Women’s History Month can be a time to reflect on influential women of history, but it is also an important time to learn about women who are making history today. With so many historic events having taken place in just a few years, it’s important to give credit where it is due and recognize modern-day women that are influencing history.
From all walks of life and with varying trajectories and futures, read on to learn more about five awesome women who are making history today.
- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is the current nominee for the open seat on the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS). As a black woman, Judge Brown Jackson has made headlines not simply for her hearing as a nominee to SCOTUS, but for the dubious, at best, questions that she has been asked during this hearing. The calm and cool demeanor of Judge Brown Jackson while responding to these questions have undoubtedly impressed, and inspired, many. Her ability to defy the odds stacked against her is truly inspiring, and we have much to learn from this impressive, and extremely popular, SCOTUS nominee.
- Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin
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Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin is a Nigerian female educator who has ensured access to classrooms and educational resources for many young girls across Nigeria. As the founder of GirlsCoding, Ajayi-Akinfolarin has taught many Nigerian young women coding, web development, and design. These skills will be vital to the future endeavors of the young women and will hopefully change the trajectory of their outcomes.
- The Women of Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and more
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Resilience is a skill difficult to teach and often only learned after enduring hardship otherwise unimaginable. The women of Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and many other countries enduring difficult war-times have so much to share of their journeys regarding resilience and power. They deserve the world, and most importantly, their homes to be safe once again.
- Kate Bingham
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Kate Bingham is the head of the United Kingdom (UK)’s Vaccine Taskforce and was instrumental in the speed that the AstraZeneca vaccine was successfully produced. Without the work of such intelligent and empathetic people, such as Kate Bingham, working together, the state of the world today could look extremely different, and much more grave.
- Malala Yousafzai
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Last but not least, no list of influential women today would be complete without Malala. Malala has become a household name in recent years due to her story of being shot by the Taliban going viral ten times over, for good reason. Malala has continued her education, created a foundation called the Malala Fund with fellow partner Ziauddin Yousafzai, and is truly making a difference in the world, having lived what seems like multiple lives at the ripe age of 24.
Although this list could go on for dozens more women, it would be far too long to fit in a single article, so like all good things, it must come to an end. Who do you think deserves a top spot right now?