March marks International Women’s History Month, a celebration of women’s achievements and contributions throughout history. It’s a chance to celebrate being female and those around us that are doing amazing things. History lessons, and even the news, often leave out a lot of the inspirational women who have excelled in a range of fields, so here is our list of five inspirational women you should take the time to learn about this month.
Malala Yousafzai
Being the youngest woman on this list, you are most likely to have heard of Malala Yousafzai. Malala is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second Pakistani and the first Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize. Malala survived an assassination attempt aged just 15 when she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman. This was retaliation to her activism, campaigning for the education of girls. When it comes to inspirational women, Malala simply cannot be ignored.
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells was an American investigative journalist, educator and early leader in the civil rights movement. In the 1890s she led an anti-lynching crusade as a writer for the New York Age. She investigated and wrote about lynchings throughout the United States and, in 1895, she compiled the first statistical pamphlet on lynchings in the US.
In her lifetime, she battled sexism, racism, and violence, all while making a difference in the civil rights and suffrage movements.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first Jewish woman, and second ever woman, to serve on the Supreme Court. She was a trailblazing advocate for women’s rights and faced much adversity before being appointed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. She held that position from 1993 to 2020 and she has inspired many women through her lifetime.
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Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is an American novelist and one of the most celebrated authors in the world. In 1987, Toni released a novel called Beloved, based on the true story of an African-American enslaved woman. This book was a Bestseller for 25 weeks and won countless awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 1993, Morrison became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Her awards included the American Distinguished Flying Cross and the Cross of the French Legion of Honor. In 1929, Amelia helped found the Ninety-Nines, an organisation of female aviators. She was a feminist and spent a lot of time reaching out to women, inspiring people, and lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment.
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