Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.” In the month of March, we celebrate all the amazing women who have shaped our country and our world, even those who have affected our lives personally in positive ways. This includes recognizing mothers, grandmothers, teachers, coaches, and all the strong women who continue to speak up and work hard in our day-to-day lives. Being a woman is still quite difficult in our world. Approximately one-third of women around the world have experienced some kind of violence from either their partners or their family members, and there are still gender gaps in education, jobs, and economic empowerment. However, this only encouraged and inspired more women to make history and join The Women’s Rights Movement. Girls and women around the world continue to build each other up through positivity and kindness, and by doing this, we are providing even more space for females to rise up and become experts in their field. Here are five women who have changed the world in so many ways, paving a path for female students, athletes, and learners everywhere.

1. Claudette Colvin

You may not know of Claudette Colvin due to the lack of mention in history books and social studies lessons, but her story is important and awe-inspiring nonetheless. When Colvin was 15, she refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat. This occurred approximately 9 months before Rosa Parks gave up her seat. Colvin was actually the first black woman to ever challenge the Jim Crow segregation law regarding the buses, but there are few articles about her and her role in the civil rights movement. The reason Rosa Parks became an icon instead of Colvin was because Rosa was an adult and “had the right face.” However, people are starting to hear about Claudette Colvin and her fascinating part in the history of the Montgomery buses.

2. Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai has been an advocate for girls’ education and became the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. As a young girl, she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Pakistan and is continuing to speak out about the importance of education today. She founded the Malala Fund with her father and spoke out in support of girls who have experienced the same terrifying trauma as she did. Not only has Malala encouraged thousands of girls to be strong leaders in their own communities, but she has invested in ingenious solutions to provide education for girls from lower-class families. In her acceptance speech as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, she said, “This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.”

3. Marie Curie

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Novel Prize for her work in physics and chemistry and later become the first person to win the Nobel Prize twice. While working with her husband, she discovered two elements: polonium and radium. She also conducted experiments regarding uranium and radioactivity and did thorough research on different radioactive elements and materials. Curie and her husband used the Nobel Prize money to continue their research and pave way for even more scientists to come. Curie is remembered as the leading figure for many women in science, physics, and chemistry, and her legacy and dedication will always be remembered in the field of science.

4. Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, an artist born in Mexico City, is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits that showed her interest in realism and traditional painting. Using her personal experiences, such as her miscarriages and the falling out between her and her husband, she created beautiful art that hit just the right emotions. She began painting after a near-death vehicle accident, and she used her artwork to pass time. Her art includes a mural titled Man at the Crossroads, which was featured at Rockefeller Center and other commissions that were shown at the Museum of Modern Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts. In 1939, Kahlo moved to Paris and created a beautiful friendship with famous painter Pablo Picasso.

5. Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt defined the role of the first lady when Franklin D. Roosevelt, her husband, became president. She advocated for gender equality and human rights and continually stood up against racial discrimination, which was quite abnormal at the time. After her husband’s passing, Roosevelt continued to dedicate herself to the country by becoming a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and helping write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Roosevelt’s legacy in the White House will live on forever, showing people around the world what it means to be a kind and intelligent person.

Thank you to all the women who continue to voice their opinion in hopes of being heard. The world is listening to you, and this is your chance! Let’s continue to work toward gender equality so future girls have a an equal shot in education and the job market. Go Knights!