Guest Post: The Women Who Inspire Us

In recognition of Women’s History Month, students in an honors Women's and Gender Studies course at Syracuse University wrote to the National Women’s Law Center to share the stories of the women who inspire them most.

The Matilda Effect describes the phenomenon of women not being credited for their work. Usually the term refers to women who changed the world of science but are not recognized. From the sewing machine to DNA, women have been responsible for very important discoveries that have changed our world. The term was coined after Matilda Joslyn Gage, because she, like so many other women, has been written out of history even though her contributions to women's rights and women's history were invaluable.—Brooke Lichtenstein

History has recorded many people and inspirational moments concerning the issue of bravery, tenacity, and perseverance. I am inspired by many people in history, but I choose to write about Mary McLeod Bethune.  She is inspirational. Born like so many African-Americans in the latter years of the 1800’s—one generation removed from slavery—Mary McLeod Bethune had every reason to fail. The majority of African-Americans were uneducated, society was still affected by de facto segregation and racism was prevalent. However, from the day she was born there was something inherently special about her. She had a determination to excel at every opportunity available to her, particularly in education. This was evident by her seeking and achieving admissions, at the young age of 11 years old to Mission Board of the Presbyterian Church, a school for African-American children. Though she could have at this time seized the opportunity only for herself, Bethune realized that so many African-American girls would not achieve this opportunity thus, never move up the social ladder. With the same determination, courage, and persistence, Bethune founded a school for African-American girls in the year 1904. She was always looking forward to all opportunities, but never afraid to create inroads for others. That is what inspired me. Bethune started this school with only six children, no equipment of any kind and only $15 to finance it. She never gave into the temptation of quitting or the desire to retreat, and was determined as I am to excel and give back. Her inspiration has allowed me to set new goals and reach new heights. There is absolutely no reason to fail.—Curtis Eatman

Sally Roesch Wagner's work in bringing Matilda Joslyn Gage to the forefront of the 19th Century Women's Suffrage Movement gives us new perspectives as to how history is recorded—or as in Gage's case, not recorded. Being a Mohawk woman, I am keenly aware of how the Indigenous voice has been silenced throughout history, but it is quite an awakening to realize that any voice challenging the mainstream colonial structures has been edited out as well. This issue of censorship ought to be taken seriously as a threat to the inalienable rights to be human within this complex interactive web of life. The women’s suffrage movement was born in the heart of Haudenosaunee (aka Iroquois) territory. Prior to Gage's encounters with her Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Tuscarora and Seneca neighbors, it was believed that women's 'natural' place was to be in subservience to man. However, through Gage's interaction with the Haudenosaunee, to the point where she was adopted into the Mohawk Council of Women, she was able to participate in their ancient democratic governance which is rooted in peaceful diplomacy. This matrifocal system has always looked to the seventh generation in its deliberations which has enabled them to survive through to today. The oldest living democracy on earth is still practiced at the Onondaga Nation, a territory only a couple miles from the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation in Fayetteville, NY. It was these tenets which helped clarify Gage's understanding of the United States Constitution in a way that would help secure the inalienable rights of all people. —Sandra Bigtree

Judy Waxman, my mom and the Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights at NWLC, has always been a role model to me as a woman. She stays strong and maintains her ability to show optimism despite challenging obstacles that would make most people give up. In addition, my mom manages to balance family and work by committing deeply to both. In neither one does she ever lose focus. Last but not least, I admire how composed and well-spoken she was at the March for Women's Lives in April of 2004 when she addressed one million women's rights supporters. For these and many more reasons I chose to write about my admiration for my mom as a person who inspires me.—Jennifer Weill