In honor of Women’s History Month, I was asked to come up with the names of five women who I think were influential in our lives. It was easy to come up with multiple names, but I did have a hard time limiting the list to only five. I decided to narrow the list by focusing on different fields or areas of influence.
At Vaage Law, we rely every day on the work of women in our offices and throughout the justice system. We also fight to affirm the rights of our female clients when they’ve been injured or discriminated against based on their gender. With injury cases that specifically affect women (like birth injury or transvaginal mesh complications), we treat such situations with the sensitivity they deserve.
If you need to speak to an attorney experienced with legal issues regarding women’s rights, contact Vaage Law for a free, confidential consultation at (619) 338-0505. Read on for more information on five amazing women who changed history, and how Women’s History Month inspires the way we practice personal injury law.
5 Women Who Inspire Vaage Law
In no particular order, here are five revolutionary women Robert Vaage has noted as important influencers:
Marie Curie
In the sciences, Marie Curie (Marie Salomea Skłodowska Curie) is probably one of the top contenders. This Polish/French physicist changed our views on physics and chemistry. She was the first to receive the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields – physics for developing the theory of radioactivity, and chemistry for her discovery of polonium and radium. She was the first woman professor at the University of Paris.
Marie Curie was truly a pioneer at a time when women in science were scoffed at and whose theories were discarded. She is an inspiration to women in the STEM fields.
Harriet Tubman
As a child, I remember reading about and admiring the bravery and courage of Harriet Tubman during the Civil War. An American abolitionist and political activist, this petite force of nature has come to be known as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, rescuing scores of enslaved people. She was also a nurse, spy, and suffrage supporter.
There are plans to replace Jackson’s image on the $20 bill with hers. We’ll see if and when that happens, as she is a very important part of our history.
Margaret Mead
When I think of all of the revolutions in the ‘60s, and especially the sexual revolution, I immediately think of Margaret Mead. This cultural anthropologist who believed in the theory of cultural determinism (your culture is what defines you), was not afraid to study wide-ranging topics such as cultural conditioning, sexual morality, drug abuse, nuclear proliferation, environmental pollution, race relations, and world hunger, to name just a few.
Margaret Mead is most well known for her work, Coming of Age in Samoa. She was a firm believer that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens could change the world. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Jane Goodall
I remember growing up mesmerized while watching Dr. Jane Goodall on National Geographic interacting with chimpanzees. Rather than a distant observer, she immersed herself into their lives and society. She redefined the relationship between humans and animals, and I believe she helped us understand one another a little better by literally teaching us to walk in each other’s shoes.
Still alive and well it seems at the youthful age of 87, this outspoken environmental and animal advocate, is yet another example of how one person can make a difference in this world.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
When I first started practicing law, there was an attorney’s directory published by the San Diego Daily Transcript. It had small headshot photos of attorneys and contact information. There were somewhere between 25 and 30 attorneys per page and maybe you’d find one female attorney on every other page. So when I think about one of the most influential women in law, it would have to be Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg spent her life facing one adversity after another, fighting and overcoming the challenges of motherhood and attending male-dominated Harvard Law and then graduating first in her class at Columbia Law. She was the first female tenured professor at Columbia and directed the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU. She worked with President Obama to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and led the fight to grant women equal rights under the law.
This tiny fireball, who was fondly referred to as RBG and inspired an entire generation of young people, has to be one of the most influential women in U.S. history.
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my honorable mentions: Amelia Earhart, Marilyn Monroe, Margaret Thatcher, Helen Keller, Shirley Chisolm, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Eleanor Roosevelt. There’s not enough space here to acknowledge the long list of incredible and inspiring women, so I hope you’ll understand.
As Cher put it bluntly, “Women are the real architects of society.” So, to all of the trailblazing and brave women throughout history, I salute and admire you.
Women’s History Helps Shape Women’s Future
Successful case results for women not only improve our client’s outcome, but the rights of women across the nation.
Vaage Law has represented cases of:
- Medical malpractice where women’s symptoms are distinct from men’s (as with heart attacks), but were not properly diagnosed due to gendered training and treatment discrepancies
- Birth injuries that may impact both mother and child physically, emotionally, and financially for the rest of their lives
- Product liability for surgical meshes improperly used in breast reconstruction or reproductive repair procedures
- Employee discrimination based on pregnancy
- Civil rights violations for lesbian women targeted for LGBTQ+ harassment
Each case that addresses societal issues with women’s treatment sends a message that gender-based discrimination will not be tolerated. Every success for one woman is another step in the right direction for all womankind.
Contact Vaage Law
At Vaage Law, we believe in justice for all, regardless of sex, gender, or sexual orientation. Women’s History Month reminds us of how far we’ve come for women’s rights, but also how far we still need to travel for equality under the law.
If you are looking for legal representation, contact Vaage Law at (619) 338-0505 for a free, no-obligation consultation. By standing up for your rights today, you could help make future history for all womankind.