This one's for the ladies! With today (March 8) being officially recognized as a day to celebrate the women all around us, we thought we'd single out some women in history who have made outstanding contributions all around the world.
These fellow women proved that we as females are strong, resilient, and can rise above the most difficult of hardships and become a beacon of light and a catalyst for change in our world today.
We celebrate 12 women from all parts of the world and different times of history who were determined to use their life for good.
1. Frida Kahlo, Mexico (1907-1954):
Artist Frida Kahlo was considered one of Mexico's greatest artists who began painting mostly self-portraits after she was severely injured in a bus accident. She defied many obstacles standing in her way by using art as a way to deal with the physical disabilities she experienced. Kahlo later became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera in 1929. She exhibited her paintings in Paris and Mexico before her death in 1954.
"Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light." -Frida Kahlo
2. Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan (1997-Present):
Malala is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, recognized for her adamant advocacy for female and children’s education. With the Taliban prohibiting girls from attending school in her native region in Pakistan, Malala was shot in the head while riding a bus by a Taliban gunman because of her retaliation and activism work.
After surviving the attack, the incident led to a massive outpouring of support for Malala and over 2 million people signed the Right to Education campaign petition, resulting in the ratification of the first Right to Education Bill in Pakistan. Her advocacy has grown into a global movement and she continues to speak about the fight for access to education around the world.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” -Malala Yousafzai
3. JK Rowling, UK (1965-Present):
J.K. Rowling is the British author behind a little book series that you just might have heard of -the Harry Potter series. She wrote the first book as a single mother living on benefits, struggling to make ends meet, facing multiple rejections from publishers before she was able to secure her first print run of her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The volume of sales from her book series has soared so high, surpassing 400 million copies, that it is largely credited with leading a revival of reading by children.
“Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all --in which case, you fail by default..and rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” -J.K. Rowling
4. Michelle Obama, United States (1964-Present):
Michelle Obama is arguably one of the most loved females in history and present-day. As first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, she focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, fair access to education and nutritious food, the importance of physical activity through her "Let's Move" campaign, and helping working women balance career and family.
"My most important title is "mom-in-chief". My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the centre of my world." -Michelle Obama
5. Gabriela Mistral, Chile (1889-1957):
Also known as Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, Gabriela Mistral is most well-known for becoming the first Latin-American author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
After suffering through several hardships during childhood, she channeled her resilience through poems, with some of her best-known poems which include Piececitos de Niño, Balada, Todas Íbamos a ser Reinas, La Oración de la Maestra, El Ángel Guardián, Decálogo del Artista and La Flor del Aire.
As well as being regarded as one of the most talented poets who has ever lived, Gabriela is an internationally renowned figure in education and political activism.
"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the foundation of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him, we cannot answer 'Tomorrow,' his name is today." -Gabriela Mistral
6. Wangari Maathai, Kenya (1940-2011):
Wangari Maathai dedicated her life to championing women’s rights and environmental activism, founding the Green Belt Movement in the 1970s seeking to protect scarce resources in Kenya and Africa as a whole. She made history by becoming the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
“We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!” -Wangari Maathai
7. Arundhati Roy, India (1961-Present):
Arundhati is a force to be reckoned with, being the critically-acclaimed author of "The God of Small Things" which won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 1997, shedding a poignant light on the history and politics of India in that time and the prominence of class relations and status. Beyond literature, Roy has been strongly active in various environmental and human rights causes.
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.” -Arundhati Roy
8. Dorothy Hodgkin, UK (1910–1994):
Dorothy Hodgkin was a British chemist who was awarded the Nobel prize for her work on critical discoveries of the structure of both penicillin and later insulin.
These discoveries led to significant improvements in health care that help millions of people today impacted by diabetes and bacterial infections all around the world.
"There are two moments that are important: there’s the moment when you know you can find out the answer and that’s the period you are sleepless before you know what it is. When you’ve got it and know what it is, then you can rest easy.” -Dorothy Hodgkins
9. Rosa Parks, United States (1913-2005):
Rosa Parks is one of the most celebrated American civil rights activists, known for her firm refusal in giving up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, which became a catalyst for the resistance movement against racial segregation.
Her advocacy was unique in that she lived her life with a humble self, not wanting much recognition for her efforts. Now known as the "mother of the freedom movement", her legacy lives on with multiple efforts today recognizing the injustice of the past and now striving to continue to break down the barriers of racial inequality one step at a time.
"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." -Rosa Parks
10. Margaret Thatcher, UK (1925-2013):
Margaret Thatcher is famously known as the UK's first female prime minister and longest-serving PM in the 20th century of Britain who importantly had a wide impact on Britain's political landscape during her time in the government.
From 1979 when she came to power, she made vital economic changes to how the country was run, especially on privatization, trade unions, and reducing the high rate of unemployment in the UK. Under her rule, the city of London became one of the world's most successful centres for banking and business.
"Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction." -Margaret Thatcher
11. Eva Perón, Argentina (1919-1952):
Eva Perón is most well-known as the First Lady and wife of Argentinian President Juan Perón, but is perhaps most admirable for using her voice to represent the lower economic classes, improving the living conditions of the poor, and tirelessly campaigning for women's suffrage.
Although she died at the early age of 33, she spent her life reinforcing the all-too-important message of putting others before yourself and that with great power, indeed comes great responsibility.
"I demanded more rights for women because I know what women had to put up with." -Eva Perón
12. Jane Goodall, UK (1934-Present):
One of the world's foremost primatologists and anthropologists, Jane Goodall is known for being one of the greatest experts on chimpanzees through her lifelong study of the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania (over 50 years worth of study!).
She also lends her important insight on the critical state of our planet and fights to advocate for conservation and animal welfare issues through the self-established Jane Goodall Institute.
"The greatest danger to our future is apathy." -Jane Goodall
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