What can Women Role Models from history teach us?
I guess the name of Dr Amanda Foreman is familiar to you? She is a British/American historian. She was the first to teach me about women role models across history with names that I even heard about before. It always amazes me when I hear about these women’s trailblazers and never heard of them during my years in education.
I recently discovered a woman who was a plastic surgeon in the early 20th century. Suzanne Noel used surgery as a social and feminist battle and was a true artist in repairing these poor souls that came back from the first world war completely disfigured.
Other women named by Amanda Foreman are Olympe de Gouge, Alexandra Kollantai and the contraception pioneer Margaret Sanger, I had even never heard their names!
So what can these incredible role model women teach us?
1. Tenacity
They did not give up on their cause, they fought through their life to be heard and get their point across.
If you want to reach your goals you have to hang on there, it’s going to be tough but tenacity is one of the most common traits in successful achievers.
2. Their gender did not hold them back
These women fought hard for equality, Olympe published the Declaration of the Rights of Women. The condition of women was very harsh, they hardly had any rights as human beings. Being born women did not hold them back though, they knew that they deserved far better and said no to what was expected from them!
Let’s stop thinking that our goals will be more difficult to reach because we still live in a men’s world. Focus on your strength, build on what you have already achieved, gain confidence through achievements, and believe that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything.
3. They believed in themselves
They did not hold back and stepped into the limelight, made themselves heard and had their own voice until they were silenced by death and their names dropped into oblivion.
Times have changed all these women who fought for us and made our lives tremendously easier, we’re holding back though believing that because we are women we should hold back!
How strong are your beliefs, reenact them, do you need more convincing? Take on a day at a time, follow your true path, build a strong foundation and keep smiling, don’t forget to look back at how incredible you are!
4. They wanted to make a difference for women
These women were not only pioneers, they got engaged to make a real difference into women’s lives, fought to improve their living conditions and progress the social advancement of women.
What is your call about making a difference? Who is your inspiration in life and business, and what can they teach you?
5. They did not scare off Feminism
Has feminism become a dirty word these days? Feminism does not mean shutting off men. These women made men their allies to help them fight for their cause.
Find your allies and the influencers that will support you, in your progression to embrace your femininity and being a woman.
