What happens when purpose and passion overshadow fear? Follow in the steps of these outstanding women who let their ferocity, fortitude and wisdom guide them in living -- and speaking -- their truth.

These women fighting for justice and equality deserve center stage.

Masterful, riveting performances of lyric, rhythm and rhyme.

Who should run more of the world? Women. Until then, enjoy these talks by awesome women who lead fiercely and fearlessly.

Joan As Police Woman performs a gorgeous, tender version of "Your Song" and "Real Life."

How do you tell women’s stories? Ask women to tell them. At TEDxABQ, Megan Kamerick shows how the news media underrepresents women as reporters and news sources, and because of that tells an incomplete story.

Inspiring talks from women who have pushed the boundaries in their field and are paving the way for the next generation of girls to earn their place in traditionally male-dominated professions.

With lightning on her tongue, Sunni Patterson performs her powerful poem, "Wild Women," accompanied by the entrancing moves of dancer Chanice Holmes.

Color bravery. A headset for brainwaves. His/hers healthcare. 10 big, bold talks from female speakers.

Inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi's call to action, "If you're feeling helpless, help someone," Morley composed this song. She sings it at TEDxWomen in her gorgeous, warm voice.

Pat Mitchell is a lifelong advocate for women and girls.

Investing in women can unlock infinite potential around the globe. But how can women walk the line between Western-style empowerment and traditional culture? Kavita Ramdas of the Global Fund for Women talks about three encounters with powerful women who fight to make the world better -- while preserving the traditions that sustain them.

These women are trailblazers inspiring a new generation of girls to follow their lead and change the ratio in STEM (science, math, engineering and tech).

Jennifer Murphy is an award-winning writer, performer and private investigator who spends her time solving crimes -- some real, some imagined.

In the German town of Nördlingen in 1593, innkeeper Maria Höll found herself accused of witchcraft. She was arrested for questioning, and denied the charges. She insisted she wasn't a witch through 62 rounds of torture before her accusers finally released her. Other accused witches weren't so "lucky." Why did these witch hunts occur? Brian A. Pa...

Kirsten Hall has a provocative question: is it time to stop celebrating women in business, just for being women in business? Maybe, she suggests, we can wind down the idea of corporate women's groups - and position women in business as the new normal.

It was long assumed that Amazons, the fierce and fearsome women warriors of Greece, were imaginary. But curiously enough, stories from ancient Egypt, Persia, the Middle East, Central Asia, India and China also featured Amazon-like warrior women. And Amazons were described in ancient historical accounts, not just myths. Who were the real women wa...

On Linda Cliatt-Wayman's first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled "low-performing and persistently dangerou...

Women aren't micro--so why do they only get micro-loans? Reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that women running all types of firms-- from home businesses to major factories-- are the overlooked key to economic development.

Robyn Stein DeLuca asks, What do we really know about PMS?

When women lead, bias often follows. Documentarian Robin Hauser dives into the dilemma between competence and likability faced by women in leadership roles, detangling the unconscious beliefs and gendered thinking that distort what it means to be a good leader.

In 2011, the US Armed Forces still had a ban on women in combat -- but in that year, a Special Operations team of women was sent to Afghanistan to serve on the front lines, to build rapport with locals and try to help bring an end to the war. Reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells the story of this "band of sisters," an extraordinary group of women...

An advocate for women's health, Barbra Streisand founded the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center -- whose director is TEDxWomen star Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz. Together they pick some great talks for women and, really, anyone.

A handful of species on Earth share a seemingly mysterious trait: a menstrual cycle. We're one of the select few mammals on Earth that menstruate, and we also do it more than any other animal, even though it's a waste of nutrients, and can be a physical inconvenience. So where's the sense in this uncommon biological process? TED-Ed describes the...

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions -- and offers 3 powerful pieces of advice to women aiming for the C-suite.

In 1996, Agnes Binagwaho returned home to Rwanda in the aftermath of its genocide. She considered leaving amid the overwhelming devastation, but women in her community motivated her to stay and help rebuild -- and she's glad she did. In an inspiring talk, Binagwaho reflects on her work as Rwanda's former Minister of Health and discusses her new ...

Susan Colantuono is the CEO and founder of Leading Women.

"When we tell women that sex isn't worth the risk during pregnancy, what we're telling her is that her sexual pleasure doesn't matter ... that she in fact doesn't matter," says sex researcher Sofia Jawed-Wessel. In this eye-opening talk, Jawed-Wessel mines our views about pregnancy and pleasure to lay bare the relationship between women, sex and...

In war we often see only the frontline stories of soldiers and combat. AT TEDGlobal 2010, Zainab Salbi tells powerful "backline" stories of women who keep everyday life going during conflicts, and calls for women to have a place at the negotiating table once fighting is over.

In her groundbreaking book Girls & Sex, Peggy Orenstein explores the changing landscape of modern sexual expectations and its troubling impact on adolescents and young women.