Indiana Area Senior High School

Women’s History Month: The Women Who’ve Helped Build And Inspire Us

By AMARA MOORE

Women’s History Month is one of the more important recognition months of the year. Women have helped build this society and gave birth to all the people in it. They should be relished by everyone who walks this Earth. Women have done a lot more for us than anyone will truly know, and deserve not just a month, but should be appreciated every day.

 

Michelle Obama

Michelle has been a great role model for all black young women. Seeing A black man in the office was great, but seeing a darker-skinned black woman at his side was just as nice. She has done so many things for the progression of society such as starting the “Let’s Move” movement, which is an initiative to solve the childhood obesity problem in America. She’s also supported military families by helping working women balance their families and career. Michelle has made it a point to increase access to healthy food and push for healthier eating.

 

AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)

At 29 years old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman to serve in Congress in the United States. She is one of the best role models for young Hispanic women. After she reintroduced her New Green Deal, she and her co-sponsors raised several million dollars for the winter storm victims in Texas. She also used $7 million to fund a community project in the Bronx. Ocasio-Cortez advocated for Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, and U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement termination. What she’s most known for, though, is her willingness to say “no” to the men of higher power and political stance. Many women are shut down immediately or are too scared of losing their power, but AOC has stood up for herself and others countless times. 

 

Malala

Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner at 17 years old. In 2012, she was shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan. After that, she went on to write books, such as I Am Malala, spoke at the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference, and released her documentary. She also goes on an interview with Emma Watson before her documentary was released and discussed her feminism, which inspired other girls her age and younger. Yousafzai pressured world leaders to set aside over $1 billion for the education of Syrian refugees. She is one of the biggest inspirations to Pakistani women and kids. 

 

Josephine Cochrane

One of the most useful appliances in kitchens all over the world was invented by Josephine Cochrane, the dishwasher. As a socialite, Cochrane and her husband often entertained guests, feeding them as well. After a while, she would notice her fine china was getting chipped when hand-washed by her maids. Josephine and George Butters got together in her tool shed and got to work. In 1886, the dishwasher was born, still being used today in 2022.

 

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is one of the most famous tennis players ever. Her name is known by all. Serena has more Grand Slam titles than any other woman or man since Althea Gibson in 1958, coming out on top with a whopping 23 in the Open era. She’s given black women the best name in tennis history, traveled to Ghana to help with an important health campaign, and helped get schooling and education for the marginalized and vulnerable children.

 

Eliza Hamilton

After her husband Alexander Hamilton died, she went on to do great things and help many people, Lin-Manuel Miranda even wrote and starred in a musical about them. She helped Alex draft political essays and correspond with heads of state. She suffered many tragedies, one after another, but still prevailed to accomplish what she did. Her son, Philip, died 3 years before Alexander, next was Alex, her father, then her oldest daughter suffered a nervous breakdown. She was left with 6 children all alone. Eliza plunged herself into charity work. Eliza founded a free school and orphanage with two other women in New York for the less fortunate kids that needed help. (Orphan Asylum Society) During this time, she supervised the care and education of about 765 children.

 

There were many other women that deserve recognition, some of which being Claudette Colvin (refused to give up her seat before Rosa Parks), Shirley Chisholm (first black woman in Congress), and Susanna Madora Salter (first female mayor in the US).

We all have different female role models, though. Sarah Lefdaul, a senior at Indiana Highschool, said that “Zendaya” is her’s. “She affected me because she is so confident and made me believe that you don’t have to be a woman to be feminine.” Lefdaul states. “The most important part about being a woman is the power we can have to stand up against ignorant men.”

It’s very important that young women and even older women know that they are the most important to society, and not just some pretty object. Women give birth to every single human being on this planet. They don’t even need men to reproduce anymore with all studies showing that there is sperm within the female bone, which can be used for reproduction. With that being said, women are the best and most useful beings on planet Earth and should be recognized and appreciated for everything they do and the struggles they’re put through.

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