Looking back at the past, I see scores of women who have made positive changes. These are the women who are broke down barriers while facing constant criticism about their life choices. I have one thing to say to these women.

Thank you.

To all the Bad Ass Women in History,

Thank you for sacrificing all that you did to provide opportunities for me, today. I am the first to admit that I may take your accomplishments for granted. However, I know and I try to remember every day that I live in a better world because you spoke up. You fought. You persevered. Eventually, you won.

Thank you for being told no. Thank you for walking past every person who said you were wrong, out of place, and corrupting the nuclear family. And proving them wrong. You pushed and showed that you were competent, dedicated, and loyal. You proved that you did not need a man or to have children to define your womanhood. You showed that a woman could have a career, could support herself, could make important discoveries, and could make the world a better place.

Thank you to Elizabeth Cady Stanton for fighting for my right to vote. Thank you to Audrey Hepburn for showing that a woman can have brains and beauty. Thank you to Rosa Parks for showing that small moments of courage yield great results. Thank you to Ruth Ginsburg for showing that women can interpret the law. Thank you Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama for showing that a First Lady is a leader in change and not just an accessory to the President. Thank you to Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, Carly Fiorina, and the growing list of female politicians for proving that it is not just a man's game. Thank you to the women who played baseball in the All American Women's Baseball League and took to the factories during World War II. You showed that we are able to keep the world running. Thank you to Malala Yousafzai for preaching that education for girls is a right. Thank you to Margaret Sanger for advocating for my medical rights. Thank you to the women who broke down barriers in the military including Grace Murray Hopper for showing that a woman has a brave, fighting spirit too.

Thank you to every woman who has ever held up the dreams of someone below her. Thank you to every woman who has seen the life that she lives, looked down at her daughter or niece, and decided that she would build a better life for her.

Thank you for starting the work for equality. I will not let your work end. I will pick up my heels and lipstick and I will continue the fight for equal pay, paid maternity leave, and discrimination of women in the workplace.

Sincerely,

A 21st Century Female Badass

I someday will look down at my future daughters and granddaughters and I will tell them that I did it so that they could believe that it was an option for them too. Women's rights and opportunities are human rights and opportunities.