Who Inspires You?
Heroines Around the World

By Anna Katherine Montgomery

Imagine you could travel back in time and interview a famous woman who has inspired you, who would that be? We want to know who your favorite heroine in history is.

Heroines are the role models for the Girl Scout qualities of courage, confidence and character. A heroine can be a woman who was the first to accomplish something, a woman who had the courage to take a stand on a difficult issue, or a woman who had the character to do extraordinary things to serve her community. Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low emphasized the connection girls have with their neighbors worldwide—heroines are everywhere, in every nation, every community, so it is important to know who has been inspiring around the world, as well as in your own back yard. Think about what the word heroine means to you.

So many areas of life have had heroines step up and lead the way. Musicians, writers, social justice activists, scientists, explorers, politicians, religious leaders and ordinary people with extraordinary courage stand up and do the right thing. Here are some examples of heroines who have rocked the world:

• Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to be the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean? Amelia Earhart broke all kinds of aviation records with her brave journeys as the world's most famous female pilot.

• Rosa Parks shook the world with one small action on a bus. She stood up for her rights one day in 1955, refusing to give up her seat in the face of segregation. What gave Rosa the quiet strength to change the world?

• Being born in a desperately poor area of Russia and losing five siblings to starvation and ill health were difficult beginnings for young Golda Meir. She persevered through many difficult challenges to eventually become the first, and to date only, female prime minister of Israel, winning acclaim the world over for her extraordinary work in international relations and her dedication to her country.

• Eleanor Roosevelt and Mother Teresa both worked tirelessly as advocates for the underprivileged. Both were ultimate examples of women dedicated to humanitarian service. Eleanor Roosevelt helped found UNICEF and worked as the U.S. ambassador for the United Nations. Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize and Medal of Freedom, among other worldwide honors for her work in helping the poorest of poor in her adopted home of Calcutta, India.

• Chances are you are a music fan. Did you know that Ella Fitzgerald won more Grammy awards than any female in history? Her swingin' singing covered so many genres—scat, bebop, swing and jazz. She was discovered in Harlem in a singing contest at the Apollo, and won the world over with her amazing voice and professionalism; she was always humble and kind to her peers and fans. The Smithsonian Institute called her "the greatest jazz singer of them all."

We want to hear from you. Who are your favorite heroines in history? Send your e-mail to submit@studio2b.org.