Women Who Inspire Me

As a child in school, I was told the story of Marie Curie. Perhaps you were, too? From the moment I learned about her, I was inspired by the way she shaped her life and destiny, both from a personal and professional standpoint. From her early teens, she had to take on big responsibilities and was very focused on how she could help her sisters and family. She was also an incredible learner - languages, math, science…she mastered them all. Perhaps above all, she was resourceful and resilient, leaving the country of her birth, Poland, to migrate to France and embrace Physics research. She was of course the first woman to win two Nobel prizes in two different disciplines: Physics and Chemistry (and is still the only woman to have done this). Mme Curie was there at the inception of radioactivity, radiology and more…What an incredibly impressive woman and such an amazing life.

Why am I sharing this? Because on Friday it is International Women’s Day. And so I want to take the time to celebrate some of the women who have inspired me throughout my life.

Positive progress but much more to do

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on what’s been achieved. So much positive progress has been made in many countries, since the days of Marie Curie. But I want to recognize that there is much more to do, if we are to close the opportunity gap.

So while International Women’s Day is an important milestone for all of us to celebrate, this cannot just be about one day a year. We have to strive for gender equality and female empowerment every single day of the year. And as I pause for reflection, I am most inspired by women who are change agents in our society.

In my role at Microsoft and working with my Foundation, I have the opportunity to meet with many young women who aspire to become social entrepreneurs. It’s great to see how much drive, intensity and creativity they have as they change the world. These young women are working on exciting projects that will make the planet a better place for all of us: from plastics recycling; to harnessing the natural luminescence of plants (to save energy); to supporting women who have undergone terrible trauma, so that they can build their futures.

One inspirational woman who is driving positive social change is Marie Trellu Kane. I have had the opportunity to get to know Marie, which is a real privilege. If you are not familiar with Marie, let me share her achievements with you: she “invented” the French “service civique” which enables thousands of young people from all walks of life to learn and contribute to societal causes and activities, working for a few months for NGOs and public services. Marie decided to change the future of youth when she was just 20 years old and she’s one of the French pioneers for social entrepreneurship. What amazing things she’s done so far, for so many people. 

I am inspired by Simone Veil: by her resilience (she survived internment in Auschwitz when she was 16 years old) and by her strength and passion to lead change in France, where I live. As Health Minister, she courageously focused on women’s reproductive rights – despite aggressive personal attacks against her and her family, bringing in laws to enable women to access contraception and abortions. Simone Veil was one of the very first female Government Ministers in France and then took on the European Parliament Presidency, where the assembled parliamentarians all rose to their feet and applauded her. When faced with an angry mob, she yelled: “You do not frighten me! I have faced worse than you!” She was a woman with incredible strength and conviction, who held core values of fairness and a belief in the integrity of all humans. She died two years ago, just short of her 90th birthday but her work and ability to inspire, lives on.   

Diversity Matters

Diversity matters to me. Diversity should matter to all of us. Diverse thinking powers innovation. It makes the world a better place, as these three amazing women have shown. While I have only shared three stories of inspiration, I have had countless experiences where I have been inspired, have been taught or influenced by women of varying backgrounds and experiences, each contributing to my personal and professional journey. As a senior business leader I know we must reflect our customers and build products and services without biases. We have to represent all of society. And as I continue my leadership journey, I’m committed to learn more about the topic of diversity and inclusion through the eyes of others. I hope by sharing the stories of three women who inspire me, I have inspired you. And let’s ensure that we continue to be advocates for equality every single day.