Educational
International Women’s Day Special: Inspiration from 4 Women who have changed our World
Mar
Credit: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
It’s purple, green and white everywhere.
It’s #embraceequity everywhere.
It’s 2023 International Women’s Day this month, 8th of March and the theme this year is #embraceequity.
Here at https://holoceneinnovations.com/, we fully agree with Katherine Johnson, the NASA Mathematician, when she said that ‘Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men”.
We smile, raise a glass and nod our heads in agreement as we remember the lofty words of Amanda Gormen in the poem, “Won’t You be My Sister?”
“Hear me as a woman./Have me as your sister./On purpled battlefield breaking day,/So I might say our victory is just beginning,/See me as change,/Say I am movement,/That I am the year,/and I am the era/of the women.”
Join us as we, in the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day, highlight and celebrate 4 iconic women who have risen beyond gender limitations and bias to trail a blaze and unforgettably transform our world.
Ada Lovelace(1815-1852):
Field: Mathematics, Tech, Programming
The World’s first Computer Programmer
Credit: https://www.globalapptesting.com/blog/the-women-who-changed-the-tech-world
In a world where you’d most likely find 5 ‘tech bros’ before you find a single ‘tech sis’, who could have imagined that the vast groundbreaking field of programming did not start from the “Y-chromosome” gender?
Oh yes, we all have Ada Lovelace to thank. The daughter of a poet, Lord Byron, Ada began to show remarkable mathematical skills in her early years which led to a mutual working relationship with the renowned Charles Babbage, the originator of the concept of a digital programmable computer.
As a matter of fact, it was Ada’s notes on the Analytical Engine (invented by Charles Baggage) that Alan Turing drew inspiration from for his world’s first modern computer in the 1940s.
On account of this, and justifiably so, Ada is referred to as the “World’s first computer programmer.
Takeaway: #embraceeducation
There’s no limit to what a woman can learn, master and excel at, be it mathematics, tech, programming, broadcasting, filmmaking, name it!
So, as we all #embraceequity, we are inspired to #embraceeducation as we conquer the barriers in our mind and know that we can learn whatever we set our mind upon and pioneer new advances in our desired field.
Radia Perlman (1951-Present date):
Field: Digital Technology, Internet
Mother of the Internet
An American programmer and network engineer, Radia played a pivotal role in assembling the networks and technology that powers what we know today as the internet. Elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2015 for her wholesale contributions to internet routing and bridging protocols, Radia Perlman is most famous for her invention of the spanning-tree protocol (STP) and her innovations have made a huge impact on how networks self-organize and move data. Still alive and kicking, Radia who is now 71 years old has also made significant contributions to many other areas of network design and standardization.
Takeaway: #embracevalue
We are all going to be remembered for the things we did in our various spheres of work, not the things we wished we did. There’s no industry a woman cannot dominate and there’s no field of knowledge she cannot master as long as she keeps seeking ways to add value. There’s a ‘Radia’ inside every one of us, an inventor, a nurturer, a contributor, a developer; as we join millions of women all over the world today to celebrate, let’s reignite our passion and commitment to always bring incomparable value to the table.
Ladi Kwali (1925-1984):
Field: Creativity and Innovation
The first woman to appear on Nigeria’s Currency Note
The first and only lady to be featured on any of Nigeria’s currency notes, Ladi Kwali was born to a family of potters in Kwali Abuja and later in life, her Aunt taught her the coil and pinch methods of pottery.
A woman of many firsts, Ladi became the first woman to be trained in wheel throwing, glazing, kiln firing, production of sagger and the use of slip. Her dexterity was never something to be ignored as Ladi acquired new skills and combined traditional art form with the modern form to produce exquisite works that gained her local and international visibility (in Europe, Britain and America). She’s remembered as the pioneer of the African ceramic art modernism and through her exhibitions and practical demonstrations in reputable places like London Exhibitions and Berkeley Galleries in 1958, 1959 and 1962, Ladi Kwali rose to international limelight and became an icon for women-driven impact in the field Arts and Culture
Takeaway: #embracecreativity
Ladi Kwali has shown us all what is necessary to live an excellent and trans-generationally relevant life- creativity; the ability to mix the old with the new, to have fun while trying new things and to keep honing one’s skills till one becomes a luminary in a chosen venture.
Amelia Earhart (1897-1939):
Field: Aviation
First person to fly solo across the Atlantic
Credit: https://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/amelia-earhart
If ever you feel confined, contained, constrained and the woman in you cries out to rise above mediocrity into glorious emancipation and brilliance, then Amelia Earhart is your plug. A disruptor by nature, pioneering aviator and female trailblazer, Amelia became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first person ever to fly solo across the Atlantic. Refusing to be boxed by her gender, Amelia played basketball growing up, began flying lessons in 1920 and up until her disappearance in 1937 continued to set records and dare new possibilities.
Takeaway: #embracecreativity
Don’t settle for status-quo when there are still records out there to be broken and new records to be set. Kit up, fear not and take a leap in your career and pursuits.
