Written By: Fulvia Mariotti 

March 8 is International Women's Day, a day to show respect to all the kick ass ladies who inspire, support, love and teach us! Most of all it's an important opportunity to continue the push for gender parity.  

This month is also Women's History Month! A month dedicated to honoring the brave and down right goosebump worthy triumphs of the women who have paved the way for us all. To celebrate the occasion, we have prepared a list of just 10 women we find inspiring (there are MANY more). 

1. Marie Curie

Marie was a Polish-born French physicist. She is most known for her radioactivity studies - she even invented the word itself! She was the first woman in history to win two Nobel Prizes (one in physics and one in chemistry). She was also the first female professor at the University of Paris. During World War I, she founded the first radiology service for soldiers to provide ambulances with x-ray equipment. Her discoveries have also launched effective treatments for cancer cures.

2. Rosa Parks

Rosa was a true symbolic figure of the civil rights movement in the United States. She is known for having refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and was arrested for it. This lead to a series of protest actions. Among these, the Montgomery public transport boycott that aimed to cancel racial segregation on public transportation, which was successfully outlawed on November 13, 1956.

3. Sabiha Gökçen

Sabiha was the world's first ever female fighter pilot (and she was just 23)! If you have ever visited Istanbul you most likely have heard of the name Sabiha Gökçen because the Sabiha Gökçen International Airport named after her. Gökçen was the first Turkish woman to earn a pilot’s license with a specialization in fighter airplanes and bomber aircraft. 

4. Marie Stopes

Marie is best known for establishing the first clinic for female contraception in Great Britain. She was born in Edinburg and graduated in science at University College in London. She was a birth control advocate and sex educator in the early 90s. She was also editor of the newsletter entitled Birth Control News, which provided explicit practical advice on birth control.

5. Millicent Garrett Fawcett

Millicent was a figure that played a key role in gaining women’s rights to vote! She led the largest peaceful women's rights association named the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) that promoted the improvement of women’s conditions. 

6. Rachel Carson

Rachel was an American nature writer, scientist, and marine biologist accredited for advancing the global environmental movement. After a lifetime of work focused on aquatic life, disturbed by the excessive use of synthetic chemical pesticides Carson changed her focus. She aimed to raise awareness on protecting the ecosystem. In Silent Spring (1962), she called out the government to change the agricultural policies to protect the environment challenged. 

7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

RBG was an American lawyer and the second woman to become a Supreme Court justice who spent most of her career as an advocate for workers' rights, women's rights, and gender equality. In 1999 she also won the Thurgood Marshall Award for her contributions to gender equality and civil rights.

8. Maria Montessori

Maria is best know for her innovative educational method, called the 'Montessori Method'. She was one of the first women to obtain a medical degree in Italy. The “Montessori method” focused on the freedom and development of the child's potential. Her pedagogical thinking is still important and relevant and has been adopted by many kindergartens, elementary and high schools around the world.

9. Xiang Jingyu

Xiang was a pioneer of the women's liberation movement in China. She was one of the earliest leaders of the women's movement of the Chinese Communist Party who advocated for women’s education rights. She wrote many articles to elaborate on the problems of Chinese women asking them to unite and fight for liberation.

10. Tarana Burke

Tarna is an American activist who started the #MeToo movement. She started using the phrase “me too” to raise awareness of sexual violence. By using the hashtag survivors of sexual harassment, assault and bullying can share their stories, bond, and heal. Since 2017, the movement has taken a global turn and it has sparked both social and legal changes.

These are just a few amazing women but remember…awesome women don’t just exist in history books, they’re all around us and you are one of them too!