Photo Courtesy of Messy Nessy Chic, Vogue, The New Yorker
Alongside warmer days and blooming nature, March brings Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the women who have shaped our world — especially those who are not always in the spotlight.
1) Ada Lovelace: A Trailblazer In STEM
Even today, women in STEM, law, and sports continue to face barriers. In the tech industry, for example, only 8-10% of software engineers are women, despite women earning college degrees at higher rates than men. Yet, ironically, one of the very first computer programmers was a woman.
In the 1800s, Ada Lovelace, a countess and mathematician, worked with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine – a never-built device that closely resembled a modern computer.
In her notes and articles about the machine, she recognized that it could follow a sequence of instructions to perform calculations and predicted that computers could process even more complex information, essentially pioneering programming before computers even existed.
Despite her revolutionary insights, Lovelace’s contributions went unrecognized for years. Today, however, she is honored on Ada Lovelace Day, celebrated on the second Tuesday of October, which recognizes the achievements of women in male-dominated STEM fields — many of whom owe their paths to her trailblazing work.
2) Michèle Mouton: A Trailblazer In Motorsports
Fast forward a century, and we see another woman breaking into a male-dominated space, though this time in motorsports. Michèle Mouton, nicknamed the "Black Volcano" for her fierce driving, became the first and only woman to win a World Rally Championship event.
Rally racing, known for its intense off-road courses and extreme conditions, has long been seen as a man’s sport, but Mouton proved otherwise, racing alongside the best and beating them. In 1982, she nearly won the World Rally Championship, finishing second overall — a feat no other woman has yet to match.
Mouton’s passion for driving started young. Growing up in the South of France, she was first drawn to motorsports as a co-driver, but quickly realized she wanted to be the one behind the wheel.
In her time as a racer, Mouton shattered the idea that women could not compete at the highest level of motorsport. Even after retiring, she continued to push for women’s inclusion in racing as the head of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, helping future generations of female drivers.
3) Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Trailblazer In Law
Though in a different field, a similar challenge to the status quo was seen in 2022, when Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jackson’s journey to the Supreme Court was anything but easy. A Harvard graduate, she built an impressive legal career as a federal public defender, later serving on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and as a federal judge before her historic nomination.
Out of 115 justices in U.S. history, she is only the sixth woman and the second woman of color to serve on the Supreme Court, after Sonia Sotomayor. Her confirmation is a beacon of hope, paving the way for young women, especially women of color, who will be inspired to follow in her footsteps.
Though the fight for representation in politics has historically been slow, her confirmation marks a significant step forward. It is a reminder that progress, though often difficult to achieve, is possible and that the doors she has opened will not close behind her.
A Celebration of Our Unsung Trailblazers
These three women, from coding to racing to the Supreme Court, broke barriers that many thought were unbreakable. Their success is a reminder that no field is off-limits and that representation matters.
So this Women’s History Month, let us celebrate not just the most famous names, but also the women who fought to make these spaces more accessible for the rest of us. Because recognition matters — and so do they.
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