It’s time to celebrate women
Published 10:47 pm Thursday, March 1, 2018
Women’s History Month is upon us. This is a time to revel in the accomplishments of women in history as well as women today.
The theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is “nevertheless, she persisted.” The feminist mantra was born from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s debate on Jeff Sessions’ nomination for U.S. Attorney General. Sen. Mitch McConnell used the phrase in a derogatory way, but women everywhere have taken it as their battle cry.
Senator Warren has continued to fight and make her voice heard in Congress, and she, like many other women, is pushing against the injustices women face every day.
Hillary Clinton is my idol (please don’t email me about her emails or Benghazi), and she is an amazing role model for women in politics. She has embodied the mantra of the month since her career in law and politics began.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has fought for women’s rights for longer than my parents have been alive, and she’s cooler than everyone else. There’s no debate on that. She was the second female Supreme Court justice, ever.
Malala Yousafzai is the strongest woman the world knows. The young Pakistani woman was almost murdered for her activism for women and children. She’s been involved in activism since she was only 11 years old, and after a murder attempt, she persisted.
What’s important when remembering the women that paved the way for us is remembering more than just the white women that did it. I am a feminist, and I make sure that my feminism is intersectional.
Fighting for women’s rights is useless if you’re not fighting for ALL women. That includes black women, Spanish women, Asian women and transgender women.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian modern-day feminist that has chronicled her own journey in her TED Talk “We Should All Be Feminists.” She was awarded the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2008. Despite her heritage, she persisted.
I know I said Hillary Clinton was my idol, but Laverne Cox is also my idol. Laverne Cox is a transgender woman best known for her role in “Orange is the New Black.” She’s also the host of a new beauty show on Lifetime. She had also attempted suicide at the young age of 11 because she didn’t understand her feelings, but she persisted and is now a household name. Laverne works hard every day to normalize the transgender community.
Women are smart and deserving of all the awesome opportunities the world has to offer, and this month should be a chance to have an open dialogue with people. Rather than berate someone with different opinions, it is better to educate them.