6 inspirational girls and women who are changing the world

#PressForProgress #InternationalWomensDay #BeLikeHer #IWD2018

As we approach International Women’s Day, I've paused to reflect on the rising power of the female voice and how everyday girls and young women are standing up for what is important to them, enabled by a global world, with technology and social media magnifying their voice.  I want to pay tribute to six particularly inspiring individuals and groups – many of whom are unsung heroes - who are making a real difference to the world in which we live.

But first, it is worth considering some of the extraordinary achievements women have made over the centuries, and those who have paved the way for women to have a meaningful voice in our society today. 

Extraordinary women from history

An obvious place to start is with the Suffragettes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries - notably, Emeline Pankhurst, Millicent Fawcett, Emily Davison and of course many, many others – who helped women to secure the right to vote in the UK 100 years ago. 

And what about Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, whom some will not have heard of. She was the first woman in Britain to qualify as a medical doctor and surgeon in 1865, having been rejected from seven leading medical schools, based solely on her gender. Qualifying through a loophole, it was her fight that eventually – 12 years later – resulted in women being able to practice medicine in Britain.

And in the US who can forget Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist who in the 1950s bravely refused to give up her bus seat in the ‘coloured section’ to a white passenger, once the whites-only section was filled. The controversy that followed shot her to fame as an international icon of hope and resistance.

Over the course of the last century we watched and admired Jane Goodall, the British Primatologist and Conservationist, whose 55-year study of chimpanzee family and social life broke with conventional wildlife studies, facing strong criticism in the process, but which has fundamentally changed our understanding of this species. She has since inspired generations of young people to become involved in wildlife and environmental conservation. The very touching footage of her being hugged by a rescued chimpanzee sums up her impact beautifully: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsUP2dftN9w

In the 1960s the Ford Dagenham plant sewing machinists fought to be paid at the same rate as men, who at the time were routinely paid at a higher rate. Their strike action eventually resulted in car production coming to a halt, and only after the intervention of Barbara Castle, then Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, was the pay dispute resolved. This walk out ultimately resulted in the Equal Pay Act of 1970. The 2010 hit movie Made in Dagenham captures the struggle beautifully: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD-MuEKbOAM

And more recently in 2012, following a torrent of sexism by the media and political opposition, Julia Gillard delivered a no holds barred speech which drew support from both sides of the political spectrum and from around the world. Indelibly etched into our memories is the powerful speech she delivered as Prime Minister, to the Australian parliament about the misogyny and sexism demonstrated by then leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott. If you haven’t already watched her brave rebuttal, do yourself a favour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd7ofrwQX0

These women, mostly ordinary women standing up for something they believed in, have shown us the remarkable power of taking a stand and having the courage of your convictions. 

Following in this spirit are many, many young women today also using their voices to mobilise others and drive positive change. The courageous girls and women listed below are just a few of the many who are having a significant impact on the world around them and inspiring others to do the same. For this we applaud you.

 1. MANAL AL-SHARIF - for publicly defying a ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia

In 2011, the then 32 year old organised a campaign ‘Women2drive’ and drove a car with her brother sitting next to her. She was arrested at night and sent to jail without trial. Her actions drew international attention to a punitive, repressive law and finally, in 2017, the law in Saudi Arabia was changed to allow women the right to drive. 

“The rain begins with a single drop”

Watch her inspirational Ted Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/manal_al_sharif_a_saudi_woman_who_dared_to_drive

2. SUSAN FOWLER - for exposing Uber’s toxic culture, ultimately leading to the resignation of CEO Travis Kalanick

The 26 year old engineer was named one of the ‘Silence Breakers’ in TIME magazine’s Person of the Year 2017 for her courage in calling out a pernicious culture of sexual harassment within Uber. As a result, CEO Travis Kalanick lost the confidence of investors for allowing this culture, and was ultimately ousted from the company he founded.

Read her story here: https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-at-uber

3.  THE GULABI GANG – group of Indian women’s activists taking a stand against violence towards women

This group of women activists aged between 18 – 60 years of age, who dress in pink, are giving a voice to some of the most underprivileged in society across North India. The group fight against social injustices, such as child marriage, the dowry system, abusive husbands and female illiteracy. The self-styled vigilante group was started after a village woman witnessed a man mercilessly beating his wife. Despite her pleas for him to stop he didn’t. The next day the village woman returned with a small group of women and a bamboo stick to provide retribution to the man. Since then a movement has developed, spreading across northern India.

Learn more about The Gulabi Gang here: https://gulabigangofficial.in/

4.  MALALA YOUSAFZAI – for her bravery in advocating for girls’ education against the Taliban

 Before becoming a household name, in 2012 Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban in retaliation for her activism in pushing for girls’ education in Pakistan. Her bravery in not abandoning her cause is inspiring, despite the many death threats she received from the Taliban. By the age of 20, Malala had been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, had set up the Malala Fund not-for-profit organisation, and has three times been named by TIME magazine as one of the most influential people globally. 

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

You can help support the Malala Fund to provide education to girls, here: https://www.malala.org

5.  OLIVIA HALLISEY – for creating a quick, affordable test for the Ebola Virus as part of a high school project

At age 16, Olivia Hallisey was inspired to work on a science project that would help reduce the Ebola virus, which had recently broken out in West Africa. Compared with other tests for the virus, which cost $1,000 and can take up to 12 hours to provide a diagnosis, Olivia’s invention costs just $25 and can be put together in around 30 minutes, thus helping to prevent the spread of the disease. Her amazing work led to her scooping Google’s annual global Science Fair top prize in 2015. 

“We have to work together to find answers to the enormous challenges that threaten global health, our environment and our world.”

You can learn more about her story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkdTdG_gR-8

6.  EMMA GONZALEZ – survivor of the recent tragic shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, for becoming the voice of students on gun-control

In the weeks since this tragedy occurred, 18 year old Emma Gonzalez has become an inspiration and a figure of hope to millions of fellow Americans in their quest for tighter gun controls. Responding to the senseless deaths of 17 of her classmates in a school shooting, she quickly became a leading voice in the gun-control movement, and has helped mobilise rallies around America. 

“Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have been done to prevent this. We call BS. They say tougher guns laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS. They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. We call BS. They say guns are just tools like knives and are as dangerous as cars. We call BS. They say no laws could have prevented the hundreds of senseless tragedies that have occurred. We call BS. That us kids don't know what we're talking about, that we're too young to understand how the government works. We call BS.”

Watch her inspirational speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMxG0reODQY

Sharon Peake is the founder and MD of Shape Talent Ltd, a boutique consultancy established with the sole purpose of getting more women into senior leadership roles in business. We work with organisations to remove the barriers to women’s progression and we work with individual women, coaching them to achieve their career potential. Click here to learn more about what we do. You can also join our mailing list and be the first to receive our tools, research and updates.