The month of March celebrates and recognizes women that made history, but who is currently making history? As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we will mention those who are currently working hard to be role models. Not only does this month celebrate past figures, but it also celebrates women who are breaking the old, cultural and gender norms. With their success and names being recognized, they have used their efforts to help inspire other women in the world. 

Avril Haines

Avril Haines, is the first woman to serve as a director of national intelligence. Haines was nominated by President Biden, and she was confirmed by the Senate on Inauguration Day in 2021. Before becoming the director of national intelligence, Avril has previously served as a deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration, and the first woman to hold both roles. Aside from her position in the national intelligence administration, Avril Haines is a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University. 

Janet Yellen 

Janet Yellen, is the first woman to be head of the Treasury Department ever since it was founded in 1789. President Biden had chosen Janet to head the Treasury Department and was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris. Not only is she the first woman to be head of the Treasury Department, Janet was also the first woman to serve as chair of the Federal Reserve, and first woman to serve as treasury secretary. Janet is the first ever person to have led the Federal Reserve, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and the Treasury Department. 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the first African-American and woman to lead the World Trade Organization since it was founded in 1995. Previous to leading the World Trade Organization, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had served as Nigeria’s finance minister, foreign minister, and the first woman to hold both of those positions. Not only is Ngozi the director of the World Trade Organization, she also has been an environmental sustainability advocate and is a former managing director at the World Bank.  

Kamala Harris 

Kamala Harris,  being previously mentioned for Black History Month, is the first woman of color (African-American, South Asian) and the first female Vice President in the United States. Back in 2016, Kamala Harris became the second African-American woman and first South Asian-American senator in history. Kamla Harris has also achieved several historic milestones such as being the first African-American woman to be elected district attorney of San Francisco, serving from 2004-2010. In 2011, Kamala was the first African American, first Asian American, and first woman to serve as California’s attorney general.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai, when she was only a teenager, spoke out publicly against the prohibition of girls’ access to education, destroying of schools, and banning women from any active role in society. Malala started to make television appearances (local and international media) and continues to do so today. She is also known as BBC’s young blogger in 2009. Once her appearance in the media was constant, there was more recognition for her activism. Malala spoke out against the Pakistani Taliban, and this resulted in an assassination attempt at the age of 15. This assassination attempt elicited protests, which resulted in a petition that called for all children in the world to be back in school by 2015. Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, and became the youngest Nobel laureate. She continues to this day to bring attention to human rights issues around the world.

Oprah Winfrey 

d, “a new day is on the horizon.” Oprah Winfrey, was the first African-American woman to have her own production company and is the first African-American woman billionaire. In the 1970s, Oprah was the first African-American woman to anchor a nightly news program at the age of 19 while she was a college student. About a decade later, Oprah finally had her own show and renamed it The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly after Oprah was inspired to create her own foundation due to her rough childhood and started a school in South Africa, named the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. She has been open about her rough childhood being a victim of abuse and advocated for the creation of the National Child Protection Act which was signed into law by President Clinton. In 2018, Winfrey became the first African-American woman to win the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award. 

These successful female leaders are currently making a big impact on the world, and are continuing to do so. Their contributions should be recognized, as they are great role models for many young girls and women by shaping our present world and the future ahead of us!

Click on the video to learn more about women empowerment from your teachers and counselors!

Happy Women’s History Month!