The week kicked off with a resurgance of the pink pussyhat as women and their allies again took to the streets to stand up for equal rights and justice at Women's Marches, toting amazing signs and demanding a better life for themselves and their daughters. 

In Southeast Asia, various catastrophes — natural and manmade — made life challenging for vulnerable people. Rohingya refugees remain trapped inside camps in Bangladesh, a measles outbreak has killed at least 100 young children in Indonesia, and gunmen stormed the offices of Save The Children murdering staff in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

But like the tireless Indian brickworker featured in these photos, peopl around the world remained resilient in the face of challenges this week.


Two women kiss as they join thousands of protesters during a Women's March against sexual violence and the policies of the Trump administration Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP

1) Women's March Second Anniversary: Two women kiss as they join thousands of protesters during a Women's March against sexual violence and the policies of the Trump administration on January 20, in Los Angeles, Calif.

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2) India Wage Protests: A demonstrator holds his fist in the air as members of the Communist Party of India (CPI), along with Trade Unions, demonstrate during a nationwide protest to demand a standard minimum monthly wage of 18000 INR ($283 USD) for laborers in Chennai on January 25. 

Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption early, Jan. 25, 2018 as seen from a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 200 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Image: Bullit Marquez/AP

3) Philippines Volcanic Eruption: The Mayon volcano spews molten lava during its sporadic eruption early January 25, as seen from a village in Legazpi city, Albay province, around 200 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the volcano that's been erupting for almost two weeks still appears to be swelling with magma under the surface. More than 74,000 people are staying in dozens of emergency shelters as Mount Mayon continues to belch lava, ash and superheated gas and rocks.

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4) Spain, Correfoc Festival: Revelers in costumes take part in the traditional 'Correfoc' festival in Palma de Mallorca on January 21. The Correfoc is a night of revelry in which participants dress as demons and devils and move through the streets scaring people with fire and fireworks.

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5) Daily Life of Bricks Workers in Nepal: A Migrant Indian laborer stacks bricks by balancing them onto his head at a brick factory in Lalitpur, Nepal on Tuesday, January 23. Indian laborers carrys 12 to 16 bricks on his head. 

In this Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, file photo, Stedman Sailor stands in front of the Aboriginal Australian Flag as he arrives with other members of the Aboriginal community to take part in a smoking ceremony as part if Australia Day celebrations in Sydney.
Image: Rick Rycroft/AP

6) Australia Day: Stedman Sailor stands in front of the Aboriginal Australian Flag as he arrives with other members of the Aboriginal community to take part in a smoking ceremony as part of Australia Day celebrations in Sydney on January 26. The smoking ceremony is a ancient Aboriginal custom said to have healing and cleansing properties as well as helping ward off bad spirits.

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7) US Government Shutdown: Lawmakers arrive at the House chamber to vote on the continuing resolution to fund the federal government, Capitol Hill, January 22 in Washington, DC. The US Senate has voted to end the shutdown and Congress will now need to wait for the House of Representatives to approve the legislation. 

A protester walks under a large European Union flag bearing the words "Here_Now" during a protest outside the parliament building in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. Tens of thousands of Romanians on Saturday protested against legislation passed by Parliament which critics say will make it harder to prosecute crime and high-level corruption, briefly scuffling with riot police as they massed in University Square.
Image: Vadim Ghirda/AP

8) Romania Protests: A protester walks under a large European Union flag bearing the words "Here Now" during a protest outside the parliament building in Bucharest, Romania, January 20. Tens of thousands of Romanians on Saturday protested against legislation passed by Parliament which critics say will make it harder to prosecute crime and high-level corruption, briefly scuffling with riot police as they massed in University Square.

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9) Winter Daily Life, China: An aerial view of Langshan Mountain after snowfall in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province on January 25. 

View of the flooded banks of the river Seine in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris, Jan. 24, 2018. The Seine River has overflowed its banks in Paris, prompting authorities to close several roads and cancel boat cruises as water levels rose at least 3.3 meters (nearly 11 feet) above the normal level.
Image: Thibault Camus/AP

10) Paris Flooding: View of the flooded banks of the river Seine in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris, January 24. The Seine River has overflowed its banks in Paris, prompting authorities to close several roads and cancel boat cruises as water levels rose at least 3.3 meters (nearly 11 feet) above the normal level.

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11) Indonesia Measles Outbreak: Papuan children play in the river in Agats, the capital of Asmat district in Indonesia's easternmost Papua province, on January 25. Some 800 children have been sickened by a measles-and-malnutrition outbreak in Indonesia's remote Papua province, officials said January 25, with as many as 100 people, mostly toddlers, feared to have been killed in the outbreak. 

12) Women's March: A group of people wearing "pussyhats" ride the subway at 42nd Street as they head toward the Women's March in Manhattan, New York City, New York, January 20.

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13) Rohingya Refugees: Rohingya Muslim refugees queue to collect relief material at Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh's Ukhia district on Jan. 25. The repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar will not begin as planned, Bangladesh said Monday, with authorities admitting 'a lot of preparation' was still needed.

Uniformed and plainclothed Afghan security forces patrol the site of a deadly suicide attack in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor said a group of gunmen stormed the office of the non-governmental organization, Save the Children.
Image: AP Photo

14) Afghanistan Attack, Save the Children: Uniformed and plainclothed Afghan security forces patrol the site of a deadly suicide attack in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Jan. 24. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor said a group of gunmen stormed the office of the non-governmental organization, Save the Children.

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15) Davos: Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai (R) gestures while talking next to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a session at the Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting on January 25 in Davos, eastern Switzerland. The world's political and business elite headed on January 25 into a compelling encounter with the US President as the United States bids to carve out a competitive edge in trade, taxes and currency rates. 

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Demand Equity

15 Photos of Power and Persistence From Around the World This Week

By Olivia Kestin  and  David Brand