Engy Abdelkader, 12/27/11

Human Rights Attorney

As 2011 draws to a close, we take a moment to recognize the following Muslim men, who were selected by others for their individual contributions to the lives of women and, thus, humanity at large.

Caroline Dowd-Higgins, 12/26/11

Director of Career and Professional Development, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

There is a pervasive cultural phenomenon telling you how to improve upon your weaknesses and fix what you are not so good at. I'm here to tell you that you are not broken!

Craig and Marc Kielburger, 12/27/11

Co-Founders, Free The Children

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf welcomed us for breakfast at her home last year, where she spoke of rebuilding a nation flattened by civil war. "Every time you overcome an obstacle it re-energizes you," she told us that day. "I want to do the things that people think cannot be done."

Emily Brooks, 12/25/11

Activist in DC, Freelance Writer

Marilyn Monroe will never be a feminist icon, yet she was a full person, and an actor in her own story, rather than just scenery in the stories of those around her.

Terry O'Neill, 12/23/11

President, National Organization for Women

The thought of a tween girl having unprotected sex and then purchasing a medication to prevent pregnancy makes many people uncomfortable. No matter how well-meaning their concern might be, it is absolutely beside the point.

Melanie Notkin, 12/27/11

Founder and Author, Savvy Auntie

Childlessness is the state into which a girl is born. But once she reaches her mid thirties, that natural state is suddenly deemed unnatural.

Diane Gilman, 12/22/11

Fashion luminary and HSN icon

Let's all buy a thousand issues of Meryl Streep's Vogue and send a message to advertisers and editors: the biggest mistake you could make in this economy is continuing to marginalize us and judge us by our age instead of our buying power.

Barbara & Shannon Kelley, 12/26/11

Coauthors, "Undecided: How To Ditch The Endless Quest For Perfect and Find The Career--and Life--That's Right For You"

According to a new report out of Sweden, the answer may be no. Cue the ugly comparisons to the odious Miranda Priestly of "The Devil Wears Prada" fame and the rousing chorus of "I told you sos."

Allison Pescosolido, M.A. and Andra Brosh, Ph.D, 12/23/11

Co-founders, Divorce Detox™

Whether they were the parents you always wished you'd had, or the parents you wouldn't wish on anybody, managing your outlaws through the divorce transition and beyond can add a precarious piece to the divorce puzzle.

Sophie Keller, 12/26/11

Happiness expert and creator of howhappyis.com

Whether you are in your home or not, the energy of your home environment has the ability to lift or drain your spirits throughout the day.

Cristen Conger, 12/22/11

Co-host, Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast and staff writer, HowStuffWorks.com.

If you likewise find yourself in a similarly not-so-merry situation, here's the best holiday advice that I offer: give yourself the gift of rebounding.

Debra Ollivier, 12/22/11

Contributing editor and writer at large, Huff/Post50

Do men think about sex every seven seconds? What about women? Are you an erotophile or an erotophobe? These are a few questions implicitly raised in a research study that generated some recent buzz and got me thinking about the curiosities of research.

Leslie Goldman, 12/22/11

Health writer (O mag/Women's Health/Self/etc)

For perhaps the only time in our lives, we had found ourselves in the same position as a Kardashian.

Marnie Nir, 12/23/11

Coach, The Handel Group

If you think "Online dating is in fact a sanctuary for satan. You are in hell. You know this for a fact: eHarmony = hell on earth," then this is the dating advice you need to hear.

Alexis Sclamberg, 12/22/11

Writer, Lawyer, Professor

When did we start measuring love with stuff?

Ann Brenoff, 12/21/11

Senior Writer, The Huffington Post

When my multiple-times-married Aunt Sophie was in her 80s, I remember her once lecturing me on what she was looking for in her next husband. At the time, I just smiled in amusement as she ticked off the list of attributes he would need to possess.

Cristen Conger, 12/20/11

Co-host, Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast and staff writer, HowStuffWorks.com.

The hymen might be the most overrated flap of flesh in the human body, the anatomical equivalent of a sexually charged appendix.