Women’s History Continues

As we wrap up March and Women’s History Month, I hope that you’ll continue to recognize and appreciate the women who lived before us and advocated for the rights we’ve had our whole lives. The thing is, women and girls are still making history today and changing the world, so I want to highlight a few modern sheroes in hopes that they will inspire you to pursue your passions.

Shayna Gill

In 2022, then-12 year old Shanya Gill, from San Jose, California, saw a local restaurant burn down. She learned that unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Shayna hoped to create something that could warn people before fires even start, so she created a fire detection system that uses a thermal camera and small computer that can tell the difference between heat sources that are human versus those that are stationary objects, like a stove. When no human is detected for two minutes, the system sends a text message to alert for a possible fire risk. Shayna’s invention won the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and it even caught the interest of the U.S Fire Administration. I think this is an absolutely brilliant idea that could literally save lives.

Catherine Drysdale

This past December Australian runner Catherine Drysdale made history as the first woman to win the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Catherine finished in 3:48:43, more than six minutes ahead of any other racer, man or woman. The 26.2 mile or 42.2 kilometer marathon is unlike any other in the world–temperatures are well-below freezing, the race course is made of compacted snow and ice, and the weather conditions can change quickly at the bottom of the world. But nonetheless, Catherine persisted and finished victoriously. I can’t even imagine how difficult that marathon was, but Catherine’s perseverance is completely inspiring.

Tejasvi Manoj

Time magazine’s 2025 Kid of the Year, Tejasvi Manoj, saw her 85-year-old grandpa almost lose thousands of dollars to an email scam pretending to be her uncle. Sadly scammers often target senior citizens, and if they’re successful, they can wipe out a retired person’s entire life savings. Determined to do something to help people like her grandpa, Tejasvi created a website and app called Shield Seniors that teaches senior citizens about online scams, how to recognize them, and how to report them to government agencies. I’ve personally witnessed the tactics of scammers preying on vulnerable older people, so her efforts mean a lot to me.

Bohlale Mphahlele

When she was just 16 years old, Bohlale Mphahlele from Limpopo, South Africa, invented the “Alerting Earpiece” to protect women and girls from attackers. Unfortunately gender based violence and human trafficking are common in her country, but she saw a need and did something to help. Bohlale’s invention looks like an earring, but when the wearer presses a button on the device, it discreetly takes photos of the assailant and sends the victim’s location to police and trusted contacts so they can get help. I wish that this type of an invention wasn’t necessary; I sincerely hope more will be done to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening in the first place, but I think it’s incredible that this young woman created an invention to help protect vulnerable people.

Cécile Hernandez

During the most recent Winter Paralympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, 51-year-old Cécile Hernandez, a paralympian snowboarder with multiple sclerosis, won gold in the Women’s Snowboard Cross SB-LL2, and became the oldest medallist ever in Para snowboard. It was Cécile’s fourth medal and second gold, having also competed and medaled in the past three Winter Paralympics Games. Cécile proved that neither age nor disability have to hold you back.

Jordan Sucato

Jordan Sucato, from Phoenix, Arizona, (where summer temperatures can exceed 120F/48C), wanted to help protect homeless dogs’ paws from scorching street pavement. So in 2024 Jordan’s non-profit Laws for Paws started a project called Bear’s Boots, and since then they have raised tens of thousands of dollars to provide more than 9,000 protective shoes for over 2,000 homeless dogs. Jordan, now 17, continues to advocate for animals in her state, pushing for legislation that would hold animal abusers more accountable in Arizona, as well as a ban on the sale of cosmetics that are tested on animals. I grew up near Phoenix, so I know how awful and dangerous the heat can get there, and I appreciate Jordan’s advocacy for animals.

Mckenna “Mak” Whitham

At just 14, Mckenna “Mak” Whitham, became the youngest player in National Women’s Soccer League history. She was signed by Gotham FC, a team based in New York and New Jersey. Mak started playing soccer when she was four years old, and grew up training with club teams in Sacramento and Los Angeles, California. Even though most of her Gotham FC teammates are in their 20s and 30s, Mak, now 15, feels welcome in the league. And just a few weeks ago Mak was called up to play in the US Youth Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team for the final round of the 2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers. The team won all their matches and is now headed to the 2026 U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Morocco later this year!

Madhvi Chittoor

At a young age, Madhvi Chittoor of Arvada, Colorado, learned that PFAS (forever chemicals) are in many things we come in contact with–dishes, food, even water and air. And they can have negative effects on people’s health. Madhvi wanted to protect people from PFAS, so as a tween she worked with Colorado state senator Lisa Cutter to get a bill passed in 2022 that banned intentionally added PFAS from consumer products. Madhvi also got a state bill passed that banned plastic bags and styrofoam containers in Colorado grocery stores and restaurants. She was chosen as a child adviser to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and she worked with then-Vice President Kamala Harris on the Global Plastic Policy Campaign. I say it a lot and I’ll say it again, girls–you’re never too young to make a difference.

I hope that these girls and women empowered you to keep working for your goals and reach even farther than you think is possible. To learn more about Women’s History and inspiring women and girls, check out my previous episodes:

ep. 027 What Women in History have in Common
ep. 062 Girls Changing the World pt. 1
ep. 124 Women’s History: Rights
ep. 125 Women’s History: Impact
ep. 145 International Women’s Day 

And to learn more about women who have or are making history, I recommend:

The book “The Small and the Mighty,” by Sharon McMahon, as well as her new book for younger readers, “We are Mighty.”

The many Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls books, featuring a variety of inspiring women, the Rebel Girls Chapter Book Collection, and their newest book that came out earlier this month, Girls Like Me: Celebrate Real-Life Rebel Girls All Around the World.

A Mighty Girl.com – “The world’s largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls.” You can search for books by topic/theme, like women in history, or even by recommended age.

Resources

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