International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women
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lunacanada |
32. Ruby Bridges: 8/Sep/1954 - . She’s an American civil rights activist. The first African-American child to desegregate an all-white Elementary School in Louisiana during the school desegregation act in 1960. Only six years old Bridges went to a school by herself escorted to school by four federal marshals and her mom. Many white parents pulled their kids out of class so that only Ruby and her teacher, Barbara Henry, were in the classroom for a whole year. Today she is still involved with activism and rising her kids.
Princess Sophia Duleep Kaur Singh: 8/Aug/1876 - 22/Aug/1948. She was a prominent suffragette in the United Kingdom. Her father had to abdicate his throne, so they moved to England; Queen Victoria was her godmother! She was one of several South Asian women who pioneered the cause of women's rights in Britain. Although she is best remembered for her leading role in the Women's Tax Resistance League, she also participated in other women's suffrage groups, including the Women's Social and Political Union.
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33. Queen Elizabeth II of England: 21/Apr/1926 - . The figurehead Queen of 16 countries! When she was young she was a Sea Ranger (a part of the Girl Guides group in England, similar to Girl Scouts). She also went to Eton College to get a degree in constitutional history; and learned French. She had public duties during WWII, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service: the queen was a car mechanic and driver during the war! She also refused to take her husbands name, or let her kids take his name. She has currently served as queen for 66 years starting in June. As a constitutional monarch, she has not expressed her own political opinions in a public forum. She does have a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and takes her coronation oath seriously: she is a member of both The Church of England and The Church of Scotland. She is patron of over 600 organisations and charities. Her main leisure interests include equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis; owning over 30 during her lifetime (among other dogs)! Reminder: She has no control of actual laws the Parliament makes, she can only advise. She simply is a figurehead ruler with no real power, just a nice house and closet.
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34. Rojda Felat: 1980 -. She’s a Syrian Kurdish top commander of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), fighting since 2011 for Rojava in the Syrian Civil War, and has led several major campaigns against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). A revolutionary feminist, Felat's stated goal is to achieve social transformation in the Middle East through the YPJ, "liberating the Kurdish woman and the Syrian woman in general from the ties and control of traditional society, as well as liberating the entirety of Syria from terrorism and tyranny".
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35. Sheikh Hasina: 28/Sep/1947-. She’s the current incumbent Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She’s one of the most powerful women in the world, # 30th on Forbes' list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2017). A member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers. Her two main achievements are her leadership-roles and success behind the trials of Bangabandhu killers (committed crimes against humanity). Like many politicians she has been accused of several scandals, however, from what I’ve found much of them are not really based in fact and are rather just slander against her from her oppositional party. She also has 22 honours to her name including; multiple Doctor of Law degrees, the Mother Teresa Award, Indira Gandhi Prize, UNESCO Peace Tree award, and UN environment prize for leadership on climate change.
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36. Tegla Loroupe: 9/May/1973-. She’s a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. Also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. She holds the world records for 20, 25 and 30 km and previously held the world marathon record. She is the three-time World Half-Marathon champion, and is also the first woman from Africa to win the NYC Marathon - she’s won twice. She has also won marathons in London, Boston, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin and Rome. In 2016, she was the person organising the Refugee Team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
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37. Simone Veil: 13/Jul/1927-30/Jun/2017. She was a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health. A survivor from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp; where she lost her entire family. After the war, she pursued a law degree and entered politics. She fought to loosen restrictions on contraceptive use (reimbursed by social security) and abortion; facing much opposition including the heartbreaking cry of “[she] wanted to send children [the aborted foetuses] to the ovens”. When asked about this torrential opposition she faced, said, “I am used to such abuse”. The legislation that legalised abortion in France is still known as "Veil's law”. She also was a strong supporter of the EU and remembrance of the Holocaust. She also holds 18 doctorates (most honorary) and 10 honours from 7 different countries.
