Women are taking over the planet, one pair of heels at a time. We are CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies, inventors, activists and athletes. It is inspiring to read about women everywhere using their fame and power for good in this world constantly overwhelmed with negativity. My mom gave me the winter 2015 edition of PORTER magazine with 100 Incredible Women -- I am in awe that we don’t hear more about these females. After reading through the pages, I felt like I could run the world. We hear about Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon all of the time, but here are some more incredible women we need to know about.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
As an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US, she is the second female justice and one of three female justices currently on the Supreme Court. Her liberal views include support for same sex marriage, as she aided in making it legal across the entire country, voting to keep Obamacare and voicing her opinion that abortion laws discriminate against poor women. She has beaten cancer twice, and at age 82, she can reportedly do 20 push-ups.
“People ask me, ‘When will there be enough women in the Court?’ When there are nine... there’s been nine men and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” Retweet.
Abby Wambach
The United States soccer team’s top female scorer has truly shaped the way female athletes are recognized. After scoring the winning goal for the FIFA Cup, she bound into the stands to kiss her wife. She advocates that it does not matter what you look like on the field, but how you play. Sporting blood down her face through several games, speaking her mind and rocking the once-controversial short hair made her an advocate for females to be comfortable with who they are and not focus so much on looks.
Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin
These two female bosses are a force to be reckoned with after creating the email subscription site theSkimm, sending out the daily news in layman's terms and making it easy and enjoyable to stay up to date with what's going on in the world. The two former NBC employees have reached an audience of 1.5 million subscribers, including Oprah and Michelle Obama.
"By helping women be more informed, we empower them to know they can strike up a conversation with anyone." - Danielle Weisberg
Donna Langley
Titled "one of the most powerful women in Hollywood," she is the Chairman for Universal Pictures. She is showing off one of the most profitable periods in the company's history, compared to seasons when it was run by men, after taking risks on films being created for and by women (think "50 Shades of Grey" and Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken"). She also is an ambassador for the Vital Voices Global Partnership, which mentors women around the world, adding her to the list of women empowerment goals.
Jennie Price and Kim Gehrig
Price, the CEO of Sport of England, and film director Gehrig are kicking butt and inspiring women to get their sweat on and not concentrate on the judgement surrounding exercise. Their campaign, This Girl Can, celebrates cellulite and uses real women, no matter their shape, size or ability. Check out the video here during your next sweat sesh.
“I want every girl and woman to know no one is entitled to say this girl can’t.” – Jennie Price
Bethann Hardison
Hardison has been a longtime advocate for diversity among the fashion industry, being a model agent and former model herself. In her open letter to the British Fashion Council, she stated that “Eyes are on an industry that season after season watches fashion design houses consistently use ... one or no models of color. No matter the intention, the result is racism.” This small but mighty act lead to the addition of models ranging from Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Australia-China in SS15 and FW15 runway shows, opening the door for more diversity.
“An activist has to remain active.” –Hardison
These six women stuck out to me as innovators and role models for our time. But they don’t stop there. Joanne Liu, Lynsey Addario, Misty Copeland, Anne Wojcicki and Samantha Power are just a few more names to follow. Being a woman in power is possible for anyone with a dream, determination and faith. Maybe someday you will be in the next edition of 100 Incredible Women if you dream big, work hard and stand tall for what you believe in.
