5 Women You Should Know About For Women's History Month!

Many people are celebrated for their achievements worldwide, with their stories and contributions highlighted in books, media, and monuments. However, women's contributions sometimes go unnoticed. As we celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, we would like to share a brief list of women who have made a significant difference in the world.

Below, we have listed women who have inspired the world through their actions and words, playing a significant role in creating a better future for humanity and women from all over the world.

Malala Yousafzai

Born in Pakistan, lived under the rule of the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group that has rejected women’s right to education. Malala, like many other women, opposed such actions by which she quickly became a target for elimination from the public space. Malala was targeted by the Taliban due to her outspoken advocacy for girls' education in Pakistan. Her activism and promotion of education for girls challenged the Taliban's oppressive ideology, leading to their attempt to silence her through violence. Malala eventually fled her home country and settled in the UK, She later on founded the Malala Fund, promoting women's rights to education and fighting for a better future for women and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. She is the author of the words: "When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. "

(Source: Malala Fund)

Alicia Garza 

In 2013 Alicia became a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, promoting an anti-racism campaign against African-Americans in the United States.  5 years later she funded "The Black Future Lab '' to enable black communities to participate in politics and break down barriers of power within local, state and national borders. In March 2020, she was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Women of 2020, the BBC's 100 Women of 2020 and also won awards: Sydney Peace Prize in 2017, or Glamour's Women of the Year Award in 2016. During the 7th Annual Black Women's Roundtable Policy Forum, in her speech, Alicia stated,  "Sometimes you have to put a wrench in the gears to get people to listen."

(Source: Forbes)

Greta Thunberg 

Swedish climate activist. In 2018, she set up an international movement to fight climate change. A year later, she was invited by President Barack Obama to the " 2019 UN Climate Action Summit " in New York City. That's when she gained recognition for her "How dare you" speech, through which she moved millions of viewers around the world. That same year, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but lost to Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. During the speech, Greta, addressed world leaders by saying, "People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"

(Source: Britannica | Greta Thunberg speaking at a climate strike in Berlin, 2019.)

Amal Clooney

A Lebanese/British barrister (courtroom advocate) dealing with international and human rights law.  She handled high-profile cases while being a lawyer for Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. In 2019 she and her husband George Clooney founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) fighting for justice for victims of human rights abuses for many countries worldwide. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. She said, "As women, we may not be a minority, but there is a bond that we all share. It is not a bond of geography. Or religion. Or culture. It is a bond of shared experience - experiences that only women go through and struggles that only women face."

(Source: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images)

Ursula von der Leyen

A Belgian/German sitting president of the European Commission as of July 2019. While being the first woman to hold this position, she was named "most powerful woman" by Forbes magazine. As specified "she is responsible for the lives of 450 million Europeans". Ursula is a new chapter for both Europe and the world, in the form of a chance for the female gender to handle such an important role in community. On September 13, 2023 during the State of Union she addressed, "There can be no true equality without freedom from violence."

(Photo: AP/Associated Press/East News)

References

Amal Clooney, Columbia Law School. Available at: https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/amal-clooney.

Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award (2023) Committee to Protect Journalists. Available at: https://cpj.org/awards/gwen-ifill-press-freedom-award/.

Staff, N. (2019) Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit, NPR. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763452863/transcript-greta-thunbergs-speech-at-the-u-n-climate-action-summit.

Press corner (2023) European Commission - European Commission. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_4426.

Walton, F. (2023)  Forbes Power Women 2023: Top 10, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/pictures/656e27e47ca2ad2038330ec6/1-ursula-von-der-leyen-pr/?sh=649caa627863.

10 inspirational women who are changing the world: Hugh baird college. Available at: https://www.hughbaird.ac.uk/blog/10-inspirational-women-who-are-changing-the-world.

Francis, S. (2023) 12 climate activists inspiring us to fight climate change, The IRC. Available at: https://www.rescue.org/uk/article/12-climate-activists-inspiring-us-fight-climate-change.