Column: Women taking a step toward change

In celebration of Women’s History Month here are some prominent female figures who have made contributions to society

Artwork+by+Alonzo+Lepper.

Artwork by Alonzo Lepper.

The world needs to recognize women for all they contribute to history. In Hollywood, science and popular culture, women’s roles aren’t limited to being in the background anymore. Women making history isn’t anything new, but it’s time to start recognizing the women behind history.

Women have impacted our trip to the moon. In 1969, Margaret Hamilton wrote the code for the Apollo 11 mission after the machine they were using to land the rocket started sending out error codes. If it wasn’t for Hamilton, the United States would not have landed its rocket in the sea. According to the 2015 census, women make up less than 50 percent of the workforce and only 24 percent of the STEM program.

In politics, women have also been making history. Sandra Day O’Connor, Sonia Sotomayor and Hillary Clinton are women who have made history in politics. O’Connor was the first female to be appointed to the Supreme Court Justice in 1981, Sotomayor was the first Latina female to be appointed in 2009 and Clinton was the first female nominated by a major political party.

All over the world, in every career choice, there will always be a woman changing the norm. According to Newsweek, women make up 15 percent of the military. Even though it’s still a male dominated career, it’s still a small boost from the 11 percent in 1990.

An advocate for education, Malala Yousafzai took a bullet to the head for speaking out against the Taliban prohibition on girls’ education and later, winning a Nobel Peace prize in 2014. In music, Joan Jett, Suzi Quatro and Hayley Williams of Paramore have been making a difference in the rock and alternative genres of music, genres sometimes people associate with male musicians. Jett is a pioneer for female musicians and paved the way for singers and artists to this day. Her rock n’ roll style has been often cited as a model of the ‘90s ‘Riot Grrrl’ movement, paving the way for artists like David Bowie and Courtney Love.

Female activists have been leading the change in sexual harassment and in gun control. Emma Gonzalez, a Latina activist has been fighting for more gun control after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The Time’s Up and #MeToo movements have been changing the way women have spoken up about sexual harassment in the past, notably in Hollywood.

Women do need to be recognized more, with the movements and marches taking place, they are sure to leave their marks in the history books.