Edited By: Pragyna Divakar
Last week, Shafali Verma became the youngest Indian ever to be ranked No. 1 in any ICC Player Rankings table — in just six months after making her debut!
As International Women’s Day approaches, here’s a look at five absolutely badass women who have, as a result of their perseverance, inspired millions more in their field.
1. The Night Witches
The Night Witches were a group of female aviators part of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment in the Soviet Army. They were so feared by the Nazis that any German airman who downed one was automatically awarded the prestigious Iron Cross medal. They became a crucial asset to the Soviet in winning World War II. These women did not get the amenities or protection that their male counterparts received. They had to fly Polikarpov Po-2 aircraft biplanes made of plywood, exposing them to the freezing weather. Despite all the challenges, the Night Witches became one of the most remarkable fighting forces of World War II.
2. Gerda Taro
For those who listen to indie music, the name Taro should be very familiar. Alt-J, in 2011, paid homage to this German Jewish war photographer who is considered to be the first female photojournalist to have died while covering the frontlines of a war.
She was one of the first journalists to cover the Spanish Civil War when it broke out in 1936, producing black-and-white photographs of the resistance fighters for newspapers.
Taro lived by her belief, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
3. Anna Chandy
Justice Anna Chandy was a women’s rights activist and the first woman in her state of Kerala to get a law degree. She became a munsif in 1932, making her India’s first female judge. On 9 February 1959, she was appointed as the first female judge in an Indian High Court by the Kerala High Court.
Often described as a “first generation feminist”, Chandy received hostility from competition and newspapers but emerged victorius despite these challenges.
2. Huda Sha’arawi
Huda Sha’arawi was an Egyptain nationalist and women’s rights activist who is considered to be the founder of the women’s movement in Egypt. In 1908, she founded Egypt’s first female-run philanthropic society, which offered services for impoverished women and children. She then decided to do something that would prove to be revolutionary for women across the Middle East – after stepping off of a train in Cairo, Huda removed her veil in public. She was a strong supporter of Egyptian freedom from Great Britain. Never before had a woman publicly engaged in political activism.
5. Kathrine Switzer
Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. After her coach insisted that a marathon would be too difficult to run for a “fragile woman”, she trained for and completed the 1967 Boston Marathon under entry number 261. The photo of a race official attempting to stop her and grab the official bib made headlines. However, it took another five years for women to be allowed to participate in the marathon. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011 for creating a social revolution by empowering women around the world through running.