Today (8th of March) is International Women's Day, so I am very excited to answer your question! I will talk about a few women who have inspired me in my life who I hope are inspirational to others, too.
The first person I would like to recognize is Malala Yousafzai. Malala was born in 1997 in Pakistan, where the Taliban had restricted many (especially girls) from attending school. Her father had a profound impact on Malala as a right-to-education activist. When she was twelve, Malala began writing a blog about the situation of education in Pakistan and her fears that her school might close or be attacked. Both she and her father received death threats from the Taliban, who wanted them to stop speaking out against the restrictions on education and access to media. In 2011, Malala was revealed as the author of the blog and nominated for the International Youth Peace Prize and received the first Pakistani National Youth Peace Prize. In 2012, a member of the Taliban shot Malala in the head on her way home from school. She was in critical condition but survived. Her attack raised global awareness on the restrictions to education in Pakistan, and governmental change has since been made. Malala now works as a global advocate for girl's right to education and has helped to fund the building of schools. Malala inspires me to work for what is right, even if it seems impossible.
The second woman I want to recognize is Frida Kahlo, who is a popular feminist icon even today. Kahlo suffere many health problems during her life, and was injured in a bus accident as a teen. She turned to painting to keep herself busy. Because she was often alone, she painted mostly self-portraits. Kahlo's art gives insight to her personal experiences and feelings, especially those of learning to live in an unpredictable body. Her paintings are not just an autobiographical commentary but serve to subvert normative beliefs about beauty. Frida refused to paint herself in a manner that appealed to popular beauty by denying her true form- perhaps most notably, she painted herself with her "ungroomed" brows and facial hair in tact. Her art speaks to the authenticity of the self, and though her paintings contain features which might be considered "ugly" by popular standards, they are still beautiful and captivating. Frida Kahlo inspires me to accept myself as I am and to share that beauty with others.
Third, and finally, I recognize Jane Goodall. You may know her as the woman who works with chimpanzees. Goodall is a famous primatologist, known for her long-term studies of primate behavior. Before Goodall's work, no long-term studies of chimpanzee behavior had been successful. Through her passion and patience, she was able to gain the trust of Tanzanian chimpanzees and sit amongst them to observe and "get to know" their lives. Her work was revolutionary not just for her methods but from what she learned. Goodall has written many books on the behavior of chimpanzees, which offer insight into our own evolutionary past and inspires us to respect chimpanzees as thinking, feeling beings. Jane Goodall is an animal rights activist and promotes the ethical treatment of and cooperation with our fellow animals. She inspires me to be patient with my work and be mindful of the animals around me, as they have their own lives.
These are just three women who have inspired me in my work and my personal life- I hope they are inspirational to you, too!
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