Check out the top ten facts to remember about amazing women, as March comes to an end. With spotlights on women who were “firsts” in their fields, historic days in history, and women who are still fighting for rights today.
1. The first International Women’s Day was March 8, 1911.
Many countries around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, presenting women with gifts and flowers. Parades are even held in the U.S. in cities like Santa Rosa (History.com).
2. The right for women to vote was ratified on August 18, 1920.
The 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote in free and fair elections.
3. Martha Gellhorn was one of the first female war correspondents.
“Although Martha Gellhorn is probably best known for marrying Ernest Hemingway, her life deserves its own narrative. Gellhorn was one of the first female war correspondents and covered everything from Russia’s war against Finland to the Arab-Israeli conflict. At the age of 81, she reported on the United States’ invasion of Panama. When she was denied access to report on D-Day because she was a woman, Gellhorn stowed away in a hospital ship bathroom and made it ashore with the stretcher bearers once they reached the Normandy beach—making her the one woman in a sea of more than 160,000 men. In the end, her vantage was even stronger than Hemingway’s, who also reported on the battle.” (Glamour Magazine).
4. Jo Ann Robinson was a civil rights activist who helped organize the bus boycott.
“We all know the incredible story of Rosa Parks, but Jo Ann Robinson—the woman who actually organized the bus boycott—has gotten less recognition. Following Parks’ arrest for refusing to move to the back of the bus in 1955, Robinson got to work. She and her friends worked to distribute more than 35,000 flyers urging African Americans to boycott city buses a few days later. Robinson, along with other leaders, kept the boycott going for a year by providing transportation to black residents in Montgomery, Alabama. She continued to support local women’s organizations throughout the rest of her life.” (Glamour Magazine).
5. Alice Coachman was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
“Alice Coachman was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal—winning for the high jump at the 1948 London Games. As a kid in Albany, N.Y., Coachman used ropes and sticks to create makeshift high jumps to practice her jumps, and wasn’t allowed to train on athletic fields with white students. Instead she took to her practice to dirt roads and grass fields, and became a star all her own. Her track and field career ended after the 1948 Olympics, but she always kept the sport close to her heart, eventually creating the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation to provide aid to athletes in financial need.” (Glamour Magazine).
6. Junko Tabei was the first woman to scale Mount Everest
“Standing at five feet tall and weighing all of 92 pounds, Japanese alpinist Junko Tabei was the first woman to conquer Mount Everest. Her passion for climbing started in primary school, and after college, she organized a climbing club for women. She paid for her first expedition—to the Himalayas—by giving piano and English lessons, as well as taking donations. When she finally climbed Everest, she was knocked unconscious by an avalanche, and eventually had to climb on her hands and knees to the very top. By 1992, Tabei became the first woman to mount all Seven Summits: Aconcagua, Denali, Elbrus, Vinson Massif, Carstensz Pyramid, Kilimanjaro, and Everest.” (Glamour Magazine).
7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not done in office.
She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980 and was appointed to the supreme court in 1993. Now at the age of 85, she has stated that she has no plans of stepping down any time soon. Ginsburg has made incredible strides for women over the years and definitely lived up to her nickname, the notorious R.B.G. You can’t spell truth without Ruth! Check out her documentary coming out in May 2018.
8. On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, affirmed the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion under the fourteenth amendment to the constitution.
This was a huge stride for women across America, and toward reproductive rights for women.
9. In 1893, New Zealand became the first self governing nation to grant women the right to vote, coming next Australia in 1902.
New Zealand was extremely progressive, surpassing the United States in women’s rights, renewable energy, and education.
10. The first Woman’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York.
Where Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote “The Declaration of Sentiments” creating the agenda of women’s activism for decades to come.
These people made amazing and brave strides for women and gender equality.