Inspiring Women of 2017

2017 was a monumental year for women all over the country; so it’s important that we take a moment to recognize and celebrate their achievements as we enter 2018. Here are some of the amazing people and groups that made monumental strides in the fight for equality (hover your mouse over the images below to read more):

Marines Infantrymen: Three women became the first female infantrymen in the Marines.

Army Infantrymen: 18 female soldiers graduated from Fort Benning’s Infantry One Station Unit Training course, making them the first female infantrymen in the Army.

Danica Roem: Danica Roem became the first openly transgender woman elected to state legislature after running against Bob Marshall, a lawmaker vocally against LGBTQ rights.

Women's March: Some 3.2-5.2 million people gathered in over 600 cities nationwide to partake in the Women’s March.

Jeanette Epps: NASA announced that Jeanette Epps will become the first African-American to live and work long-term at the International Space Station in 2018.

Black female voters: 98 of black female voters in Alabama voted against Roy Moore (who was accused of child molestation and sexual harassment), significantly contributing to Doug Jones’ win.

Tarana Burke: Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement made major international headlines over a decade after its inception. Women of all walks of life and experiences shared their stories, shining light on the daunting prevalence of sexual harassment and discrimination in our society.

Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey: Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey write a revealing piece for the New York Times about Harvey Weinstein and sexual harassment in Hollywood. Weinstein was consequently fired from his company.

Shalane Flanagan: Shalane Flanagan won the New York City Marathon, making her the first American woman to win the race since 1977.

Dianne Feinstein: Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill to stop the sale of “bump stocks” after Stephen Paddock used them to kill 58 people and injure over 500 in Las Vegas.

Ibtihaj Muhammad: Olympic fencer Ibtijaj Muhammad had a Barbie designed after her, making in the first Barbie to wear a hijab.

Ashley Bennett: Ashley Bennett won a local election in New Jersey against John Carman who notably mocked the Women’s March by posting a sexist meme.

Angela McQueen: Illinois teacher Angela McQueen saved lives by tackling a 16-year-old-gunman at Mattoon High School.

Tracy Oliver: Tracy Oliver became the first female African-American screenwriter to earn $100 million at the box office, thanks to her work on Girls Trip.

Nanci Pelosi: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, after being interrupted by the president and nine male lawmakers, silenced the group by asking “Do the women get to talk around here?”.

Mayor Catherine Pugh: Mayor Catherine Pugh ordered the removal of Baltimore’s Confederate monuments in the middle of the night after white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lena Waithe: Lena Waithe became the first black woman to win an Emmy in comedy-writing.

Simone Askew: Simone Askew became the first black woman to hold the highest cadet leadership position at West Point.

Lt. Col. Megan Brogden: Lt. Col. Megan Brogden became the first female battalion commander in any of the Army’s Special Forces.

Nancy Abu-Bonsrah: Nancy Abu-Bonsrah joined Johns Hopkins Hospital as their first black female neurosurgeon. She is one of only 219 board-certified neurosurgeons in the U.S.

Katherine Switzer: At 70 years of age, Kathrine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon 50 years after being the first ever woman to run the race.

Women's National Hockey Team: The U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, after planning to boycott the world championship in protest of unfair pay, negotiated a raise from USA Hockey and went on to win its eighth world title.

Patty Jenkins: The female-empowering film Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, earned a record $100.5 million during its opening weekend.

Viola Davis: Viola Davis became the first black actress to win an Emmy, Oscar, and Tony.

Kim Reynolds: Kim Reynolds became the first female governor of Iowa.

Giselle Burgess: Homeless single mother Giselle Burgess started a Girl Scout Troop for girls in NYC living in shelters.

ImeIme Umana: ImeIme Umana became the first female African-American to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review.

Adele: Adele won five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year, making her the only artist to win Album, Record, and Song of the Year twice.

Joi McMillon: Joi McMillon was nominated for and Oscar for her film-editing work on Moonlight, making her the first black woman nominated for the award.

Elizabeth Warren: Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by a Senate vote while reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s commentary became a rallying cry for the women’s movement: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

Susan Fowler: Former Uber engineer, Susan Fowler, published a viral blog post exposing Uber as a discriminatory and hostile work culture for women. Her post sparked the resignation of Uber’s CEO and the firing of 20 employees due to harassment charges.

Last but certainly not least, we have Time magazine, which named the Silence Breakers as their “person of the year”. On their cover, they feature:

• Taylor Swift - singer who sued radio DJ David Mueller for a symbolic $1 after he inappropriately grabbed her during a photo.

• Ashley Judd - spoke to the New York Times revealing Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual harassment

• Susan Fowler - former Uber engineer who spoke out against sexual harassment in the company

• Adama Iwu - lobbyist who started a campaign to expose sexual harassment in Sacramento after being groped by a colleague at a work event.

• Isabel Pascual - strawberry picker who suffered from sexual harassment and stalking. Pascual is an immigrant from Mexico under a pseudonym in order to protect her identity.

• Unnamed woman in the corner - explained by Time magazine, this image represents “The women and men who have broken their silence span all races, all income classes, all occupations and virtually all corners of the globe. They might labor in California fields, or behind the front desk at New York City’s regal Plaza Hotel, or in the European Parliament. They’re part of a movement that has no formal name. But now they have a voice.”

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So, who inspired you in 2017? Comment and share below!

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Sources:

• http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/

• https://qz.com/1148643/time-person-of-the-year-the-cropped-elbow-on-the-metoo-cover-has-deep-meaning/

• http://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/a13944543/biggest-female-accomplishments-2017/