories of animals worldwide.

Jo-Anne is also a co-founder of the Unbound Project, a multi-media documentary project showcasing women within the animal rights movement, founded by herself and Dr. Keri Cronin of Brock University, Ontario.

“Women’s achievements in social movements have consistently been erased or downplayed – Unbound celebrates and meticulously documents the women doing this work to ensure that the contribution of women to the animal protection movement is not lost.” Unbound Project, 2021

The project aims to celebrate women, both past and present, who have used their passion for animal protection to contribute to the animal rights movement. Head over to the Unbound Project website now to check out a whole host of inspiring activists and academics! You can support the Unbound Project by sharing their images on your social media profiles.

‍

‍

Dina Aherne is an activist who is leading the way in the UK, calling on the Hindu community to stop using dairy products. She is an extraordinary public speaker, typically making cows the subjects of her activism. Traditionally, Hinduism consists largely of vegetarians, but Dina is calling on Hindus to ditch the dairy and be kind to all beings.

Cows are sacred within Hinduism and are actually seen as a mother but also akin to the earth. Multiple meanings within the Hindu scriptures give this being immense honour and respect.

In Dina’s own words: “We cannot honour the cow with words and then knowingly consume her suffering. Every word in reverence to her & every act to the opposite makes a mockery of the very scriptures that lay the foundations for her praise.”

You can connect with Dina here and check out her informational videos here.

‍

Anita Krajnc is a lifelong animal rights and environmental activist from Toronto, Canada. She is perhaps best known for her role in founding the Animal Save Movement, which has now achieved 900 chapters in over 70 countries.

The Animal Save Movement, formerly known as the Save Movement, began when Anita noticed pigs suffering in slaughter trucks on her daily dog walk. Unable to ignore their despair, Anita and her local community committed to bearing witness three times a week. In an interview with the Unbound Project, Anita claimed that she “couldn’t believe how beautiful the pigs were, how scared they were, and how unjust it was.”

Anita’s dedication to bearing witness has created a new mode of activism, which has touched every corner of the globe. You can find out more about the Animal Save Movement by visiting their website, where you can find your local chapter.

We hope that today’s feature has inspired you to take action for animals. It is only through the passion and dedication of advocates, such as those highlighted above, that we will create a kinder world for human and nonhuman animals.

As always,

For the animals.

‍