The origin of International Women’s Day dates back to a women’s celebration organized by the Socialist Party of America in response to a march in Denmark in 1910. Women in Europe protested by marching on March 19th, 1911, to demand the right to vote and hold public office. In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day as March 8th.
Did you know that the day is an official holiday in countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Zambia? No matter how the day is celebrated, the idea behind the day is to celebrate women’s rights, equality, and progress. Here are five women who broke through barriers in 2020 and did something that was once considered impossible for women!
1. Heaven Fitch: First Female Wrestling Champ (United States) Teenager Heaven Fitch was the first female wrestling champ in the state of North Carolina. She beat her opponent, a teen boy, in a match that she won 11-3. Asked about her interest in wrestling, Fitch said she was always interested in wrestling because her brothers competed and she was their sparring partner. “(My parents) didn’t want me to wrestle,” she said. “I’m pretty sure it was because they didn’t want me to get hurt. But I would just be like, ‘Well, if they can do it, then I should be able to do it.’”
2. Reema Juffali: First Female Race Car Driver (Saudi Arabia) Women were banned from driving cars in Saudi Arabia until 2018. But Reema Juffali, the country’s first race car driver, was excited about cars and racing long before 2017. She attended a course in car racing in 2014 in the United States and it launched a passion for her. She is expected to compete in the 2020 Formula 4 racing championship in United Arab Emirates. Asked about her path-breaking interest, she says, “Many of [my friends and family] know little about racing. But they all know how much it means to me and are very supportive and proud. That’s more than I can ask for.”
3. Captain Rosie Wild: First Female Office To Pass A Brutal Test (United Kingdom) Even though women were allowed to take All Arms Pre-Parachute selection course, a brutal entry test to an elite regiment of the British Army for more than a decade, Captain Rosie Wild is the first woman to actually complete this rigorous test course. The test included marching ten miles in one hour while carrying a thirty-five-pound backpack, and an endurance test of marching twenty miles with a backpack and a rifle in four and a half hours. Rosie will join the Royal Horse Artillery to serve the British Army.
4. Eímear Noone: First Female Conductor At The Oscars (Ireland) Eímear Noone, a music composer who has worked on video games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft, was the first woman to conduct the orchestra. The forty-two-piece orchestra has historically been conducted by men, even though women play a significant role in playing the instruments. Her message to young music conductors? “Keep on keeping on. Know thyself. And failure is part of it. It’s not the fun part, but it’s definitely part of it.”
5. Katie Sowers: First Female To Coach At The Super Bowl (United States) Female coaching assistants are still a rarity in the NFL; however, women have broken through the bias barrier in the past few years. In February, Katie Sowers became the first female to coach in the Super Bowl when her team, the San Francisco 49ers, played against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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