We are celebrating Women’s History Month this March, and we thought we might use this time to highlight many of the women – past and present – who inspire us to stand up for other women, no matter the circumstances. These are all women who broke barriers and made history, who should be especially recognized in a month dedicated to such strength.
Susan B. Anthony
Without the constant battles of Susan B. Anthony, there would not even be a list to make. The face of the women’s suffrage movement even after her death, Susan B. Anthony provided the groundwork for the 19th ammendment, although she did not live to see it through. She tried to vote in the 1872 election, and eventually, the women’s right to vote was called the Susan B. Anthony amendment. Thank you for everything, Susan!
Anne Frank
Though meeting an untimely death, Anne became a hero for women everywhere at a very young age. Persecuted in a time of immense unrest, Anne cataloged her experiences hiding out from capture until she was eventually discovered. Though she died in 1945 weeks before she could have been saved, Anne’s writings shed light on wartime horrors and made people think extensively about the cost of silence.
Maya Angelou
One of the most famous women writers, and possibly most famous African American woman writer, Maya Angelou is a prolific and inspiring poet and activist, speaking up through beautiful words for women everywhere of every color, not just white women. Her most famous work, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” leaves a mark on all who read it, just like Miss Angelou left a mark on the world.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala is not only an inspiration for women, but teens everywhere who feel like they don’t or can’t have a voice in society. From the age of 9, Malala was blogging about life under the rule of the Taliban, specifically what it was like being barred from education. She drew a lot of attention, and at the young age of 14 the Taliban came to her home and shot her. The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize to date, Malala is an inspiration to girls everywhere who are afraid to speak up for what they want, especially if it seems impossible.
Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Rigoberta is an indigenous Guatemalan woman who dedicated her life to the rights of indigenous peoples. From a young age, she has been a part of the women’s and worker’s rights movements. After most of her family had been killed under oppressive rule in Guatemala, she fled to Mexico, but never stopped her fight. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and was the first indigenous person to do so.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG)
RBG is one of the most recognizable members of the modern feminist movement, and every woman should aspire to be as straight up as Ruth. An associate member of the Supreme Court since 1993, Justice Ginsburg has been making waves in the right direction since her appointment, and devotes her life to standing up for the rights of women, and backs up that devotion with the amazing power to change the law and the way Americans think about the law.
Let these women and the countless others inspire you this Women’s History month to do something inspiring for yourself, or to remind others why it is important to continue the work that all of these amazing women dedicated, or continue to dedicate their lives to.
Images Courtesy of Creative Commons