For International Women’s Day we’re celebrating some of the huge milestones women achieved over the past year. Read on and be inspired all over again by these incredible women.
1. Celeste Barber used ‘people power’ to raise $52 million for bushfire relief
Over the past few months, comedian Celeste Barber has become the embodiment of ‘being the change you want to see in the world’. After initially hoping to raise $30,000 for bushfire releif, she broke Facebook records with over 1.3 million donating to her page.
View this post on Instagram
2. Greta Thunberg rose up to be the legend we didn’t know we needed.
Starting her protest in 2018 as a solo figure outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, 2019 saw Greta mobilise the entire globe (over four million people on one day alone) to get incensed over inaction on climate change – with future generations leading the charge. She’s been picked on for her blunt nature and Asperger’s Syndrome, and yet she hung out with Leonardo Di Caprio and been named Time Person of the Year – so I think we know who the real winner is here.
3. Jacinda Ardern cemented her place as every country’s #primeministergoals
If there’s one job we wouldn’t envy, it would be to lead a country in a time of crisis. Yet during the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Christchurch in March 2019, Jacinda responded with both strength and empathy, showing the best side of both her head and her heart. She mourned with the victims, covering all families funeral costs regardless of their immigration status. She cried. She wore a headscarf in respect to Muslim families. Let’s also remember, she’s just 39 (New Zealand’s youngest ever leader) and has a two-year-old child. She hasn’t just re-written the script for how to lead with compassion, she’s penned a whole damn Pulitzer-prize winning novel.
The grief in her eyes is real. That’s what women are made of – compassion and kindness. They grieve for others like they do for themselves. Love. #JacindaArden pic.twitter.com/gDettaGZke
— Shehryar Khanum (@shehryar_khanum) March 16, 2019
3. The Matildas took on the equal pay battle, and won
In a monumental agreement from Football Federation Australia and Professional Footballers Australia and a landmark moment in Australian sporting history, both the Matildas and the Socceroos teams will receive an equal share of national team generated revenues. The Matildas also received a well deserved pay rise to match that of the top Socceroos – now that’s worth strapping up your boots for! Other Aussie sporting leagues, take note (cough, AFL).
4. Taylor Harris’s viral kick was immortalised in bronze at Federation Square
It’s likely you were familiar with her inner thigh and groin region before you knew her name, but now it’s a name not to be forgotten. The perfectly timed photo of AWFL Carlton star Taylor Harris gravity-defying kick drew global attention for all the wrong reasons. Instead of marvelling at her athleticism and flexibility (and the goal that came at the end of the kick), vile comments came flooding in about the 21 year-old, before being controversially removed by 7 News where it was originally posted. Not to let haters ruin a good thing, the image sparked a national conversation about the treatment of women and eventuated in the statue which reads, “not just a kick.”. Thank you, trolls – now, go and do the splits IN THE AIR before you decide to say anything else derogatory.
5. JLO and Shakira took on the Super Bowl half-time show
Although we’d celebrate them just for their spectacular performance (that choreography!) it was the first time two Latina performers took to the Super Bowl stage. Plus, with both women aged over 40, it reimagined what women can be doing at any age.
6. Melanie Perkins took her unicorn to the next level
A $125 million dollar fundraising round took Australian tech company Canva’s valuation to a whopping $4.7 billion. Some might find it hard to believe that founder Melanie Perkins is only 33. Some might find it ever harder to believe that her and her co-founder and fiance Cliff Obrecht are still together after 12 years in business together.
7. Lizzo tore up the Grammys as the most nominated artist
After being named by Time in 2019 as their singer, dancer and flutist (has that happened before!?) Entertainer of the Year, she was nominated for eight Grammy awards. Bringing home three, 2019 saw Lizzo redefine success as a black woman, who ten years ago was living out of her car and ready to give up music.
View this post on Instagram
8. The world discovered a new Einstein – and she’s an eight-year-old girl from Mexico
Adhara Perez is not to be underestimated. With an IQ higher than both Einstein and Stephen Hawking and having already finished high school, she was recently featured in Forbes Mexico’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Mexico list – a ranking we estimate she’ll maintain for at least the next 60 years or so.
Adhara already got into college, now she knows what she’s doing there.https://t.co/zNzTACCr2U
— Genius: The Revolution (@GENIUSthegame) December 4, 2019
9. Payal Kadakia became the first unicorn of the decade
As the Founder of ClassPass, Payal is going from strength to strength and 2020 is no different. She was named the first unicorn of the year and is a testament to every person who has failed (maybe more than once!) and just kept on going. If you want to read more about Payal and her two business ventures before ClassPass, you can here.
10. AOC showed that superheroes DO wear capes
Why comment on a powerful women’s outfit choices over her achievements when you can do both? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) joined the Democratic Women’s Working Group at her first State of the Union in a now iconic white cape, paying homage to the women’s suffrage movement, and the internet went wild.
