Women ought to be celebrated everyday because they are strong, powerful, beautiful and can be anything they want to be. They are mothers, sisters, caretakers, lovers, home makers, achievers that should always be celebrated.
The International Women’s day( IWD) is always celebrated on the 8th of March every year.
IWD became a day for brands to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, political achievements of women while speaking out against inequalities including gender based violence and workplace discrimination and this year was no different, with thousands of women being celebrated globally.
In celebration of IWD, we have compiled a list of women in history( some you may know, some you may not) being remembered and celebrated.
Kamala Harris (1964)
She is the 49th Vice President of the United States and the first woman and the first African American to hold the post. As an American politician and attorney, she is the first female vice president and the highest ranking female official in US history and all the first African American and first Asian American vice president.
Chiamamanda Adichie (1977)
She is a Nigerian writer and feminist whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described as the “most prominent of a procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors which is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature” in The Time Literary. She is the author of We Should All Be Feminists, Americanah, Half of a Yellow Sun, Purple Hibiscus. Her recent work includes Notes on Grief, Zikora, Dear Ijeawele.
Lizzo (1988)
Lizzo is an American singer, rapper and songwriter. She attained mainstream success with the release of her third studio album; Cus I Love You which peaked inside the top 5 of the US Billboard 200. After struggling with body issues at an early age, she became an image for body positivity and self love and confidence as she attracted more mainstream attention.
Michelle Obama (1964)
Is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009- 2017. She was the first African American woman to serve this position.
Funke Akindele Bello (1977)
Popularly known as Jenifa, is a Nigerian actress and producer that rose to fame for her role in the movie titled Jenifa which earned her the nickname. The Omo Ghetto trilogy contributed to her fame, Bello played the lead role in the show Jenifa’s Diary, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Her movie, Omo Ghetto currently holds the record of becoming the highest grossing movie of all time in Nigeria after maintaining its number one spot for 3 consecutive weeks. In 2022, she was nominated by the People’s Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran as the running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship election.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
Was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as the “first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.”
Claudette Colvin (1939)
She is an American pioneer of the 1950s civil rights movement and retired nurse aide. On March 2, 1955, she was arrested at the age of 15 in Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus. This occurred nine months before the more widely known incident in which Rosa Parks, the secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped spark the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.
Zendaya (1996)
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is an American actress and singer who began her career as a child model and backup dancer and has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards; making her the youngest recipient of the award . She was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the annual Time magazine in 2022. She is notable for her roles in Shake It Up, Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Greatest Showman, Dune, Malcolm and Marie and Euphoria.
Oprah Winfrey (1954)
Is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest rated television program of its kind in history and ran for 25 years. She was the richest African American of the 20th century, was once the world’s only black billionaire and the greatest black philanthropist in US history.
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Honored in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She was an Albanian Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. In 1950, Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity that had over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries as of 2012. The charity manages homes for people who are dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. A controversial figure during her life and after her death, she received a number of honors including the 1962 Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize and the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.
Quinta Brunson (1989)
Brunson is an American writer, producer, actress, and comedian best known for creating, executive producing, co-writing and starring in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary. At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, she became the first Black woman to be nominated three times in the comedy category receiving nominations for: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (which she won), Outstanding Comedy Series (as an executive producer), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Tems (1995)
Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single “Essence”, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination, In 2022, she was featured by Future on a track titled “Wait For U” alongside Drake; a sample of her own song “Higher”. The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap. Tems covered Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack album in July 2022. She also co-wrote the song “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
(1958)
She is an American actress who is known for her work in film and television since the late 1980s. She has received various accolades including sixteen NAACP Image Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and seven Primetime Emmy Awards. Some of her notable films include Boyz n the Hood, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Music of the Heart, Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Viola Davis (1965)
Viola Davis is an American actress and producer and she is one of the few performers to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT); additionally, she is the sole African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting as well as the third person to achieve both statuses. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017 and in 2020, The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century. She is famous for the following films; How to Get Away with Murder, Fences, Suicide Squad, Black Bottom, Widows and The Woman King.
Yemi Alade (1989)
Yemi Eberechi Alade is a Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress and activist. She won the Peak Talent Show in 2009 and she had a hit with her single “Johnny” in 2014. Since then Yemi has gained prominence in the music industry and considered one of the biggest artists in Africa
In 2022, The Scoove Africa ranked Yemi Alade The Best Stage Performer in Nigeria to date.
Keke Palmer (1993)
Lauren Keyana “Keke” Palmer is an American actress, singer and television personality who is known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions. She has received several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP Image Awards, and nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Time magazine included her on their list of most influential people in the world in 2019. Some of her notable films include Akeelah and the Bee, True Jackson, VP, providing the voice of Aisha in the Nickelodeon ‘s Winx Club, Scream Queens, Rags, Animal, Hustlers and Nope.
Rihanna (1988)
Is a Barbadian singer, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. With sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is one of the best selling music artists of all time. Forbes ranked her among the top ten highest paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014. As of 2021, she is the wealthiest female musician, she was also the first black woman to head a luxury brand for LVMH. She was appointed as the ambassador of education, tourism and investment by the government of Barbados in 2018 and was declared a National Hero of Barbados on the first day of the country’s parliamentary republic in 2021. She headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show which marked her first live performance in over five years. In 2022, she welcomed a baby boy with A$AP Rocky.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978)
Even though she is famous for being the first woman to drive a car in Africa, she was so much more than that. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a teacher, woman’s rights activist, political campaigner and traditional aristocrat. She was the only woman among the men who fought against colonial rule, she was the only woman in NCNC’s delegation to London in 1947 to negotiate for independence.
She “sacked” the Alake of Egbaland in 1998; he was famously driven into exile by the Abeokuta women folk. She died at the age of 77 after being wounded in a military raid on family property. She is the mother of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Beco Ransome-Kuti.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (1954)
She is a Nigerian economist who has been serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization since March 2021. Notably, she is the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization as Director-General; sitting on boards of: Danone, Standard Chartered Bank, MINDS: Mandela Institute for Development Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, One Campaign and many others. She also previously sat on the Twitter Board of Directors.
You
If you are a woman or girl reading this post, you are a gem, a treasure making history. So do not be discouraged, keep doing you and let your light shine through. You are enough and you are loved!
