Over the course of our nation’s history, women have been speaking out, challenging the status quo, and fighting diligently to achieve equality. While this fight continues today, gender inequality has been greatly reduced due to the efforts of many brave women. March is National Women’s History Month, and it is crucial we acknowledge these incredible human beings. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to include every woman within a single article, but here are nine women you should know during women’s history month.

1. Susan B. Anthony

As a staunch women's rights advocate, suffragist, and abolitionist, As a staunch women's rights advocate, suffragist, and abolitionist, strongly influenced the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment . She was a co-founder of the American Equal Rights Association, co-author of "History of Woman Suffrage," and later president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She persistently appeared before Congress to demand a suffrage amendment and traveled the country on a suffrage campaign. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Susan B. Anthony and other determined women, we have the right to vote.

2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Alongside Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the key figures of the suffrage movement. The impact of her advocacy for women's rights continued long after her death in 1902. Stanton and Lucretia Mott held the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848, where Stanton proposed the Declaration of Sentiments. The Declaration of Sentiments, modeled off the Declaration of Independence, directly addressed the oppression of women and demanded equal rights and treatment. The Declaration of Sentiments was bold, fearless and courageous. It sparked the feminist movement, which has inspired generations of women to be bold and courageous for nearly 170 years.

3. Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate college with a degree in medicine, did so at the top of her class. Years after graduation, because female physicians were still treated poorly, Blackwell decided to open a clinic for low-income women and children. Female doctors were primarily hired in order to provide a solution for incessant discrimination. Later, Blackwell opened a college of medicine.

4. Alice Paul

Alice Paul was a feminist, suffragist and political activist who continued to fight for suffrage after Anthony and Stanton passed away. She was confident, fiery and relentless in her campaign for the right to vote. In January 1917, Paul and twelve other women picketed the White House, being the first people ever to do so. This had large historical implications because it set precedent for others to protest at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, Paul continued the pursuit of equality, confirming gender equality in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment (which unfortunately was not ratified).

5. Mary Eliza Church Terrell

Mary Eliza Church Terrell was an African-American suffragist and civil rights activist who was passionate about black women achieving voting rights. She believed this was the best way to empower African-American women who encountered discrimination based on both race and sex. She was the National Association of Colored Women president and became the first African-American person to join the National Association of University Women. During the early stages of the civil rights movement, Terrell was actively involved with desegregation.

6. Jeannette Rankin

As the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin was a suffragist and political advocate for social justice. Throughout her time in the House of Representatives, she continued to be a champion for women's rights and equality. It's important to note her statement after being elected, "I may be the first woman member of Congress," she said. "But I certainly won't be the last."

7. Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson's brilliance, particularly in mathematics, was evident at a young age. Over the course of her life, she has accomplished exceptional feats. For example, she was chosen as one of three students (and the only woman) to integrate West Virginia University graduate school. In the 1960s, she conducted vital mathematics calculations for NASA and played key roles in both Alan Shepherd and John Glenn's spaceflights (which were major United States victories during the Space Race). She was also the first female author to be named on a Flight Research Division research report. In 2015, she received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama (pictured above).

Side note: If you have not seen "Hidden Figures" (the story of Katherine Johnson's 1960s work at NASA), you should. It's fantastic.

8. Betty Friedan

When Betty Friedan released her 1963 book "The Feminine Mystique," the women's liberation movement began to advance and expand. Women across the country were questioning gender roles and working to eliminate the idea that women inherently belonged in the domestic sphere. Friedan was the co-founder of the National Organization for Women, and she advocated for the equality of women until she passed away in 2006.

9. Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height was both a civil rights activist and women's rights activist. Her civil rights activism dates back to the 1930s and then continues into the 1960s. Height worked directly with Dr. King and the prominent figures of the civil rights movement, but she also worked with women's rights leaders such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. Height was president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. Because Height was discriminated against for both gender and race, her drive to achieve equality as a whole (across gender and race) was often quieted. Thankfully, Height was recognized for her outstanding efforts before her death in 1998. She was awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Metal.

Along with these amazing women, there are hundreds of others that should be recognized, particularly during National Women's History Month: Eleanor Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, and Lucy Stone, to name a few. We must remember their hard work, dedication, and sacrifices, and honor them by continuing to push for the betterment of society. Overall, Elizabeth Cady Stanton said it best, "The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality."