Across history, cultures and continents, one truth has persisted: women have faced systemic challenges that have shaped their roles and opportunities.
Sexism has spanned cultures, religions, and races, and for centuries, women have been taught we are not fit for leadership, our sexual desires or needs are unimportant, and that our bodies are not actually our own.
Are things better for women than they were in the 1400s? Certainly. Are they better than they were in the 1920s? Yes. But as much progress as we’ve made in the last 100 years, there seems to be this pattern of pushing forward, only to be pulled back just when we’re really getting somewhere.
And yet, despite it all, women keep fighting. We keep working; we keep mothering; we keep advocating and creating and growing. Women are strong, and the reason we’re not still where we were in the 1400s, is because of women.
We know that right now it can be hard to hold onto hope for an equal future. So today, let us count the ways that women continue to show up and change the world for the better.
Women Throughout History
Well-behaved women seldom make history.
– Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
We have already written about some of the lesser-known powerful women in history, and there are countless articles already out there about women who have changed the world. (Big ups to Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, Anne Frank, Jane Austen, Oprah Winfrey, RBG, and many, many more.)
We urge you to find inspiration in these women who have shaped our past and present; but right now when the future feels so uncertain, we want to focus our attention on the women who are currently giving us hope for a better tomorrow.
Women Who Give Us Hope for the Future
All you need to know is that the future is wide open and you are about to create it by what you do.
– Pema Chödrön
Now, more than ever, we need strong females to inspire change, confidence, and empowerment in our younger generations. Not to leave you out, gen X and millennials; but the future for women will largely be shaped by the youth.
Here are some women inspiring younger generations—and so our collective future—for the better. (And since there are so many inspiring women today, we’re going to break this down into just a few categories for now.)
The Athlete: Simone Biles - We should all look up to 4’8” Simone Biles, not just because she is the most decorated gymnast (ever), but she’s also an advocate for mental health. Even with all eyes on her, Biles stepped back to take care of herself and has spoken openly about her struggles.1
The Politician: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - What can we say about A.O.C.? She’s a member of the U.S. House representing New York; she’s an activist; and she’s consistently fighting for women. She also took office at the age of just 29, making her the youngest woman and Latina in Congress.2
The Education Activist: Malala Yousafzai - Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist, and also the youngest person to win the Nobel Prize in history.3
The Climate Activist: Greta Thunberg - Thunberg has been honestly and passionately pushing for environmental protection since she was just eight years old. At a 2019 New York City climate event, Greta had this to say: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…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!”4
A Hero for Trans Women: Dylan Mulvaney - Mulvaney started her career in theater, touring the country as one of the principal cast members in Book of Mormon. Once the pandemic hit, though, Mulvaney turned to TikTok where her following blew up. It was during this time Mulvaney came out as trans and let the world in on her transition in a TikTok series called “Days of Girlhood.”5
The Actress: Emma Watson - Yes, we all grew up loving Emma in the Harry Potter movies, but as she’s grown up, she’s become quite an activist for women and girls’ education. She’s now a UN Goodwill Ambassador. Our Hermione even attended Brown University and is now back in school getting her Masters, showing young folks it’s not too late to go back to school. (Even in the middle of a successful acting career.)6
The Podcaster: Alex Cooper - The host of uber-successful podcast Call Her Daddy may get some flack for not being “feminist” enough, but the truth is, this 30-year-old currently has one of the most popular podcasts, generates some of the highest revenue for a podcaster, and isn’t afraid to speak authentically and honestly with her guests. “Absolutely I'm a feminist. I support women. I want us to all succeed,” Cooper says in a New York Times article.7
The Poet: Aamanda Gorman - Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Sociology. She has written for the New York Times and has three books forthcoming with Penguin Random House.8
The Writer: Meg LeFauve - There are so many inspiring female authors and writers out there these days, and we get that Meg LeFauve may not exactly be a household name. But we chose Meg specifically for her impact on our youngest generation of women. Meg is the writer for Inside Out and Inside Out 2, as well as Captain Marvel. Through her excellent storytelling, she’s teaching young girls to feel empowered and comfortable with their emotions.9
The Musician: Taylor Swift - There are lots of inspiring female musicians these days, but if we didn’t mention T-Swift, one of the most influential, highest-paid, and talked about musicians and businesspeople of our time, well we’d probably get sued or something.
Roles for Women
Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
We’ve come a long way from the times when women’s roles were limited to solely “nurse, teacher, or homemaker” (which are all incredibly essential jobs, just not the ONLY ones that should be available). And even though right now it might feel like some people would love nothing more than to drag us back to those darker days, let us remind you that women can do anything.
Ahem. We can be astronauts, lawyers, teachers, mothers, surgeons; we can be professors, judges, scientists; we can build skyscrapers; and we can climb them. Women can be athletic, thin, or thick; we can wear makeup and get fillers or we can go au natural. The point is, women can do or be whatever we want to these days. (Didn’t you read the previous section?)
Supporting each woman in her own choice of role—especially when it’s different from your own path–is what real sisterhood is.
Female Strengths
“Feminism isn't about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it's about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
– G.D. Anderson
Like we said, women’s roles have expanded to encompass everything these days. But still, there are certain strengths that are uniquely—and biologically—female specific:
- Females exceed at learning in academic settings.10
- Research shows that females are more hygienic overall than male counterparts.11
- Women have stronger immune systems than men—which makes sense since the female body can create and birth life.12
- Females exceed at endurance activities.12
- We live longer than men.13
- Female leaders increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire organizational dedication, and improve fairness at work.14
- We’re better in job interviews.15
- As mentioned, we can literally bring life into the world.
- We tend to be more emotionally intelligent and empathetic.16
- Women commit less crimes than men. In fact, most violent crimes are committed by males.17
So, if you needed a little boost to remember just how powerful females are, we hope this helped. If not, reach out to your community of women, connect with people you trust, and support one another. You can also throw on some T-Swift while watching a video of Simone Biles at the 2024 Olympics. That may help.
