Publications
Partners
Since the dawn of mankind, we have witnessed a rise in epic and memorable rule-breaking women smashing the glass ceiling of patriarchal expectations and building their own fortress and kingdom atop it.
From Eve who took that first bite from the forbidden apple to Amelia Mary Earhart who proved that the sky was never the limit to what women can do and to the women who burnt bras in protest in 1968 – history does not run dry of rule-breaking and iconic women.
We are in a day and age where several feminist movements are at the helm of the 21st century and many brands, like Libresse, are getting on board to break the stigmas surrounding women.
Join us as we celebrate five iconic rule-breaking female icons of our time:
Caster Semenya
This list, like the running world, would be incomplete without the icon that is Caster Semenya. This Saffa born 800-metre champion has taken the world by storm with her record-breaking speed that she does with ease and comfort. She has continuously faced adversity and prejudice throughout her career for not fitting the female-stereotypical mold. We love her and the way in which she rebuffs the naysayers and sticks to who she is and her calling in life – running and owning the 800-metre race.
Alaa Salah
Another recent female icon that has come to surface was in the face of heated Sudanese anti-government protests earlier this year. Known for the image of her that went viral, where the Sudanese student was draped fully in white clothing, standing atop a platform and leading the protest chant with a finger pointed to the sky. This image of Salah shone a light on her sheer bravery and unphased power – inspiring us all to be just as fearless.
Serena Williams
Another modern-day female icon is Serena Williams. Like Semenya, Williams is a strong, black, female athlete who has faced sexist and gendered prejudice throughout her Tennis career. Despite the adversity she continues to inspire the globe by smashing these judgements by being at the top of her game and showing critics how ridiculous their arguments are. She displayed this aptly during a match where she played in an extravagant tutu following backlash she received for wearing a Black Panther inspired catsuit in a match.
Malala Yousafzai
It would be a great disservice to produce this list without including one of the bravest female figures of our time – Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai hails from Pakistan and was raised by parents who helped aid female education despite the tightened grip of the Taliban who took control. In 2012 she spoke out in support of female education and its importance and was made a target as consequence. A gunman had targeted then-14-year-old Yousafzai in 2012 and shot her in the left side of her head. This did not stop her – instead it catapulted her into the surviving icon we know today. She has garnered support globally and continues to advocate for the freedom of female education and rights.
Frida Kahlo
While Kahlo might have laid to rest back in 1954, her legend is far from gone. The Mexican artist’s work, which tackled questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class and race, still sets trends to this day. Kahlo continues to inspire women the world over to live as boldly, vibrantly and fiercely as Kahlo did.
We have no doubt that as we continue to strive forward as a global community that we’ll have even more rule-breaking icons being birthed and following suit.
Share some of your female icons with us by tweeting us @W24_SA!
This post is sponsored by Libresse produced by BrandStudio24 for W24.
