Women: Inspiring Stories

Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of the Republic of India. Her father Mahatma Gandhi was the first Prime Minister of India, and following his death, she was appointed to the Upper House of Parliament by the President of India. During riots over the declaration of a national language, Indira Gandhi spoke to government officials and led the people in construction efforts. Indira Gandhi used populism, or the idea that the everyday people should have a voice together rather than just the elite, to win elections. Under her rule, India’s food shortages reversed into the country’s Green Revolution, during which they had an abundance of food.

After a war with Pakistan, India entered a period of instability and Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency. After that she faced several years of opposition and, once in power again, made some questionable decisions, resulting in her own bodyguards eventually killing her. Indira Gandhi served as Prime Minister for 15 years until her assassination in 1984. Though much controversy surrounded some of her actions, she was still voted the greatest woman in the past 1,000 years in a BBC poll in 1999.

Wangari Maathai

Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai of Kenya is the first African woman to earn the Nobel Peace Prize. At the University of Nairobi, she also earned the first Ph.D. ever awarded to an East African woman. Dr. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 to help prevent land erosion in Africa. To date, the organization has planted over 40 million trees!

Her husband divorced her because he “could not control her,” and the judge actually agreed with him, and sent Dr. Maathai to jail for speaking out! That did not prevent Dr. Maathai, an environmental and political activist, from serving as a Member of Parliament as well as the Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources. Though she faced many acts of violence and was imprisoned several times, she continued to fight against tribal politics and corruption. Dr. Maathai has also earned the Africa Prize, the Indira Gandhi Prize, the World Citizenship Award, and several other honors.

Maria Eva Duarte de Peron

Eva Peron was the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She was often known affectionately as “Evita” or “Little Eva.” After marrying Colonel Juan Peron, who was later elected as President of Argentina, Eva Peron became a voice for the people. She spoke on behalf of labor rights, pushed for the right to vote for women in Argentina, ran the Ministries of Health and Labor, and started the charity — the Eva Peron Foundation charity. She even founded Argentina’s first large female party, the Female Peronist Party!

The Peronists nominated her for Vice President in 1951, but her failing health and opposition from the military and the wealthy held her back. She was given the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation” by the Argentine Congress, and tragically died at the age of 33 from cancer. She remains an inspiration to the people of Argentina. Cristina Fernandez, Argentina’s first female elected President, says that the people owe a debt to her to this day.

Aung San Suu Kyi

A passionate activist and Theravada Buddhist, Suu Kyi helped found the National League for Democracy in Burma. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, Suu Kyi refused to leave the country when arrested, even though she was offered freedom if she would do so. During the 1990 election, Suu Kyi was elected Prime Minister, but her detention by the military prevented her from assuming the role.

Suu Kyi has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Rafto Prize, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and many other distinctions. She has also written many books. Though she remains in detention to this day, world leaders continue to demand her release. She remains an inspiration for peace and nonviolent protest for the people of Burma.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is one of the most powerful women alive today. A philanthropist, Emmy-winning talk show host, Academy Award-nominated actress, publisher, and producer, she is credited as being the most giving African American of all time, as well as the world’s richest black woman. But things were not always this way for Oprah. Born to a poor teenage mother in Mississippi, Oprah survived rape, poverty, and the death of a baby all before she the age of 15. She was so poor that she often had to wear potato sacks for dresses.

After suffering years of abuse, Oprah ran away from home. She was a very bright child and skipped two grades at school. She succeeded in school and won numerous awards, contests, and scholarships. While in high school she started working for the local radio station, she was the youngest and first black female to ever work there. After that, she started working in television, transforming her first talk show from the lowest-ranking show to the highest! It was then renamed the Oprah Winfrey show. Since then, Oprah has empowered thousands of women, started a school for girls, and become a cultural icon of success.