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HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

Women make up more than 50% of the world’s population but we still continue to face challenges of inequalities based on our gender (and women of color even more so). While we continue to fight for our rights in every area, here is a moment to gather inspiration from some fabulous women who followed their own path, blazing trails for the women to come…

Bessie Coleman As the first African American/Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license in the United States, she faced discrimination as she attempted to attend flight school. Refusing to give up, Coleman went to France in 1921 to earn her license. She later toured Europe and the U.S., providing flight lessons and appearing in air shows. Her courage and determination in her fight for equality continues to inspire women throughout the world.

Jane Goodall After studying chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park, Goodall earned her Ph.D. in 1966 and continued her work studying and protecting chimpanzees and their environment. She later founded the Jane Goodall Institute, advocating for global environmental protection and community involvement.

Malala Yousafzai After the Taliban gained control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, where she lived with her family, girls were banned from attending school. Believing that education is a fundamental right of every person, Yousafzai and her father began speaking out against the Taliban. On a bus home in 2012, the 15-year-old was shot three times in the head by members of the Taliban. Airlifted to India and later transferred to England, she fought to survive her injuries and once she recovered, continued her fight for the educational rights of females. Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, the youngest recipient of that honor.

Sheila Macdonald Climbing Kilimanjaro has always been an epic pursuit. Macdonald was the first woman to conquer that peak in Tanzania in 1927 at the age of 22. Although today’s conditions are more forgiving, the mountain was more challenging to climb in the 19th and 20th centuries, with abundant snow and blizzards. Her determination and grit continue to inspire us as we tackle our own adventures.

Elizabeth Cochran More recognizable under her pen name Nelly Bly, she was a pioneering journalist whose work highlighted social injustices. In 1889, she challenged Jules Verne’s fictional record “Around the World in Eighty Days,” by completing the journey in 72 days and proving women’s capabilities in travel. Through her writing, Cochran tackled important issues and inspired others to fearlessly explore and speak out.