As the fight for women’s rights continue, it is important to take a step back, and take in the hard work and dedication many went through to create a better life for the future generation of women. Sandra Perron, Malala Yousafzai, and Ruth Ginsburg are incredible examples of women who paved the way for women’s rights through their perseverance and touching stories.
Sandra perron – First Canadian Armed Forces Female Infantry Officer
Sandra Perron joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1970s after her extensive time in the Cadets Corps. She served as an Infantry Officer (an army captain, responsible for training and leading soldiers into combat. This position requiring quick decision-making, critical thinking and leadership skills.) Although qualified for this position, Sandra Perron quickly began to face gender discrimination in her army base. This included harmful stereotyping to more aggressive behaviour of being physically assaulted, creating an unwelcoming environment for women in Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Despite facing these hardships, Perron remained focused on her goal of serving in the CAF and to overall make it a better place for women in leadership. With her perseverance, high ranking, and impressive deployments, Sandra Perron set an outstanding example for women in the Canadian Armed Forces. Sandra Perron, now a retired veteran, is an activist for women’s rights and published an autobiography about her experience Out Standing in the Field: A Memoir by Canada’s First Female Infantry Officer.
“He promptly shared his views about women in the infantry. “It’s nothing personal, but I don’t believe women should be in the combat arms. However, I’m willing to give you a fair chance to prove me wrong. Good Luck.”
That’s kind of like throwing someone down in a twenty-foot trench and saying, “Okay, dig yourself out now, while I have the pleasure of watching you fail.”
Sandra Perron, “Outstanding in The Field: A Memoir by Canada’s First Female Infantry Officer”
Malala Yousafzai – activist for Girls’ education
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist, grew up loving school, where her father was a teacher. Suddenly she lost her rights to education at a very young age. Extremely frustrated by this, she began speaking openly about her and her classmates rights forcefully taken away. In 2012, when Malala’s activism and experiences began to get recognition, she became a target and was shot shortly after. She then survived and recovered the assassination attempt. During this time, she gained an incredible amount of support and appreciation on her activism for girls to have access to education. Malala and her family moved to the U.K, where she later graduated from Oxford University. Due to her strength and perseverance, Malala was the youngest individual to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2017. She has continued to speak up on the importance of girls’ education. Malala published an autobiography about her experience “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban“
“When someone takes away your pens you realize quite how important education is.”
Malala Yousafzai, “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – American lawyer
Ruth Bader Ginsburg served in the Supreme Court of the United States as an Associate Justice, making her the second women to serve in the Supreme Court. While Ruth attended Harvard Law, she began to face gender discrimination, being one of only nine women in a class of five-hundred students. During her final year at Harvard, she transferred to Colombia Law. After her studies in 1959, many employers would not hire her, despite being qualified for the position, due to the fact that she was Jewish, a woman and had children. After facing this discrimination, she began advocating for gender equality in the work force and overall women’s rights. As a lawyer, she stood up against many laws in the Supreme Court that discriminated against women. Her hard work spent on her career and advocating for equality, opened many doors for women in the workforce. Ruth Ginsburg later published an autobiography of her experience in law, and wanting gender equality My Own Words.
“As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “My Own Words”