This Is What a Powerful Woman Looks Like: 25 Female Leaders to Get Inspired By Today

The unthinkable has happened. A reality TV star with no political experience who has boasted of “grabbing [women] by the pussy”; called them “[pieces] of ass,” “dogs,” and “disgusting”; assigned numerical rankings to their looks; and otherwise demonstrated a consistent and astonishing lack of regard for their dignity—an accused child rapist, no less!—has been elected the 45th President of the United States.

As the world searches for an upside, it bears noting that many fruits of progress—where women are concerned or otherwise—have sprouted from hostile societal soil. If there’s anything to be hopeful about today, it’s that people—women, men, children—are galvanized. And that we have a rich tradition of political, social, and environmental activism from which to draw inspiration as we look forward.

In the spirit of rousing readers to action—and in defiance of the president-elect’s alarmingly retrograde attitudes around women’s appearance—we celebrate 25 female leaders who have, through actions and words and often against punishing odds, promoted humanist values and shifted the course of history. These women look as different as their individual stories, but have in common a strength of character that animates their features. Look at them for a moment: The fire in their eyes. Their sharp, open minds. Courage that registers in the contours of their faces. This is what a “10” looks like. May the beauty of their integrity remind us to keep fighting for our own.

 

 

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