All of us want someone to look up to. When I was little, my hero was Katara from the Last Airbender series. She was so strong and capable, but also kind and had really great hair. I wanted to be just like her (although I still haven't figured out how to bend water yet).

Nowadays, there are so many things that surround young women that are negative influences on them. From models who give us unattainable body image, to the lack of representation in an overbearing patriarchy. What's a young girl to do? Luckily, there are some very bad*ss females that young women everywhere can look up to.

1. Malala Yousafzai.

She was shot by the Taliban for standing up for women's education, and is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala teaches bravery and passion to young girls, inspiring them to stand up for what's right and what they believe in.

2. Laverne Cox.

She's the posterchild for the trans community, a wonderful actress, and not to mention she was a wonderful "Dr. Frank-n-furter" in the Rocky Horror remake. Laverne is an LGBTQ+ advocate as well as an intersectional feminist, and is a great role model for equality and activism.

3. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

RBG is a justice of the supreme court (and kind of terrifies me). She's a strong, independent woman who is a massive advocate for gender equality and shows girls that they can achieve whatever they can imagine.

4. Simone Biles.

An olympic gold medalist and gymnast, Simone Biles is one of the amazing black female athletes that so many girls can look up to.

5. Sia.

Not only am I obsessed with Sia's music (almost every song on This is Acting is inspirational AF), but Sia as a person is my everything. She is notorious for hiding her face because she wants to be seen for her music and not how she fits in with standards of beauty, but she's also a huge advocate for animal rights.

Unfortunately, women still face struggles in today's society to be viewed as equal. These 5 ladies make great role models for inspired young women.