Although some of these ladies are no longer with us, a long overdue "thank you" can be directed towards any of them! Who knows where we'd be today without their courageous behaviors, outstanding confidence and willingness to stand up for what they believed in!
1. Marlene Dietrich
Although her efforts didn't directly fight for women rights, Dietrich took a strong fashion stance. The Hollywood actress wore trousers and men's suits during a time where it was considered extremely scandalous and taboo; both on screen and privately, once almost being arrested for wearing pants in public during the 1930's.
Marlene was famously quoted saying, "I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public not for fashion, not for men."
2. Betty Friedan
The American writer and activist penned The Feminine Mystique in 1963, which is often credited for sparking the second wave of the feminist movement, happening in the '60s and '70s.
Friedan spent her life working to establish the National Women's Political Caucus as well as organizing the Women's Strike For Equality in 1970, which popularized the feminist movement throughout America! You go girl!!
3. Gloria Steinem
Perhaps one of the most recognized faces of feminism, Gloria Steinem led the women's liberation movements throughout the '60s and '70s. As well as being a co-founder of the feminist themed magazine, Ms., Steinem was co-founder of several female groups that changed the face of feminism including Women's Action Alliance, National Women's Political Caucus, Women's Media Center and more!
All of her great efforts led to her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993 and in 2013 she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. {CLAPPING}
4. Barbara Walters
You may recognize this lovely lady from the ABC evening news but did you know that she has basically paved the way for not only women in journalism but for women in the entire work force!?
Walters was not only the first female "co-host' of any news show (although at the time she earned only half of her male co-workers), she also became the first female co-anchor of the ABC evening news! From the '70s until today, Barbara has been a huge influence to women in America!
5. Coretta Scott King
Although most notable for her marriage to Martin Luther King Jr. and her work with Civil Rights, Loretta devoted much of her life to women's equality. She helped found NOW (National Organization for Women) in 1966 and played a key role in the organization's development. In her efforts for women's rights, King was also notably the fist woman to deliver the class day address at Harvard.
6. Oprah Winfrey
Motivated by the unequal pay she received in the start of her broadcasting career, around 1976. Oprah set out to start her own television show and from there built an empire catering to helping women grow, develop and thrive!
She has since developed the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, the Oprah Winfrey Network and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
7. Ellen Page
This actress has been anything but quiet about her thoughts on feminism and her mission for gender equality since she herself "came out" as gay in 2014. Since then Page has spoken publicly in interviews, on talk shows and press tours about women's rights.
"I am young, yes, but what I have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and yes, even the pain of it, is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being. And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise."
8. Malala Yousafzai
Words can't begin to describe how courageous this 17-year-old actually is! Malala Yousafzai rose to fame with her memoir I Am Malala documenting her fearless journey as a young student in Pakistan.
Since, Malala has been traveling the world advocating for education rights for women and children!
9. Beyonce Knowles
She has since performed proudly in front of the word 'FEMINIST' on stage, leading a large quantity of people in the right direction to equality!
10. Emma Watson
Watson launched the #HeForShe movement, her own feminist book club and plenty of conversation about what it means to be a feminist today.
11. Shirley Chisholm
Shirley was a champion for firsts.
First African American woman elected to United States Congress. First woman to have her name placed in nomination for President at the Democratic National Convention. First African American to be on the ballot as a candidate for President. Although Chisholm had a lot of support from students, women and minority groups, she did not get the nomination. But Shirley said she did not want to be known as a symbol of first black woman to run for president but as "a real, viable candidate" which she was!
12. Robin Morgan
An award-winning poet, novelist, journalist, activist, and best-selling author, Robin Morgan literally can do it all!
Her 1970 anthology Sisterhood Is Powerful, has been widely credited with helping to start the contemporary feminist movement, and was cited by the New York Public Library as “One of the 100 most influential Books of the 20th Century.”
13. Amy Hagstrom Miller
Amy is a warrior for reproductive justice. The founder of Whole Women's Health, a group of eight abortion clinics in Texas and other states, Hagstrom Miller has been on the frontlines of the fight against Texas’ omnibus anti-abortion bill, since 2013.
Amy battled her way through the state legal system and all the way to the Supreme Court, where the justices will hear Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole sometime in 2016. The case could decide the fate of abortion rights in the U.S., this could be huge!
14. Kimberle Crenshaw
Kimberlé Crenshaw, the mother of intersectionality, also happens to be the founder of the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), and this year, the organization launched two powerful campaigns: #BlackGirlsMatter and #SayHerName.
AAPF released the Black Girls Matter report in February, which examines the over-policing of African American girls in school and details how girls of color are funneled through the school-to-prison pipeline.
The #SayHerName campaign was created after watching news outlets report incident after incident of police violence against black men and boys to the near total exclusion of women and girls; the hashtag and corresponding report aimed to bring black women’s stories of police brutality into mainstream consciousness. #SayHerName was successful: It drew attention on Twitter and changed the conversation around police violence.
