On March 8th, the entire nation celebrated International Women's Day to kick off Women History Month. Over here in Los Angeles, hundreds of women (and a few men) rallied in downtown LA to protest violence, poverty, discrimination, and wage gaps. As women in the millennial generation, we should have a solid understanding of the amazing, wonderful, and incredible women in history. Here are 10 hidden figures (get it?) that you should know about.
1. Betty Friedan
Betty was an American social activist and wrote the best-selling book "The Feminine Mystique." She was a leading figure in the women's movement and her works broke social norms by introducing the idea of women finding personal fulfillment outside of their traditional domestic roles. She is also one of the founders of the National Organization
2. Eleanor Roosevelt
She may be your ex-first lady but she's much more than that. She was an early champion of civil rights for women, having been involved in Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) as well as the Legislative Affairs Committee of the League of Women Voters (LWV). At the same time, she was extremely involved in the African American Civil Rights Movement, inviting hundreds of African-American guests to the White House. Last but not least, Eleanor oversaw the drafting and passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3. Katherine Johnson
If you haven't watched the movie "Hidden Figures," then I will have to introduce you to Katherine Johnson. In short, she was one of the first group of African American women to have worked for NASA. Specifically, she helped to calculate the orbital flight of John Glenn as well as Project Apollo's Lunar Lander.
4. Malala Yousafzai
She survived a gunshot in her head after defying the Talibans in Pakistan in girls' education. She was only 15 years old. Soon after, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize twice and won the high honor for her second nomination in 2014. She was the youngest person ever to have received the prestigious award.
5. Benazir Bhutto
She is the first female prime minister of a Muslim country (at the age of 35), after having helped Pakistan move from a dictatorship to a democracy. Her presidency included fighting for free market economic policies and privatisation. Unfortunately, Benazir was assassinated on her return to Pakistan after her exile from Dubai during corruption scandals.
6. Dorothy Vaughan
Another one of NASA's treasure, Dorothy Vaughan was one of NASA's leading mathematicians and is the first African American manager at NASA.
7. Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson is NASA's first black female engineer. Prior to becoming an engineer, Mary petitioned to take classes at an all-white high school in order to receive credit for graduate-level classes in math and physics to perform her job. After 34 years at NASA, she had earned the most senior engineering position.
