On June 23rd, 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was enacted by Congress. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. It paved the way for educational equity and opportunity for women and girls across the United States. One of the biggest impacts of Title IX has been in sports. While there is still more work to be done to achieve true equality for women's sports, Title IX has made great strides in this area. Since Title IX passed, female participation in athletics has increased 1,057% in high schools and 614% at colleges.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a singer, actress and businesswoman. With sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is the second best-selling female music artist of all time. Her accolades include 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and an honoree of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list in 2012 and 2018. Rihanna is the founder of Clara Lionel Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds groundbreaking education and emergency preparedness and response programs around the world. Rihanna also founded cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, which has drawn international praise for providing an inclusive range for all skin tones, including extensive shade offerings for people with deeper skin tones.
Julia Child was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs - the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. She not only revolutionized the world of cookbooks, but was also a remarkable beacon of entrepreneurship and perseverance more than a decade before women started raising their voices in the media world. Julia was also the winner of a Peabody Award and three Emmy Awards, including one for Achievements in Educational Television - Individuals for The French Chef.
In 2016, a 12-year-old Autumn Peltier gained international notice at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations when she presented the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, with a copper water pot and confronted him about his record on water protection. After this event, the indigenous rights and clean water activist spoke at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in 2018 and 2019, where she was famously quoted saying, “We can’t eat money or drink oil.” Today, Peltier continues her work for the access of clean water concerning indigenous peoples across the country of Canada, as well as advocating on all indigenous matters.
Golda Meir was an Israeli politician and teacher who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel from 1969-1974. She was Israel’s first female head of state, as well as the first female head of state in the Middle East and the fourth elected female head of state in the world. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Golda Meir was the Labor Minister from 1949-1956, and was appointed as Foreign Minister from 1956-1966. Meir met with many world leaders to promote her vision of peace in the Middle East. Born in Kyiv, Meir immigrated to Wisconsin as a child with her family in 1906.