Abigail Adams advised her husband John Adams on political issues and took risks to advance the fledgling US nation behind the scenes. Ida B. Wells crusaded against lynching of African Americans in the US during a dangerous time. Eleanor Roosevelt influenced many areas of social and economic life in the US as First Lady and helped draft the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

1. ©Joann McRell 2015
Women I Admire
…and who inspire me with character, courage & action

2. 2
Abigail Adams
“If we mean to have heroes,
statesmen and philosophers,
we should have learned women.”
U.S. history books are full of stories about the Founding
Fathers of democracy. Meanwhile, Abigail Adams took risks
and invested in the future of the fledging nation behind the
scenes.
Her husband often sought her opinion on government issues
during his presidency to the point that her political
opponents came to refer to her as "Mrs. President.”

3. 3
Ida B Wells
“The way to right wrongs is to turn
the light of truth upon
them.”
Outspoken, aggressive, disliked by even many of her own
(civil rights activists), Ida B. Wells doggedly called attention
to a very taboo and dangerous topic – the lynching of blacks
in America.

4. 4
Eleanor Roosevelt
“You must do the things you think
you cannot do.”
During a time of immense change with two world wars, the
Great Depression, urbanization, industrialization, there were
very few areas of social and economic life in the United
States that Eleanor did not influence. She made a significant
contribution to the field of human rights. As head of UN
human rights commission she helped to draft the 1948 UN
declaration of human rights.
Her life exemplifies the historical tension between
supporting a husband’s success and creating your own.

5. 5
Florence Nightingale
“Were there none who were
discontented with what they have, the
world would never reach anything
better.”
Florence Nightingale helped revolutionize medicine, public health
and the nursing profession for women. She recognized that
sometimes the greatest barrier to progress for women is the bias of
other women and worked to create a sense of sisterhood.
Among her many accomplishments, she also contributed to the
visual presentation of data.

6. 6
Frida Khalo
“Feet, what do I need you for
when I have wings to fly?”
Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of
national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its
uncompromising depiction of the female experience and
form.
She made her own way in a world that simultaneously loved
and rejected her.

7. 7
Caterina Sfroza
“If I have to lose, although I am
a woman, I want to lose in a
manly way.”
A controversial figure in her lifetime, not everything she
accomplished was admirable. But Caterina made her
own decisions in a time when most European women
were expected to remain uneducated and
subservient.

8. 8
Jane Austen
“Wisdom is better than wit, and in
the long run will certainly have the
laugh on her side.”
One of the most popular female authors of all time, Jane Austen
wrote several novels, which remain highly popular today. These
include “Pride and Prejudice” “Emma” and “Northanger Abbey”.
Jane Austen wrote at a time when female writers were not so
high profile, helping pave the way for future writers. And she did
so writing under her own name while many others used the pen
name of a man to gain acceptance.

9. 9
Wangari Maathai
“I’m very conscious of the fact that
you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork.
When you do it alone you run the
risk that when you are no longer
there nobody else will do it.”
A Kenyan environmental activist, she changed the landscape with
the Green Belt movement. She also made progress in equal pay
for women, improving conditions for the unemployed in Kenya
and championing democracy at great personal cost.
Wangari was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

10. 10
Mellody Hobson
“Invite people into your life
who don't look or act like you.
You might find they challenge
your assumptions and make
you grow.”
A woman CEO of color in finance, she survived the
Great Recession and regularly gives talks on the
dangers of being “color blind.”
She has long invested both time and money into
financial literacy – a crucial foundation of so many
successful anti-poverty programs.

11. 11
Malala Yousafzai
“When the whole world is
silent, even one voice
becomes powerful.”
This Pakistani schoolgirl defied threats of the Taliban to
campaign for the right to education. She survived being
shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a
global advocate for women’s rights, especially the right
to education.
Her story challenges all of us to not just accept, but
change.

12. 12
• Bucking the trend or risking unpopularity for themselves & family
• Unafraid to utilize financial & political savvy
• Changing the course of human civilization through technology
• Instrumental to culture & community
• Advocates of education
These are women of courage and persistence
What themes do these women bring to light?

13. 13
Who do you admire?