Google Doodle Celebrates International Women’s Day With Collection of Intersectional Illustrated Books

As ladies around the world and the men who support them stand up in unison to celebrate International Women’s Day today, Google’s famed Doodle is doing what it does best — shining the spotlight on unsung but important stories through its homepage.

Featuring a wonderfully intersectional collection of a dozen illustrated digital books from 12 female authors around the world, the International Women’s Day celebration on Google Doodles leverages the search engine giant’s massive platform and impact to bring awareness to the nuances, beauty, adversity, differences and similarities of our shared human experiences.

“Each story represents a moment, person, or event that has impacted their lives as women,” Google said in a press release. “While each artist tells a unique story, the themes are universal, reminding us of how much we often have in common.”

In “On The Roof”, Bangalore-based artist Kaveri Gopalakrishnan, an independent illustrator and graphic novelist, shared the inspiration for her Google Doodles story about “Growth”, which she says is about a young girl who reads books on her rooftop, becoming feather-ier with every page until she takes flight. As a child, the rooftop was her hideout, where she would laze about with a summer drink and a big pile of books.

In “Minutes”, Los Angeles-based cartoonist and graphic artist Tillie Walden shares an autobiographical coming-of-age story about how and when she realized she was gay. On her Twitter feed, Walden says “New to me and my work? Don’t worry, I can explain it all. I’m Tillie. I draw comics. I’m gay. I’m from Texas. I go to bed earlier than most. That’s all you really need to know.”

In “Homeland”, artist Saffa Khan shares a vibrant view into daily life and community culture living in the Arab world — everyday rituals, routines, hopes and dreams not at all unlike elsewhere around the globe.

And the Google Doodles short stories are having an incredible impact on readers. This tweet from one woman in the Philippines echoes many sentiments shared on social media since the homepage went live yesterday — and since the #HerStoryOurStory theme started trending.

According to the UN, International Women’s Day started nearly 110 years ago in America as a response to the 1908 Garment Workers Strike (itself a response to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire) and has since evolved into a worldwide celebration of the achievements and contributions of women throughout history.