Dr Condoleezza Rice, United States
Many would agree that Condoleezza “Condi” Rice set the stage for Kamala Harris. Rice was the first female Secretary of State and the first woman of color to serve as National Security Advisor. In a racially segregated part of America, born in Birmingham, Alabama, made her achievements even more laudable.
What makes Rice an outstanding woman is her unshakeable belief in her ability to succeed while advancing others’ achievements.
The inventor of “Transformational Diplomacy,” implementing change for the good of all, right to the heart of the American foreign policy and the foreign service.
“Transformational Diplomacy” is the objective that Rice describes as “we work with our partners worldwide to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people and be responsible in the international system.”
The Trump administration made a well-documented U-turn on the policy; now it’s up to Kamala Harris to grab the baton and run with it.
Doreen Lawerence OBE, Britain
Doreen Lawrence had the limelight thrust upon her after the untimely death of her son Stephen in 1993. Lawerence’s strength of character manifested itself in the unrelenting quest for justice, highlighting the British police’s inherent racism who investigated and failed to bring to justice Stephen’s killers.
By tackling racism head-on, she founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to promote a community legacy in her son’s name.
Lawrence sits on panels within the Home Office and the Police Service, the Council of Liberty, the Human Rights Organisation, and is a Patron of Hate Crime Charity Stop Hate UK.
She was named as Britain’s most influential woman in the BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour Power List 2014 and remains a powerhouse for justice in Britain today.
Laleh Osmany, Afghanistan
What’s in a name? Identity. Sense of self. Self-love. Not in Afghanistan.
For decades, merely speaking a woman’s name in Afghanistan has severe repercussions and can be seen as a direct insult to the person to whom you are talking. Women are referred to as a man’s relation, not a separate or individualized entity. Women are used for producing offspring and get few other rights.
Many Afghan men do not even say their mother’s, sister’s, or wife’s name in public, and Afghan law dictates only a man’s name should be on the birth certificate.
Laleh Osmany is trying to change that with the ‘Where Is My Name’ initiative at significant personal risk. Osmany is challenging norms that have been in place for generations, and change takes time.
She will continue to fight for the most basic right for women in Afghanistan and hope that, in turn, encourages them to assert their rights in a society where violence and abuse against women remain significant problems.
It’s now our job to say her name and say it as loud as we can.
Glenda Jackson, Britain
Jackson, often derided as a member of the “burn your bra” brigade, is both a brilliant actor and political activist that inspired many women in the UK to be true to their beliefs while embracing a creative way of life.
Jackson has won many accolades during her acting career, including two Academy Awards, and is one of the few actresses who won the Triple Crown of Acting. The Triple Crown is a term to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award during their career.
Forever the political beast, Jackson took a hiatus from acting to become an MP (Minister of Parliament). Jackson was elected as the Labour Party MP for Hampstead and Highgate in the 1992 general election. Served as junior transport minister from 1997 to 1999 and remained in the House of Commons until 2015.
Now aged 84, Jackson has returned to acting and proves the point that you’re never too old to begin again.
Iman Ghaleb Al-Hamli, Yemen
On the frontlines of civil war and clad head to toe with traditional dress, Iman Ghaleb Al-Hamli is leading work typically reserved for men in her country, just 20 miles away from the Yemeni War.
She manages and dictates a group of 10 women who set up and enact a clean and stable solar microgrid, offering low-cost energy to many.
This grid is one of three established by the United Nations in off-grid areas in Yemen, and the only one runs entirely by women. The team has won their community’s respect while earning a nice amount of money for their family while gaining invaluable future skills.
Al-Hamli wishes to be a light for young girls in the country, showing that indeed anything is possible if you have confidence and the ability to face hardships head-on.
Loza Abera Geinore, Ethiopia
Calling all badass women in sports – none come more badass than Geinore.
In Durame, Ethiopia, football is a boy’s game. Not for Loza Abera Geinore. She started playing at age six and rose through the ranks to become one of the best football players, male or female, in the country.
Her national and international playing career took her worldwide, and she currently plays forward for the Ethiopian Women’s National Team and Birkirakara Women of the Malta Women’s Premier League.
The deck was stacked against her, and she made it out as a shining star and paved the way for others to do the same.
Agnes Chow, Hong Kong
Currently, in jail, Chow is a 23-year-old Hong Kong social activist and politician. Although she has stated many times she grew up in an apolitical household, her ideals run deep.
She is very vocal about her displeasure with China and its relationship with Hong Kong and even gave up her British citizenship to run for political office. Her bid was blocked for supporting Hong Kong.
As the anti-extradition protests of 2019 grew into a pro-democracy movement, Chow’s identity increased evermore. Chow will likely be jailed for life for fighting in what she believes, like others that have gone before, Chow will not be silenced even though she could be facing a fate worse than death.
Sanna Marin, Finland
The 35-year-old leader of Finland is the world’s fourth-youngest female state leader and the country’s youngest-ever Prime Minister.
In a country where gender disparity is ranked third-best globally, having a young female Prime Minister is not that shocking. Indeed, 12 of the country’s 19 cabinet members are female.
Instead, the remarkable Marin focuses her effort on climate change: It’s a central pillar of her agenda.
The Finnish government has pledged to become carbon neutral in just 15 years, a lofty goal for such a large country. If Marin can pull it off, Finland would become one of the first countries to achieve net-zero.
Traffic emissions are estimated to be cut by 50 percent under the amazing woman by 2030, a plan she says will be completed through renewable fuels, the development of new technologies, and public transportation initiatives.
Houda Abouz, Morocco
Just as in any male-dominated profession, there has to be one strong woman who breaks the mold and begins the cycle of change. In Morocco, Houda Abouz is doing just that, in the rap game.
Abouz described herself as a feminist and a supporter of LGBTQ rights and said she was influenced by the pro-democracy protests of 2011, although her work should not be construed rise-against-the-machine type rally. Instead, her raps should give those who listen to a taste of the street and deep Morocco.
Men dominate the world’s rapping scene, but women are breaking into the scene. Rappers such as Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Lizzo are famous for their lyrics in America, and Houda Abouz is trying to give Moroccan women a voice through her words.