Who are your heroes? Are any of those them female heroes? I thought about this back when it was Women’s History Month and even though I should have written this then, it still needs to be talked about. Not enough of our heroes are women. There, I said it. Sorry, not sorry. But it’s true! So let’s get into it.
What is a hero?
I always go to Google and it defined a hero as a person who is admired or idealized for their courage, achievements or noble qualities. While noble may not be your first thought, I bet you have a lot of people you admire. Who comes to mind first? When I first asked myself, it was Superman. Maybe because of TV and movies, but I wondered why it was a man that came to mind when there are so many strong and courageous women out there.
Who are my female heroes?
I tried to come up with just one but couldn’t because I don’t necessarily have just one. I look up to so many women and all for different reasons. A few that come to mind are Gabby Bernstein and Hermione Granger. Yes, I know, Hermione isn’t real but hear me out. Gabby is the woman that taught me about spirituality. She is someone that conquered her demons and showed me that I could do the same. Hermione is a girl that was so young yet so brave. She stayed level-headed in challenging times and spoke up for others when they couldn’t speak for themselves. I’m talking about S.P.E.W. (IYKYK).
But in addition to Gabby and Hermione I have one other female hero that stands out for me. Single moms. I know I’m not a mother myself, but I know what it means to care for someone or something. So to all the single moms, you are a hero. You are out there every day, being everything to everyone all the time.
Examples of Female Heroes
Nellie Bly
In addition to my female heroes, there are some real life examples I want to share with you. The first, you is Nellie Bly. If you have no idea who this woman is, please look her up. She was a pioneer in journalism and was a free spirit. She’s most famous for her stint in the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in New York City. She feigned insanity in order to gain admission so she could witness and later report on the conditions and treatment within mental asylums. She was fearless and this event not only brought about social reform but paved the way for other female journalists. But this isn’t all she did. Nellie also beat the record Jules Verne told in his book Around the World in 80 Days. She actually completed the journey in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes.
Malala Yousafzai
I’ve talked about Malala in the past, but that’s probably because she holds the largest spot in my heart. She’s a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Her strength is beyond measure. Especially because on her way home from school, she was shot by the Taliban. Simply because she was getting educated. While I live in a country where education is easily accessible, I understand that it is not in other parts of this world. Without education, I wouldn’t be where I am today. While I probably will never meet Malala, I thank her for all the work she has done.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Another one that goes without saying. RBG will forever live on in time. As a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, she was the pioneer in advocating for gender equality and women’s rights. Before she was a Justice, she was an attorney. The number of arguments she won before the Supreme Court is countless. She literally laid the groundwork for the laws that were passed. Despite the fact that she’s probably rolling over in her grave, wanting to fight with everything she has, she started the ball rolling and showed us what we can do if we band together.
While these are only a few of the female heroes I mention on the podcast, they’re remarkable women. So what I want to know is… Who is your female hero?