Falling on Friday March 8, this year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is Inspire Inclusion, recognising the incredible contribution women have made across history. Here are three of some of the most influential and unspoken female icons.
1. Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
Often dubbed the first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer. The early programming language Ada was named for her, and the second Tuesday in October has become Ada Lovelace Day, on which the contributions of women to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are honoured.
2. Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951)
While receiving treatment for cervical cancer in 1951, a sample of cancerous cells was taken from her cervix without her consent. Her ‘immortal’ line of cells became integral to some of the most important medical research of history, including the development of vaccines, in vitro fertilisation, cloning, and gene mapping.
3. Aung San Suu Kyi (1945-)
The Burmese politician, diplomat, author and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate was placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years over a 21-year period, fighting for greater democracy in her country.
