WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

They have contributed to changing the world and their stories have inspired thousands of people.

Meet the women who have defied the rules of their time to pursue their dreams.

They have opened doors for others.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

Mexico (1651 – 1695)

Her passion for writing led her to fight gender inequality. During the viceroyalty education was reserved exclusively for men, and yet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz became a self-taught writer and intellectual respected by her male peers. She chose to seclude herself in a convent to avoid married life and continue writing. Today, more than 300 years after her death, her work is still relevant and she is remembered as America's first feminist.

Marie Curie

Poland (1867 – 1934)

Without a doubt, one of the most remarkable scientists in history. Despite the fact that women in Poland could not attend university, she was a pioneer in studying radioactivity and discovered two elements of the current periodic table: Polonium and Radium. Marie Curie was the first person to receive the Nobel Prize in two different specialties: Physics and Chemistry. Furthermore, she became the first woman to be hired as a professor at the University of Paris.

Amelia Earhart

United States (1897 – 1937)

Considered an aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart paved the way for women in this sector. In 1928, she became the first female to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger and four years later she was the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo, a deed she accomplished in a record time of 13 hours and 50 minutes. As part of her legacy, she founded the women's aviator organization "The Ninety-Nines", which continues to this day.

Frida Kahlo

Mexico (1907 – 1954)

It is impossible to talk about women in art without referring to this Mexican painter. Her work has been recognized worldwide, her self-portrait "The Frame" was the first work of a Mexican artist acquired by the Louvre Museum. Recently her painting "Diego and Me" became the most expensive work of a Latin American artist ever sold at auction, fetching $34.9 million. Beyond painting, Frida Kahlo became a feminist icon for being a woman who fearlessly questioned gender norms, politics, and society.

Hedy Lamarr

Austria (1914-2000)

She succeeded in Hollywood acting alongside famous figures such as Clarke Gable and Judy Garland, however, her role as an inventor earned her a place in history along with other great innovators. Engineering was her passion and she is known for having co-created the spread spectrum, a wireless communications system, predecessor to Wi-Fi. Thanks to this, Lamarr was the first woman to receive the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, also known as the Oscar for Invention.

Zaha Hadid

Iraq (1950 – 2016)

She is remembered for her contributions to modern architecture, especially as a member of the deconstructivist movement. She was the author of astonishing buildings such as the Beijing Airport, the Riverside Museum and the London Aquatic Center. In 2004, she became the only woman individually recognized with the prestigious Pritzker Prize. During her lifetime, Zaha Hadid spoke out on numerous occasions in favor of equality in architecture.

Elena Poniatowska

France/Mexico (1932)

Despite being born in France, Mexico is the country she has called home since she was 10 years old and it is where she has developed her prolific career as a writer, journalist and activist. Her work, with a marked social and political tint, has led her to receive a large number of national and international awards. She was the first woman to receive the National Prize for Journalism in 1978 and the first Mexican woman to receive the prestigious Cervantes Prize in 2013.

Kamala Harris

United States (1964)

More than once, she has broken barriers in the politics of her country. She was the first African-American woman to be elected district attorney of San Francisco, California, the first to be attorney general of that same state, the first Indian-American senator in the United States Congress, and, in 2021, she became the first female vice president of her country. Throughout her political career, Kamala Harris has fought for racial and gender equality.

Susan Wojcicki

United States (1968)

In 1999, she was hired as Google's 16th employee and was the first to become pregnant. Susan took advantage of her situation to push for better maternity policies at the company and she has worked for that cause ever since. In 2014, she became CEO of YouTube and is considered one of the most influential women in technology. Susan takes advantage of her platform to constantly talk about work/family balance, since her CEO position doesn't prevent her from having dinner with her five children every night.

Megan Rapinoe

United States (1985)

The captain of the US women's soccer team is one of the most relevant contemporary voices in sports and feminism. She has achieved many professional triumphs, such as becoming the first feminine soccer player in history to obtain, during the same year, the Women's Ballon d'Or and the title of Best Player of the Year by FIFA. Off the field, Rapinoe is an advocate for human rights and female empowerment who has spoken out against the pay gap.

Lorena Ramírez

Mexico (1995)

At just 27 years old, she is considered the fastest woman in Mexico and has won various national and international ultramarathon titles. In addition to her sporting achievements, Lorena has put the indigenous communities on the map since she always runs with the traditional clothing of the Tarahumara. Her story was brought to Netflix by the director Juan Carlos Rulfo with his documentary: Lorena, Light-Footed Woman.

Malala Yousafzai

Pakistan (1997)

She is an international symbol of the fight for women's education. From a very young age, Malala started a blog in which she exposed the Taliban for banning girls from her country from going to school. Her complaints made her the victim of a terrorist attack in 2012. Far from discouraging her, Malala has continued her fight for education and, in 2014, she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.

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