The last year was an absolute whirlwind- from the COVID-19 pandemic to numerous social movements and civil unrest, and of course, one of the most important presidential elections in the past decade. It became more clear than ever that what the U.S. and the world need most, is change. Over the past year, strong women have emerged and proved themselves to be our best hope for solving the difficult issues our world is facing and making that change.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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AOC has been described as “the type of revolutionary politician that only comes around once a generation.” A NY native, she became the youngest congresswoman when she was elected as the Democratic Representation for NY’s 14th district (Bronx). Over the last few years, she has become the second most talked about politician in the nation, with immense social capital. Over the past two years, she has accomplished more than 90% of her freshman colleagues in the house, including raising $1 million for COVID relief, challenging all forms of injustice and corruption, pushing for the anti-HIV drug PrEP to be made generic, and of course, introducing the Green New Deal. AOC is a trailblazer, a progressive, and definitely doesn’t play by the rules.
- Meghan Markle
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The actress-turned princess that we all know and love has become the topic of recent conversation after coming out about the events that led to her and Prince Harry’s departure (or escape) from the UK royal family. Her recent interview with Oprah exposed some very serious issues she faced, such as racism and mental health issues. The courageous and candid discussion of her experience shed light on topics that need to be addressed and exposed in order to be changed. As a philanthropist and proponent for change, she is also a U.N. Women’s Advocate and works with the World Vision Clean Water Campaign.
- Kamala Harris
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As you know, Kamala Harris is the first Black U.S. Vice President, first woman Vice President, and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. She is committed to taking on pressing social issues. These include racial discrimination, protecting reproductive rights, expanding access to health care, reforming gun laws to reduce gun violence, and more. In addition, she is the author of three books, and has said she lives every day by the motto “you may be the first, but make sure you are not the last”. She is an inspiration and is bound to accomplish groundbreaking work over the next four years.
- Dr. Katalin Karikó
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Dr. Katalin Karikó has spent the last several decades of her career in medicine researching the therapeutic properties of mRNA. Her research and knowledge were pivotal in creating the COVID-19 vaccine that is now being distributed worldwide. She has struggled numerous times over the years but never gave up on her strong belief that mRNA could be used to rework the body to fight against illnesses. Finally, her groundbreaking work became the basis of the vaccine that will hopefully save many lives and lead the world on a path back to normalcy. The COVID-19 crisis was immeasurably damaging and caused the loss of far too many lives. It is the work of scientists like Dr. Karikó that making a difference and quite literally saving lives.
These are four of the women who are taking that notion to heart and are actively leading the charge towards positive change and improvement. They have made great strides towards a better and safer world for current and future generations. I am inspired by these women and immensely grateful for the work they have done in the last year.