Happy Women’s History Month, collegiettes! We have a whole 31 days to reflect on and appreciate all of the empowering things women do. Here are our top 10 influential women who are doing big things you should know about.
Condoleezza Rice: As Secretary of State, Rice focused on maintaining well-governed states around the world, especially in the Middle East. She is still working hard to spread her vision of “transformational diplomacy.” Rice is passionate about building and expanding democracy. She has also developed a position to defragment U.S. foreign aid. She was the director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council during the Soviet Union and German reunification. She has written numerous books and worked with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington. Her favorite quote is, “Differences can be a strength rather than a handicap.”
Arianna Huffington: She is the president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post. Her website has become increasingly popular, and it features blogs and commentaries from her and other liberal journalists, public officials and celebrities. Last year she was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Gabrielle Giffords: Last year Gabby survived a shooting, which was reported to be an assassination attempt, near Tucson, Ariz. She resigned in January after spending five years as Arizona’s representative in the House of Representatives. She promises to return once she finishes rehab for her injury. She is extremely admirable with her determination and ability to maintain a positive attitude even after such a dramatic experience.
Christine Lagarde: The French lawyer and managing director of the International Monetary Fund has had ample experience with her previous positions as Minister of Economic Affairs, Finances and Industry, and as the Minister of Agriculture and Fishing in France. Forbes ranked her as the ninth most powerful woman.
Jill Abramson: Abramson is quite the role model for all you journalism majors. She is the executive editor of The New York Times. Did you know she was the first woman to hold this position at the 160-year-old newspaper? Abramson worked her way up from the bottom and achieved this leadership position with her determination and hard work.
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Ann Curry: You’ve probably seen her on NBC’s The Today Show, where she is co-anchor. Not only is she a television icon, but Curry is also a board member of the International Women’s Media Foundation. Her talent and excellence were recognized when she received two Emmy Awards as a reporter. Curry is well-rounded and has reported internationally in Baghdad, Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Albania and Darfur. Another unique fact about Curry is that she was the very first network news anchor to report from inside the Southeast Asian tsunami zone in 2004 after the natural disaster.
J.K. Rowling: There is much more to this author than just the Harry Potter books. Rowling started off writing her stories on napkins, and now more than 400 million copies of her novels have been sold. Her series has been named the best-selling book series in history. Rowling has also been named the most influential woman in Britain by many leading magazine editors. She is a huge philanthropist who supports Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos (also known as the Children’s High Level Group).
Indra Nooyi: The Indian-born Nooyi is a business guru and the current chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business in the world. She has helped the company increase its revenue by more than 72 percent. Her accomplishments were recognized in 2008 when she was elected to the Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also the Chairwoman of the U.S.-India Business Council. She leads a Board of Directors and oversees more than 60 senior executives. She is quite the boss! Fun fact: She has been mentioned on two episodes of Gossip Girl because Blair wanted to intern for her.
Ellen DeGeneres: Ellen has become very well-known for her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In addition to having an incredible sense of humor, she is keen on devoting her time and efforts to helping others. Hillary Clinton named her a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness. DeGeneres has won 13 Emmys plus numerous other accolades for her philanthrophy work. As if she weren’t already cool enough, Ellen was also voiced Dory in Finding Nemo.
Diane von Furstenberg: Some of you might already know her as Diane, Princess of Furstenberg, or have seen her as a judge on Project Runway. She is a Belgian-American fashion designer known for her unique wrap dresses. She wanted to make her name known in the fashion world and not just the royal one she married into. Diane created the DVF Awards, which are presented to four women who show leadership, hard work, courage and determination in their passion for helping charities that support women. She is also on the board of Vital Voices, a women’s leadership organization that recognizes emerging leaders around the world.