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38. Carolyn Walker-Diallo: 19??-. She’s the first Muslim woman elected to serve as a Judge in the USA and is the first Muslim elected to serve as a Judge in the State of New York. When she was won in (10/Dec/2015) there was much outcry as she took her ceremonial oath of office on the Holy Quran instead of a bible. She has served as First Vice-Chair of Brooklyn Community Board 5, Board Chair of The George Walker Jr. Community Coalition, Inc., Board Member of the East New York Restoration Local Development Corporation, Member of the 75th Precinct Community Council, Founder and Troop Leader for several Girl Scout Troops in East New York/Cypress Hills and has spent countless hours of community work.
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39. Carolina Contreras: 3/Dec/1986-. She is a Dominican-American body positivity and afro-latina activist. She has created an organisation/hair salon called Miss Rizos to show afro-latinas in a positive light; stating, “I'm an activist first, and my goal with Miss Rizos is to advocate, educate, and empower. One of the most important things for me is to ensure that women here are respected in the workforce and education system.”
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40. Marie Van Brittan Brown: 30/Oct/1922-2/Feb/1999. She was an African-American inventor, becoming the originator of the home security system (patent number 3482037/granted in 1969) and the invention of the first closed circuit TV. She also worked as a nurse. Born in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
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41. Margaret Cho: 5/Dec/1968-. She is an American-Korean stand-up comedian, actress, fashion designer, author, burlesque dancer, and singer-songwriter. In her routines she often critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and sexuality, and are rather explicit. Often covering Asian-American stereotypes, substance abuse, eating disorders, her bisexuality. She has two books, two songs, nine recorded comedy shows, appeared on a web show and on 32 tv shows and in 32 movies, along with 8 awards/honours! She is also a survivor of repeated sexual abuse, and at 15 was a phone-sex worker.
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42. Margaret Hamilton: 17/Aug/1936-. She’s an American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner. She was Director of the Software Engineering Division at MIT: developed on-board flight software for the Apollo space program. Soon became CEO of her own company “Hamilton Technologies, inc.” Hamilton has published over 130 papers/proceedings/reports about the 60 projects and six major programs in which she has been involved. 22/Nov/2016, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama for her work on on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Moon missions, also seen next to her all the computer programming for the missions she did, by HAND.
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43. Queen Liliʻuokalani: 2/Sep/1838-11/Nov/1917. She was the first queen and last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, ruling until the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii 17/Jan/1893. She was the composer of "Aloha ʻOe" among many other works, and wrote her autobiography “Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen” during her imprisonment following the overthrow. She was adopted into the royal line, and had only adopted children herself, married to the American John Owen Dominis. She represented her brother, the then king, as an official envoy to the UK during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. During her rule, she wanted to make a new constitution; would bring back the power of the monarchy and the voting rights of the poor. America annexed Hawaii and soon after attempt at revolt, Liliʻuokalani was put under house-arrest.
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44. Sudha Chandran: 27/Sep/1965-. She’s an Indian film/tv actress and an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. In June of 1981 she lost her right leg due to gangrene after a car accident, however, she continued dancing and is considered to be one of the best! She has also has 8 awards for her acting. Also from what I can find, it looks like she speaks at least three languages if not more!
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45. Mary Jackson: 9/Apr/1921-11/Feb/2005. She was an African-American mathematician and aerospace engineer, and in 1958 became NASA's first black female engineer. In 1992 she become a manager two NASA Offices (women in science and Affirmative Action). She was also a Girl Scout leader for 30+ years, before NASA taught math in Calvert County MD, and a research for NASA. She also holds 11 Awards!
45. Dorothy Vaughan: 20/Sep/1910-10/Nov/2008. She was also an African American mathematician and human computer for NASA! She became supervisor of the West Area Computers, the first African-American woman to supervise a group of staff at the centre (1949). Before NASA she was a math and program teacher at Langley Research Centre and R.R. Moton High. She prepared for the into of machine computers in the early 1960s by teaching herself and staff the programming language of FORTRAN. After she retired she continued to be active in her community.
