As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it’s only right that I highlight the achievements of the fierce females who, this year alone, have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of girls with a dream.

The first all-women Navy flyover in the Super Bowl

On February 12, 2023, history was made at the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t by the male athletes. Prior to kickoff and following the singing of the National Anthem, a team of all women piloted the US Navy flyover. This was to commemorate 50 years since women were allowed to be Navy pilots. Lt. Arielle Ash and Lt. Saree Moreno, who led the diamond formation, spoke on this honor. “It’s definitely a huge honor to be asked to do this and to celebrate those women that have paved this way for all of us,” said Ash. Moreno added, “I think it’s a message not just to young girls, but to young people that they can do whatever they set their mind to…And if they want to be a jet pilot, that is well within possibility for them.” These heroic ladies exude pride in their service to this country and in their position as women in the military. They deserve honor not only for having to prove their value in a field that, even still, consists of mostly men, but for being a part of history at one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.

First all-female MLB broadcast team for ROOT SPORTS Network

During the 2023 Spring Training, ROOT SPORTS Network gathered women reporters from various baseball teams and networks to come together and hold its first-ever game broadcasted completely by women. While this was not a first for MLB, these ladies cemented their names into history by becoming just the second fully female broadcast crew. Cavnar reflected on this opportunity by saying “I think just walking around a baseball clubhouse or walking around fields at Spring Training and being able to see several women in several different areas—it is so refreshing, and it just goes to show you the hard work that a lot of us have put in for decades is spreading.” For decades female sports reporters have had to work hard to be taken seriously and prove their proficiency in working for a men’s sport. This move by ROOT SPORTS Network was a step in the right direction for future knowledgable, sports-loving ladies. Prior to the game, Mueller stated “It’ll just be female voices that are leading those conversations. And I think that’s an important thing, because we all have different points of view. But also, it shows people that it’s possible and that it’s normal.” These respected reporters are living proof that women aren’t going away anytime soon in the world of sports.

Michelle Yeoh becomes the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role

While her career spans many decades, actress Michelle Yeoh is finally receiving her rightful recognition, at the age of 60. Following the release of the film Everything Everywhere All at Once just over a year ago, the screenplay quickly began receiving many accolades. For her role in the film as Evelyn, a first-generation Chinese immigrant and owner of a laundromat, she previously won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Yeoh then went on to make history with her win at the 95th Academy Awards for the same role. On March 12, 2023, by winning an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, she became the first Asian woman to win in such category as well as the first-ever Malaysian-born actress to win in any category at the Academy Awards. Yeoh, who is known to perform many of her own stunts in her action films, including her latest, has worked tirelessly throughout her career to make a name for herself, not only as an Asian, but a woman in a male-dominated industry, and it seems to finally be paying off. In her acceptance speech she professed, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that…dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up. This leading lady is certainly an inspiration to aspiring actors and actresses alike.

Honorable Mention: Judy Heumann

While this activists’ contributions go beyond just this year, it would be a disservice to the disabled community if I failed to mention this inspiring woman, who sadly passed away on March 4, 2023. I’ve already once written about her on this blog in discussing the Disability Rights Movement and the summer camp she and others attended, Camp Jened, featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Heumann, who contracted polio at age 2, devoted her life to advocacy for the rights of those with a disability. At the age of 5, she was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a “fire hazard”. She recounts this time in her memoir, Being Heumann, writing “Kids with disabilities were considered a hardship, economically and socially”. As an adult, she was denied a teaching license after failing her medical exam, even though she passed her oral and written exams. After suing the Board of Education, she was able to become the first teacher who was a wheelchair user in the state of New York. During President Obama’s presidency, he appointed Judy as the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, where she served from 2010-2017.  Heumann was a key leader who, through her activism and protesting, helped the passage of multiple laws for the disabled community such as Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. While discussing the lack of authentic disability representation and inclusion in films in a 2021 interview, she argued “They need to be bringing disabled people to the table in the development of their materials, and they need to be hiring disabled people for a part or all aspects of the work…Ultimately, it’s not just about looking at more Crip Camps and more films on disability, but it’s really also about understanding that disabled people, both on the sets and off, have much to contribute around disability, but also in general.” While we’ve seemingly made progress in recent years, we surely have a long ways to go. The tireless efforts of her and others who fought for the rights of the disabled community is not lost on me. She is a prime example that we’re all “Heumann”.

All these stellar woman who have made waves in their respective industries are just some of many that make me proud to be a woman!