Women contribute a lot to society but are often not as celebrated as their male counterparts. I wanted to recognize and share some female role models that I look up to. Hopefully, some of these role models end up on your own list too!
1. Geisha Williams
Geisha Williams is a great example of someone who started with nothing and built herself into someone amazing. She was born in Cuba and immigrated to the United States when she was 5 years old. She worked at her family’s grocery store when they opened. She got her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. She then went on to become the first Latina woman of a Fortune 500 company. She is an inspiration for all women.
2. Emma Gonzalez
As one of the survivors in the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Emma Gonzalez is a strong advocate for gun control. She is 21 years old and has already co-founded an organization (Never Again MSD), organized marches (March For Our Lives), and given speeches where she calls out the “B.S” of politicians who get money from the NRA. She is a total bada**. She has been attacked by numerous right-wing politicians and still advocates for gun control. She gives me a lot of hope for the future of our society and our youth.
3. Nadia Murad
Nadia Murad was 19 years old when she was kidnaped by the Islamic State. She was beaten and used as a sex slave until she eventually escaped. She uses her experience to help others that are suffering from sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She has used her voice to speak to the United Nations Security Council, bringing them the first briefing on human sex trafficking.
4. Yara Shahidi
As known by Zoey Johnson on the show Black-ish, Yara Shahidi is an actor and an activist. She is a black actor in a world dominated by white actors. She founded Eighteen x 18 which was a platform to get youth voting in midterm elections. She partnered with Young Women’s Leadership Network of New York to create Yara’s Club. This organization helps provide mentorship online to help end poverty through education. Like Emma Gonzalez, she is only 21 years old and has already done so much in her time.
5. Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke is the founder of the #MeToo movement. This was not her first act of activism. She led protests about housing inequality and racial injustice since she was a teenager. After graduation from Alabama State University, she began working with 21st Century. There she began hearing numerous stories of sexual assault and abuse encountered by young women of color in her community. She began using the “me too” slogan to empower women to share their stories. In 2017 with the Harvey Weinstein allegations, her hashtag #MeToo went viral. TIME Magazine named her Person of the Year because of her beginning the conversation on sexual assault.
These women are inspirations to our society. I think they provide amazing examples of the power women have. I hope that one day women are recognized for their actions as much as men are.
As always, HC XOXO