#Trailblazer Series: For Women Who Are Changing the World

trailblazer

noun  trail·blaz·er

thefirst person to do something or go somewhere, who shows that it is also possible for other people

Today is InternationalWomen’s Day–a day that commemorates the accomplishments of women. Women’scontributions, however, do not solely deserve recognition on one day of theyear, but rather, should be celebrated every day.

Introducing theInsider’s new #Trailblazers series.

A trailblazer is apioneer, someone who leads the way for others to reach their fullest potential.In this series, we aim to publish periodic articles that showcase the outstandingachievements of women around the world and in our communities, alike.  

Without further ado,here are 4 women who epitomized the term, “trailblazer” by changing the world.

Malala Yousafazi: Youngest Person to Win aNobel Peace Prize

“Werealize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”

At the age of 17,Malala Yousafazi became the youngest person ever to be decorated with a NobelPeace Prize. In 2009, she wrote about her experiences under the Taliban’s ruleof the Swat Region in Pakistan. Always a strong advocate for women’s education,she wrote about the group’s edict that banned girls from attending school.

Three yearssubsequent, at age 14, a member of the Taliban shot her in the head for heractivism efforts. Having survived the incident, the Taliban later sent 50 mento kill her. Despite this, just nine months after the shooting, she amplified theextent of her activism by urging world leaders at the United Nations to reform theireducation policies.

Since then, she becamethe youngest person ever to become a UN Messenger of Peace and become ahonourary Canadian citizen. Time Magazine has also recognized her as one of themost influential people in the world in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Lastly, she startedthe Malala Fund, a non-profit aimed at giving girls a minimum of 12 years ofeducation.

Yousafazi is currentlystudying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University. She cites herlife goal as one day becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Reshma Saujani: Founder of Girls Who Code, FirstSouth Asian Woman To Run For Congress

“Oureconomy, our society, we’re losing out because we’re not raising our girls tobe brave. The bravery deficit is the reason why women are underrepresented inSTEM, in C-suites, in boardrooms, in Congress, and pretty much everywhereyou look.”

Reshma Saujani–afirst generation American lawyer, politician, author and entrepreneur–has notonly accomplished a lot in her life, but also empowers other girls to do thesame. Saujani founded Girls Who Code, a non-profit with the goal of decreasingthe gender gap within the tech industry. The non-profit will reach 40,000 girlsby the end of this year.

Additionally,Saujani has experience in the corporate law and government. After attendingHarvard and Yale, Saujani wrote the bar and became a lawyer. She has worked forDavis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Carret Asset Management, the Caryle Group andthe Fortress Investment Group. In 2010, she was the first South Asian woman torun for Congress.

An advocate forwomen, Saujani has written two books, Women Who Don't Wait in Line:Break the Mold, Lead the Way  and GirlsWho Code: Learn to Code and Change the World. Shealso has a TEDTalk about whywe, as a society, need to teach girls to be brave. You can watch it here.

https://www.ted.com/talks/reshma_saujani_teach_girls_bravery_not_perfection

Christine Lagrade: First Female Head of theInternational Monetary Fund, First Female Finance Minister of France

“It'sa question of not so much pushing the boys out of the picture, but making thewhole frame bigger so that both men and women access the labor market,contribute to the economy, generate growth, have jobs, and so on.”

Christine Lagrade, aFrench lawyer and politician, has shattered the metaphorical “glass ceiling”many times in her life; she was the first female chair of Baker and McKenzie,an international law firm, the first female finance minister of a G8 economy andthe first female head of the International Monetary Fund. As the managingdirector of the Managing Director of the IMF, she has advocated the equaltreatment of women among global economies.

“If governments were to address closing thegender gap, if they were to remove the discriminations against women, give themaccess to the labor market and to finance, a big chunk of the inequalities thatwe have in many countries would actually disappear. Not all of it, but a lot ofit,” she states.

Lagrade has beenpraised for her talents, having been named the Best Minister of Finance in EU2009 by the Financial Times. Forbes Magazine also named her the 5thmost powerful women in 2014.

Janet Yellen: First Female Chair of the FederalReserve

“I'vehad every chance to succeed and more, and I think that's what all women shouldhave.”

Ranked the most powerful women in 2017 by Forbes, Janet Yellen needs no introduction. As the first ever female chair of the Federal Reserve, she had substantial control over the monetary policy of the most powerful nation in the world. The mere interpretation of her words has impacted the behaviours of investors. Described as having a natural aptitude for finance and economics, in the past, Yellen has taught at Harvard, UC Berkley, The London School of Politics and Economics.

By: Anette Jingco

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