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Happy International Women’s Day!
This blog post is all about celebrating incredible Women alive today. We have listed 7 that inspire us but there are so many more!
We’ve included some background information about each amazing Woman so you can tell your little one all about them.
Our hope for this is that you can inspire them to go on to do amazing things in the future.
Some additional recourses are also included below so you can learn more.
Let's dive straight in:
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai, born in Pakistan, July 12, 1997 (aged 24), is a Human Rights Activist.
She grew up in the city of Mingora. Her family practised the religion of Islam and was part of an ethnic group known as the Pashtuns.
On her sixteenth birthday (after a lot of turmoil in her life - click here to read more) Malala gave a speech to the United Nations about the need for education for all girls.
Since then, she has been advocated for education and peace for all, even starting the Malala Fund ‘to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education.
Did you know… Malala was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg, born in Sweden, January 3, 2003 (aged 19), is an environmental activist.
In early life, she was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a kind of autism spectrum disorder.
Since 2018 she has:
Founded Fridays for Future, also known as School Strike for Climate – which have since been held all over the world.
Spoken at various United Nations climate events, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the European Parliament and many more.
In 2019 she was named Time’s Person of the Year.
Did you know…Her speeches were collected in a book and published as No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama, born in Chicago, USA, 17 January 1964 (aged 58), was the first African American first lady from 2009 to 2017.
As a young adult, she went on to study Law at Harvard Law School.
Michelle quickly became popular, giving speeches in support of military families and other causes.
To promote healthy eating, she planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn and launched the “Let’s Move!” campaign, with a goal to end childhood obesity.
Whilst in the White House she also launched the Let Girls Learn campaign, raising over $1 billion for girls’ education. A campaign adapted by charities today!
Emma Watson
Emma Watson, born in France on 15 April 1990 (aged 31), is an actor and Women’s rights activist.
She is known best for playing the young wizard Hermione Granger in all eight Harry Potter films.
After her childhood success, she studied at the University of Oxford and Brown University, then continuing to act as well as becoming a spokesperson for women’s equality.
Named a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, she is currently an advocate for women’s rights and gender equality.
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin,born in Nigeria, 19 May 1985 (aged 36), is a Women and Girls Advocate.
She is the founder of Pearls Africa Youth Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on educating young girls and women by providing access to technology and mentoring.
Allowing women to gain vital skills and learn how to be financially independent.
In 2018, Ajayi-Akinfolarin was named one of the top ten CNN Heroes and one of the BBC 100 Women in Tech.
Anastasiia Yeva Domani
Anastasiia Yeva Domani, born in Ukraine, aged 40, is a human rights activist.
Her story is part of a new series, “25 Women”, produced by UN Women Europe and Central Asia, as part of the Generation Equality campaign.
Anastasiia is a transgender woman from Kyiv. She never intended to be a human rights activist.
The LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine (and across Eastern Europe) face a range of discrimination and Anastasiia felt like she couldn’t witness this in silence.
She said to the UN: “It became really important for me to help transgender people not feel vulnerable or alone”.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, born in Liberia, 29 October 1938 (aged 83), was the first woman to be elected head of state of an African country (in 2005).
She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2011 for her efforts to further women’s rights through peaceful means.
As President, she helped restore electricity to some areas, reduced the country’s debt, and brought foreign investment into the country. Winning re-election in 2011.
In addition to the Nobel Prize, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Resources
A few other awesome Women to check out via recommendations: Nimco Ali, Simone Biles, Helen Sharman, Dina Asher Smith, The Lionesses, England women’s football team, Nadiya Hussain.