45. Katherine Johnson: 26/Aug/1918-. She is also an African American mathematician, who made significant contributions to NASA. Best known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation: calculated the trajectories, launch windows, and emergency back-up return paths. She started going to high school classes when she was only 10!!! And started going to collage at 14!!! At 18 she already had two degrees (math and French)!!! She also holds 24 Awards and honours.
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46. Sky Brown: 2010-. She is the youngest pro-skater in the world at just 9 years old, and won 3rd place in the Vans US Open Pro Series! She’s been skating since before she can walk, and both her parents and younger brother(5) are also skaters. She and her brother also surf. She also competes professionally against adults during her skating companions, and uses her winnings to travel to other countries to teach other little girls to skate and how to be fearless. Money she also makes goes to the homeless, rising money for food/water for children in poverty, and for education for poor children.
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47. Mirai Nagasu: 16/Apr/1993-. She’s a Japanese-American ice skater, starting at age 5 she pretty soon began to achieve in the sport. She’s a 3-time Four Continents medalist, the 2007 JGP Final champion, a 2-time World Junior medalist, a 7-time U.S. national medalist, and 3-time Olympian (starting at just 16). In 2008, she became the youngest woman, since Tara Lipinski, to win the U.S. senior ladies title, and the second youngest in history. She is the first lady since 1937/1938 to win the junior and senior national titles in consecutive years. Nagasu is currently representing the USA in the 2018 Olympics, she becoming the first American female figure skater to land a triple axel at the Olympics, and the third woman from any country to do so!
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48. Sarah Rosetta Wakeman: 16/Jan/1843-19/Jun/1864. She was a woman who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War under the male alias of Lyons Wakeman. She served with Company H, 153rd New York Volunteer Infantry. She wrote many letters during her service; which were found about a century later, stored in the attic of her relatives. The eldest of 9 children she started work to relive some of her parents finial burden, the military offered much more money than her job as a maid, so much like an American-version of Mulan, she became soldier. Enlisting at about age 17, tbh it’s a wonder she got it at only 5’ (1.5m)!
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49. Dr. Eqbal Asa’d: 1995(?)-. She’s a Palestinian doctor who started her training at age 14, becoming fully a certified doctor at only 20 years old! Specifying in paediatrics, and continuing her work currently in Ohio.
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50. Shirley Ann Jackson: 5/Aug/1946-. She’s an American physicist and the 18 president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is the 1st African-American woman to have earned a doctorate MIT; and also the 2nd African-American woman in the USA to earn a doctorate in physics. A researcher of subatomic particles during the 1970s, she studied/conducted research at multiple physics laboratories in both the USA and Europe. While a student, she did volunteer work at Boston City Hospital and tutored students at the Roxbury YMCA. She also holds 11 awards/honours and involved/advocate of 17 organisations; National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Science Foundation.
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51. Tomyris: c 570-520 BCE. She’s a Massage Mean ruler who reigned over the Massagetae, Iranian people from Scythian pastoral-nomadic confederation of Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea (parts of modern-day Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, western Uzbekistan, and southern Kazakhstan). She led her armies to defend against an attack by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire: he wanted her land, so 1st tried to get it through marriage, and when that didn’t work he tried through force (he’s also the guy who freed the Jews from Babylonian rule). He led to the death of her son, Spargapises, who was captured in battle and committed suicide so as to not be defeated by the enemy. He [Cyrus] was defeated/killed in 530 BCE. “Tomyris ordered the body of Cyrus brought to her, then decapitated him and dipped his head in a vessel of blood in a symbolic gesture of revenge for his bloodlust and the death of her son “ (though this is probably just fantasy written abut her later after she died). Tomyris is also mentioned by several ancient writers, among whom the first is Herodotus. Also many species of plants/a species of butterfly are named after her, she’s mentioned in a Shakespearean play, and Tomyris is a common name in Central Asia.
