In lieu of Women's History Month, check out these 11 game-changing women who made a major footprint in history, and why what they did is so important today.
Why this is important today: More than 800 women still die every day due to preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth- 99% of them in developing countries.
Why this is important today: 62 million girls around the world are not in school today. These girls have diminished economic opportunities, and are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, early marriage, and other forms of violence.
Why this is important today: 836 million people still live in poverty today. Poverty disproportionately affects women and girls when it comes to their health, employment and safety.
Why this is important today: Women's representation in politics worldwide is severely lagging. In 2015, only 22% of all positions in Parliament were held by women.
Why this is important today: Women only make up 27% of top management jobs in media and are seriously underrepresented in the news today. Only 1 in 4 people heard of read about in the news are women.
Why this is important today: Gender equality still does not exist in many areas of the world today, including the United States. Although more than 140 countries guarantee gender equality in their constitutions, women still face inequalities and discrimination through laws, policies, stereotypes, pay inequalities, social practices and more.
Why this is important today: With studies showing that there is a 35% greater chance of peace agreements lasting 15 years when women participate, it is clear that women are integral to lasting peace. Yet women conspicuously underrepresented in formal peace negotiations.
Why this is important today: The gender wage gap is a reality for women in many areas of the world, including the United States. Worldwide, women earn on average 24% less than men for the same job. College and professional sports continue to provide unequal funding for women, paying men more for the same sport.
Why this is important today: Sustainable development is key to women's economic empowerment and gender differences in access to land and credit can severely limit economic opportunities for women farmers. Sadly, less than 20% of land owners today are women.
Why this is important today: To most Americans, it goes without thought or effort that citizenship is passed on to a child or non-citizen spouse, but more than 60 countries currently have laws or policies prohibiting or limiting the rights of women to pass citizenship to their child or non-national spouse.
Why this is important today: Child brides are disempowered, dependent on their husbands and deprived of their fundamental rights to health, safety and education. Yet worldwide, more than 700 million women today were married before the age of 18. Out of them, 250 million were married before the age of 15.
