8. Neda Monem

Neda Monem is an Iranian journalist who is fighting a lot of taboos, just like most of the ladies on our list. Neda’s Instagram account shares all sorts of stories. From food to Iranian politics. She is a free spirit that mixes her stuff up; she will take you on a ride to beautiful Iranian tourist spots, next day she would be criticizing a politician for his wrong policies.

Not only is @cafeaulei a super talented photographer, she's also a natural when it gets to modeling ??

A photo posted by Neda Monem (@nedamonem) on Mar 7, 2016 at 4:55am PST

According to Wikipedia she is the local tech researcher for Iranian newspaper The Financial Tribune. The state of Iranian women is not very bright, there are a lot of cultural restrictions. In the midst of all this, we see Neda Monem as a shining light.