Women across multiple professions are proving that they have the skillset and determination to achieve success in previously male dominated leadership positions. This has been a controversial topic for many years regarding a woman’s role in our society. Compared to the early 1900’s when women would stay at home cleaning, cooking, and caring for their children, women now have more opportunities to be successful in different fields. Some people will still argue things aren’t equal, although it is apparent that our society has come a long way. Equality has been a right that people all over the world have been fighting for, and the small stepping stones along the way have made an overall impact on our world today. Women now have been given the opportunity to be business owners, professional athletes, and anything to which they put their minds. Specifically, there have been amazing achievements by women in sports, politics, businesses, and milestones within the last century. 

The success of women today would not have been possible if it weren’t for each and every woman who made a difference along the way. It all began in 1920 when the first amendment was passed giving women the right to vote (Terelle 2). Up until this point women were looked down upon, and not having the right to vote made their opinions feel unimportant. This was just the start for more laws of equality to develop over the years to help us get to where we are today. In 1917 the first women were enlisted in the military (Maldonado 4). This was a huge monumental moment because both men and women combined have made our army as strong as it is today. In 1948, women became a permanent part in the military. Shortly after in 1932 Amelia Erheart was the first woman to fly a plane. Before this in 1903 the Wright brothers were the first to fly a plane. This was a milestone because jobs such as being a pilot were predominantly meant to be for men. Amelia proved everyone wrong. In 1963 came the equal pay act (OASAM 1) . Prior to this year women slowly were allowed to be hired in previously male dominated jobs, but were still unable to make the same amount of money. Therefore women would complete the same various tasks, and give the same amount of time towards their job but would not get the same pay in return. Changes in laws, guidelines, or accepted social norms open the door to the possibility of women achieving. It’s trailblazers like Amelia Earhart and so many others, however, who break through as role models while inspiring generations of young girls to dream big.

Another industry that has been significantly improved is politics. Although a very divisive topic, it is indisputable that women have impacted our country’s government in many ways. Up until the early 1900’s only men were elected into government positions. There were various women who finally challenged this political norm. One of them was Sandra Day O'Connor. She grew up on a small cattle ranch in Texas, hoping for a successful career. She ended up being the first woman elected to the supreme court. She had inspired women everywhere to fight for their dreams that one day could become a reality. Another woman who reached this success was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was raised in a jewish family in a low-income household in Brooklyn, New York. She persevered through her education at schools such as Cornell University, Harvard, and Harvard Law school. She was the second female supreme court justice appointed, and the first jewish female in that position. Janette Rankin is another inspiring woman who made a name for herself as the first ever elected woman into congress. She spent her early years  in a small town in Montana and attended a university in Montana as well. She eventually made her way to the University of washington with aspirations to pursue a career in politics. She accomplished “being an  American politician and women's rights advocate, and the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from Montana in 1916, and again in 1940.”(Smith 1). Lastly, the most recent impactful woman is Candice Owens. Candice Owens is a young african american woman aspiring to make a change in the world. She is a political activist, and author, and the Communication director for turning point USA. She represents a strong intelligent voice for the african american community, and she speaks openly about the importance of the traditional family and individual responsibility. These women and so many others have worked their way into a previously male dominated world of politics. Their voices are strong and they will no doubt inspire legions of other women to follow in their footsteps. 

For a long time, there has been a stereotype that only men can excel in certain sports. It has been believed for decades that football, basketball, soccer, etc. have been dominated by male athletes. Just like other industries, there have been monumental women who wanted to change that stereotype and transcend their sport. The first athletes that come to mind that many know are the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams made names for themselves by being incredible tennis players, but what many people don’t know is the adversity they faced growing up. “The Williams sisters were born in Saginaw, Michigan, on September 26, 1981, but her and her sister were raised in the economically depressed and often violence-riddled Los Angeles suburb of Compton.” (Julian 1). Although not considered poor by having food at the table and a roof over their heads, their families finances were stretched thin at various points in their adolescence. They overcame these economic challenges by pushing for success and one day accomplishing these dreams. Another successful athlete who broke athlete stereotypes was Alice Coachman Davis. She was the first ever black female to compete in the olympics. In 1948 she received a gold medal for the high jump. In the late 1900’s discrimination was still prominant. Alice Coachman Davis had to compete hard as a woman with different skin color, and certainly wasn’t treated the same as the other white athletes. Just last year, women broke through with key positions on men’s professional sports teams of the Arizona Cardinals and the San Antonio Spurs. These two teams hired the first female coaches. Prior to this, there had never been a woman hired to occupy these positions. Many believe women have just as much to offer in this realm as men do, and due to these recent hires,  many more are beginning to believe this as well. Lastly Pat Summitt, the woman who changed the face of girls college basketball forever. Pat Summitt, the former Women’s Basketball Coach at Tennessee University. Pat was the winningest female coach in women's basketball history while winning over 1000 games and winning a gold medal in the Olympics in 1984, before passing in 2016 of Alzheimers. She made a name for the team so much that the women's college basketball team at Tennessee became a bigger ticket than the men’s team. 

The last industry that has seen women make a huge impact is the business world. The first woman that comes to mind is Ginni Rometty. She was known for being the former CEO of IBM, and was considered one of the most famous business women in the world before her eventual retirement. IBM is a computer hardware company that supplies over 170 countries all over the world. Stereotypically computer science, and engineering had always been male dominated fields, along with women never being considered for a high up position such as a CEO. After growing up in a household with a father that left her and her family at a young age, she said to her one day “Hey, this is not going to end like that, and every one of you are going to have a chance.” (Gurdus 1). Although it wasn’t easy for her to reach the point she is at today, her mothers words had stuck with her forever. Similar to Ginni’s accomplishments, Mary Barra became the CEO of General motors in 2014 proving others worthy of success. “The middle child in a Greek-American family, Eitel grew up just north of Seattle in Everett, Washington—at the time, an often smelly pulp and paper town, depending on which way the wind blew.”(Fitterman 1). Coming from an everyday modern family, Maria had made her way up to the CEO of Nike foundation and founder of girl effect along with working for the White House and Microsoft. Nike is one of the most popular shoe and clothing companies in the world, and many don’t know the eyes behind the company are brilliant, strong women. In addition to Nike, she also used her strengths in the white house. Lastly, Jessica O. Matthews overcame many obstacles in life to achieve success. Jessica is a Nigerian native who spent her early years over in Africa. As Jessica got older, she took a chance and moved to New York to get her US citizenship. With only a 12% acceptance rate at Harvard Business school, Jessica attended the University and graduated at age 19. She had no intentions of wasting time after graduating. She aspired to work her way up the corporate ladder. Jessica eventually became the CEO of Uncharted Powers, a company which creates solutions that enable economies of scale to deploy and manage smart, sustainable cities. 

These women have overcome barriers to break stereotypical male roles to reach success in their life. Not only have they accomplished what many had deemed impossible, but they have inspired the up and coming generations to do the same. Young women across the globe now feel their dreams aren’t limited. Instead of sitting back and letting others tell them what they should be when they're older, they can now dream big. Like serina Williams once stated “ Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”(Smollen 3)