The platform we all know and love, Odyssey, can be a humorous and sometimes cynical site of content. However, as the month of March approaches, I would like to shed light on a more serious matter -- Women’s History Month.
Women are the most powerful creatures on this planet and have fought relentlessly for their rights all around the world. Women have been overlooked, but we are fortunate enough to live in a time with an abundance of activists and influential women to bring attention to such issues. Even as recently as the 1980s, less than 3 percent of schools’ textbook content was devoted to women. With few role models in that time, women were taught to “sit down and stay quiet.” They were taught that they were unimportant.
After much lobbying, U.S. Congress declared the month of March as National Women’s History Month in 1987. Women have come a long way and it has not been without great effort. From Susan B. Anthony playing a vital role in the women’s suffragist movement, to Harriet Tubman bravely freeing slaves via the Underground Railroad, women have proven their strength. We have fought for the right to vote, to close the wage gap, for educational rights and much, much more.
This National Women’s History Month, let us celebrate some of the most powerful and influential role models of our time.
In 2016, the United States saw its first female presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. This was truly groundbreaking in the field of women’s rights. She influences young girls and women by showing them that they are important.
Malala Yousafzai, age 19, was shot by the Taliban because she advocated for women’s educational rights in Pakistan. In 2014, she became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She shows us that women are fearless, brave and strong.
Sheryl Sandberg attended an Ivy League university. She has held careers in the U.S. Department of Treasury, Google and Facebook. She was appointed as the first woman on Facebook’s Board of Directors. She inspires women and young girls everywhere to pursue their dreams and follow whichever career path they wish.
Emma Watson, age 26, is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and advocate for women’s educational rights. She is a noble, vocal feminist. She evokes passion in women by putting a contemporary face to the movement.
This March, let us rejoice in our history. Let us celebrate and be proud. We are women. We are tough, fearless, powerful.
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