11. NASA completed an all-female spacewalk
United States astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir took some large steps for womankind when they completed the first all-female spacewalk in October last year. Noting the historic nature of the activity, they lamented how they just wanted this to be normal. To be honest, so do we – soon it’ll just be two ladies going about their business, strolling on the moon making repairs to critical space infrastructure, nothing to see here. You know, the usual work-day stuff.
LIVE: Experts discuss the 1st all-female spacewalk scheduled to take place on either Thurs., Oct. 17 or Fri., Oct 18. @Astro_Christina and @Astro_Jessica will venture outside the @Space_Station for a ~6.5 hour spacewalk for station maintenance.
🔊 LISTEN: https://t.co/ZuxLDtRxxM pic.twitter.com/FdmTRASmlm
— NASA (@NASA) October 15, 2019
12. Sandra Oh made history at the Golden Globes
The first person of Asian descent to host the coveted awards celebration; the first women of Asian descent in 39 years to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama, and the first woman of Asian descent to win multiple Golden Globes. And probably the first person to thank their parents in Korean and bow to them whilst accepting their award. If it isn’t finally the diversity we’ve all been screaming for in Hollywood. Oh put it clear as day, “I see you, all these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else.”
‘I see you, all these faces of change’: Sandra Oh’s powerful presence at the Golden Globes:https://t.co/gOOWvyb2oJ pic.twitter.com/MdFLBRQ8l3
— Women in the World (@WomenintheWorld) January 7, 2019
13. Ash Barty became world number one after a 43 year drought in Australian women tennis champs
She’s young, she’s powerful, and she’s closed out last year by securing the world number one ranking – and a place in our hearts. Ash Barty, recognised equally for her exceptionally strong tennis and remarkably humble attitude, credits the unconditional love of her parents and her tight knit support group for her success.
14. A women topped Australia’s CEO pay rank for the first time
The highest paid CEO in Australia in 2019 was a woman, for the first time ever. Macquarie CEO Shemara Wikramanayake took out the top spot for CEO pay rank thanks to her $18 million annual paycheck. She was also named one of Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Women’ in the world. She was one of just four women on the list of 50 CEO’s.
A woman has topped the ranks of CEO pay for the first time, with Macquarie CEO Shemara Wikramanayake Australia’s highest paid CEO after receiving more than $18 million. https://t.co/9tuMD392WS
— Haymarket HQ (@HaymarketHQ) November 18, 2019
15. Tones and I broke the all-time record for longest stay at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart
Stealing the spot from Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’, Australian artist Tones and I’s hit ‘Dance Monkey’ spent the longest time at the top of the charts since they were created in 1988. She also picked up four ARIA awards to add to her accolades. Using her fame to spread love and reality, Tones and I opened up on Instagram to give fans an insight into the ‘relentless bullying that follows every proud moment’, reminding fans that she’s just a human doing her best.
16. The first image was captured of a supermassive black hole
Dr Katie Bouman, a PhD student in computer science and artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) helped develop an algorithm that led to the image of a black whole being captured for the first time. Though she emphasised she was only a small part of a huge collaborative effort, the viral photo of her reaction to the image is the best reminder to celebrate your wins.
17. The Spice Girls came back to remind us that we always Wannabe enjoying life with our friends
They came, they broke Ticketmaster, and they delivered. Oh man did they deliver (aside from those too Posh to join). In a moment that had us all ugly crying into our Union Jack minis, they closed their final show bringing out their mums and kids on stage – reminding us that family is both your blood and those you surround yourself with over the years. GIRL POWER.
18. Aria Stark killed the Night King
The youngest and most fierce of the Stark females somehow managed to defy all logic (even by GOT standards) and defeat the Night King, ending what was possibly one of the most anticipated TV battles of all time. All we could say was, ‘wow’ (and ‘why is one of the most expensive scenes of television and film history so dark we can’t see a darn thing’).
Behold , Aria Stark. Killer of nights, Face of the faceless #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/SAwLs8Nf8h
— Boyers (@Cleveland_Lover) April 29, 2019
19. Reese and Jen came together to give us the #MeToo movement through TV’s eyes
Reese Witherspoon has been committed to bringing us strong, complex female leads to the screen, and let’s be clear – she’s done it again. If Jennifer Aniston, Reece Witherspoon and Steve Carrell on screen together weren’t enough, the show grapples with sexual politics in the media industry workplace, two years after the Harvey Weinsten-induced cultural reckoning. It’s as fascinating as it is entertaining, and it puts women at the centre of it all. Plus, Jen is so absurdly good that we’re left wondering if Friend’s was hiding a truly glorious dramatic actor this whole time.
Two icons, @ReeseW and Jennifer Aniston, have joined forces to turn the page on entertainment. #TheMorningShow pic.twitter.com/5ba7zoMENJ
— The Morning Show (@TheMorningShow) November 27, 2019
20. Over 100 women raised their voices against Harvey Weinstein
In 2017, The New York Times first published their groundbreaking investigation into alleged criminal behaviour by Harvey Weinstein, with actress Ashley Judd being the first to go on record. What followed was over 100 women to stand with Ashley and her experiences, and has recently seen his precedent-setting conviction. The reports were a turning point in the #MeToo movement and propelled women to unite and action to happen.
