10 Women working to change the world: The Celebrities

Women have a lot to celebrate right now. March is Women’s History Month, and 2020 marks the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women's constitutional right to vote. We at StreetWise wanted to take time this month to celebrate women who have taken the torch from the powerful women before them, and who continue to do work to advocate in today’s society. These are just 10 of the many, many strong women out there, but these are 10 we chose to highlight for their perseverance, dedication, and advocacy. There are five celebrities and five Chicago-based women. We hope their stories inspire you, we know we were!

by Rachel Koertner

"It is just time for us to have a voice. It’s time for us to have power." Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres is a woman who, in 1997, risked everything to fight for what she believed in, and who has not stopped since. In that year, DeGeneres came out as gay on the cover of Time magazine, at the same time her character on the sitcom “Ellen” also came out. The show then received some criticism for being “too gay,” and ended the following year. However, DeGeneres kept fighting to get back on TV, and now has a huge hit with her daytime talk show of 17 seasons. During that time, DeGeneres has used her show to advocate for many different important topics, LGBTQ rights and women’s rights most of all. She has also recently spoken up against sexual assault, sharing her personal story on "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman." In addition, she has created the Ellen Fund, which seeks to protect endangered species. DeGeneres has raised millions of dollars for a variety of causes, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Photo provided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)

"I’ve always stood up for the underdog and the underrepresented because I can’t escape from that myself.” Lizzo Time’s 2019 Entertainer of the Year may have a lot of success now, but it wasn’t always that way. Singer-songwriter Lizzo was once homeless, struggling and grieving the loss of her father. However, she used the hardship as a motivator to push herself and turn her life around. Lizzo doesn’t let her gender, color, or size stop her from going places. Now, she inspires so many people with her positive music and self-affirming attitude. This revolutionary artist works hard to break stigmas. For example, she openly talks about how she goes to therapy, even though she says there is a notion in society that black women are not allowed to ask for help. She loves her newfound knowledge on how to communicate, and wants each person to stand up for themselves and love their insecurities. She fights for everyone.

Photo provided by Atlantic Records.

"This is my charge to everyone: We have to be better. It is our responsibility to make this world a better place.”

Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe is an Olympic gold medalist, part of the World Cup-winning soccer team, and Sports Illustrated’s 2019 Sportsperson of the Year. However, as Rapinoe says, she is more than just a soccer player - she’s an advocate. In 2016, she was among the first white professional athletes to kneel in solidarity with football player Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem to protest the police shootings (and other injustices) of AfricanAmericans. Rapinoe has also made it public that she is part of the LGBTQ community, hoping that her openness will make others less afraid and alone. Additionally, Rapinoe was part of the group on the U.S. Women’s soccer team to sue the U.S. Soccer Federation on allegations of unequal pay. She is one of four representatives spearheading this fight for justice. She wants people of all genders, sexual preferences, and races to know that they are worth it.

Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA

“People are underestimating the force of angry kids. We are angry and frustrated, and that is because of good reason.”

Greta Thunberg

From one girl with a sign sitting on the steps of the Swedish parliament building, to millions of people joining her cause. A girl dealing with depression and Aspergers becoming Time’s 2019 Person of the Year. This is 17-year-old Greta Thunberg, an advocate fighting against climate change. She has been diagnosed with selective mutism, which means she only speaks when necessary. That shows the importance of this topic, which she has spoken about at Tedx talks and at the United Nations Climate Conference. Now she has become the voice of a worldwide movement. She even has a book called “No One is too Small to Make a Difference.” She developed “climate strikes” by skipping school and protesting on the steps of parliament. These climate strikes turned into the Fridays for Future movement, and on Sept. 20, 2019, four million people joined the climate strike that she inspired, which was the largest climate demonstration in human history. A huge legacy, started by a young teenager.

Photo provided by Celinununu.

“The chance to make a real difference is not an opportunity that everyone is given, and is one I have no intention of taking lightly.”

Emma Watson

Actress and activist Emma Watson has been in the spotlight since she was 9, and has used that spotlight and that pressure to drive her fight for gender equality. At 24 years old, Watson was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, dedicating her efforts towards the empowerment of young women and serving as an advocate for UN Women’s HeForShe campaign, which was to show that gender equality is a man’s issue as well - everyone needs to fight for this cause. Also, she has travelled the world promoting women’s rights and education. She has led campaigns fighting against the culture in universities that say women cannot lead, and the complacency on issues of sexual assault in these places. Watson has a scholarship in her name with One Young World, which is a nonprofit supporting young leaders. She started a collaborative and supportive Goodreads Feminist Book Club. All this, and her fight is just beginning.

Photo provided by Disney EPK.