There is no denying that women have been change makers from the very beginning of time and continue to be influential across many capacities today.
Female Generational Change Makers are those women whose lives, actions, courage, bravery, determination and faith have caused significant and impactful change. This influential change plays a key role today in the lives of many.
Taking a look across history and various categories such as Spirituality, Business, Media, Education, Politics, Civil Rights and Leadership, here are 10 Female Generational Change Makers:
1. Sarah — Woman of Faith and Mother of Many Nations
We often hear about Abraham and his faith and obedience in God’s promise and covenant to him. But what about Sarah, his wife?
She too had huge faith, imagine being a barren woman, in her 90s, believing and having courage that she would give birth and be able to raise a son, who will help fulfill God’s promise and covenant.
She is seen as the mother of many nations and the mother of many Kings. (See Bible — Genesis 11, 17 and 21)
2. Rosa Parks — The Woman who refused to give up her seat
By refusing to give up her seat on a racially segregated bus back in 1955, this led to a movement against racial segregation in public transportation, and ultimately caused revolutionary change.
Her significant contribution to civil rights led to her being honored by the United States Congress as “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.”
3. Deborah — The Woman Judge and Co-Military Leader
A biblical figure not many are familiar with, yet she played such a crucial role as a woman.
Deborah was the only female judge mentioned in the book of Judges and is remembered as the woman who brought military and political change with her wisdom and bravery.
She helped lead the Israelites to victory against the Canaanites using her guidance from God. She was so valuable that the Israelite military commander only agreed to lead the army if Deborah went with him. (See Judges 4:1–5, 31)
4. Sirimavo Bandaranaike — The First Modern Female State Leader
She served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1960 to 1965, after the assassination of her husband and former Prime Minister, Solomon Bandaranaike.
Her election as Prime Minister was a historic moment for women in politics, as it marked the first time that a woman had been elected as the head of a government in the modern era.
She played a key role in shaping the political and social landscape of Sri Lanka, and her tenure in office was marked by major reforms. Her success as a female world leader paved the way for other women to enter politics and leadership roles around the world.
5. Esther — The Brave Queen
Esther is remembered as the queen who took a bold and brave step approaching the King to reveal her identity as a Jew and plead for her people.
She was wise and used her position of influence to strategically combat the wicked plans of the King’s advisor to exterminate her people who were also Jews. She courageously risked her own life to stand up for her people, her beliefs and to make a difference.
Her faith in God fueled her to become the daring and long remembered Queen who saved her people. (See book of Esther)
6. Oprah Winfrey — Businesswoman and First Woman to own and produce her own talk show.
A very famous and influential woman who uses her position in the media industry to highlight issues facing American women and inspire many.
She became the first woman to own and produce her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She also founded her own television network, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which reflects her brand of positive and empowering content.
Here network is a popular destination for viewers looking for inspirational and uplifting programming.
7. Mary — Mother of the Saviour
Perhaps one of the most profound female GCMs is Mary, the Mother of our Savior. From the very beginning when she received the message from the Angel that she was chosen to carry Jesus, Mary showed exceptional faith and courage, though she was scared at first.
She eventually accepted God’s plan and will for her life to carry such a generational promise and purpose. (See Gospels of Luke 1&2, John 2:1–11)
Imagine the strength, obedience, and faith she had to have to not only birth and raise Jesus, but also watch Him lay his life down and suffer for us. Mary kept her courage and believed in God’s plan.
Even after His death and resurrection, she displayed great dedication by being present with the other disciples to continue the spread of the good news and Christianity. (See Acts 1:14, John 19:25)
8. Malala Yousafzai — Activist for Female Education and Survivor of a Taliban Assassination attempt
At the age of 11, she began writing a blog about her life under Taliban control and her desire to attend school.
When she was 15, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt meant to silence her activism. She survived and continued her advocacy for girls’ education and became a global symbol of courage and hope.
She co-founded the Malala Fund with her father, which advocates for girls’ education and supports programs around the world. In 2014, Malala became the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.
9. Mary Magdalane — Faith filled Disciple and First to see the empty tomb and Jesus after His resurrection
Mary Magdalane visited Jesus’ tomb early in the morning and saw that it was empty.
After she alerted the other disciples and they came and went in to see the empty tomb, she remained outside weeping. While stooping and looking in she saw two angels where Jesus laid, and she spoke with them.
While she was about to leave Jesus appeared to her and spoke to her about telling the others that He is risen. (See John 20:1–18).
10. Kamala Harris — The First Female Vice President and First Black and Asian American Vice President.
Currently the 49th Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris has broken numerous barriers, not just as a woman but a woman of color.
Not only is she the first female vice president but also the first highest-ranking female official in the history of America. She also made history by being the first black and Asian American to hold such position.
Every woman is a generational change maker!
As we can see, women have been generational change makers throughout history, and they continue to break down every barrier set in their way.
Women today are CEOs, Educators, Business Owners, Doctors, Lawyers, Investors, Officers, Scientists, Astronauts, Pastors and so much more.
Some women naturally have generational purposes including but not limited to, birthing the next generation. Others have generational purposes that span across other areas such as business, education, health, law, science, spirituality and so forth.
All this to say, every woman has a generational purpose, and every woman is a generational change maker!