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52. Maharani Jind Kaur: 1817-1/Aug/1863. She was the regent of the Sikh Empire 1843-1846. She’s renowned for her beauty, energy and strength of purpose, but her claim-to-fame is mainly from the fear she brought to the British in India, who described her as "the Messalina of the Punjab", a seductress too rebellious to be controlled. The British replaced her regency with a “more trusted” regent, however, her power and influence continued and, to counter this, the British imprisoned and exiled her. Also described as "the rallying point of rebellion" by British resident Sir Frederick Currie. She escaped her imprisonment and got sanctuary in Nepal, who restored her title of “Queen Consort”. Eventually the British let her reunite with her son after 13 years apart. Living out the rest of her days in Kensington, London. Later her ashes were taken to Lahore by her granddaughter #33 Princesses Sophia Dileep Kaur Singh.
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53. Huda F: 1986-. A proud Muslim-American woman currently living in Texas. She makes comics about her life as “a slightly sweaty Muslim”, and educating the general population about life as a Muslim woman. She was an English teacher for 8 years, but then became a full-time illustrator and mother.
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54. Virginia Woolf: 25/Jan/1882-28/Mar/1941. She was an English writer, considered one of the foremost modernist authors of the 20th century and developer of using a stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Acquainted with the early reformers of women's higher education. She was a significant figure in London literary society and a central figure in the influential Bloomsbury Group of intellectuals. "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." She was one of the central players in the 1970s movement of feminist criticism, and her works have since brought much attention and widespread commentary for "inspiring feminism”. She suffers from “severe bouts” of mental illness and took her own life.
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55. Lydia Ko: 24/Apr/1997-. She’s a Korean-born New Zealand professional golfer; she became the No. 1-ranked woman professional golfer at 17 years/9 months/9 days old. She has a record lowest final round in the history of women's golf majors (lower points = good)! She is also the youngest person ever to win an LPGA Tour event. Named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people (2014). She also participated in the 2016 Olympics winning silver. She is also the youngest person to do a lot of ______ in golf: win a professional golf tour event (age 14), winner of a Ladies European Tour event (age 15), and youngest player in the post-1900 of either male/female to win 2 major championships at the ANA Inspiration (age 18).
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56. Unstuck Chin: 14/Jul/1961-. She’s a S. Korean composer of classical music, currently based in Berlin, Germany. Taught by her father, then going to several prestigious music schools. Soon after graduating she was a freelance composer at the electronic music. Then moved on to her own orchestral pieces, her 1st being “Troerinnen” performed by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. She now has 7 awards, and has composed 34 pieces in orchestra, opera, ensemble, and other styles!
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57. Benazir Bhutto: 21/Jun/1953-27/Dec/2007. She was a Pakistani politician who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan both 1988-1990 and 1993-1996. She was the 1st female to head a democratic government in a Muslim majority nation. Ideologically a liberal and a secularist, she chaired or co-chaired the centre-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from the early 1980s until her assassination in 2007. Her father was involved in government; helping her gain an early exposer to government affairs. Very involved with education and science for her people, as well as tried to remove some of the very strict laws on women. Sadly much of this didn’t really get passed or implemented in the law code. She is "one of Pakistan's most important political figures, a respected world leader, and the leading stateswoman in the Islamic world” - Muñoz.
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58. Dorothy Pitman Hughes: 1938-. She’s a feminist, child-welfare advocate, African-American activist, public speaker, author, pioneering African-American small business owner, and mother. She organised the 1st shelter for battered women in NYC and co-founded the NYC Agency for Child Development. She also co-founded with Gloria the Women’s Action Alliance in 1971. The two women toured together speaking about gender, class and race throughout the 1970s.
58. Gloria Steinem: 25/Mar/1934-. She’s an American feminist, journalist, and social political activist who became nationally recognised as a leader and a spokeswoman for the American feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Also has 31 awards; including the Presidential Metal of Freedom.
This is just a brief amount of the two, both of them have an AMAZING amount of activism behind them; support women, minorities, and LGBTQ+.
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