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There are so many women who are changing the world, testing their limits and making this planet a better, more united place. Time Magazine took it upon themselves to celebrate these strong individuals in their latest project "Firsts".
"Firsts" is a special multimedia project that features 46 women who broke a variety of barriers and have been the first in their field to accomplish a major milestone. Some of the names are well known, for example, Hillary Clinton, who is the first woman to win a major party’s nomination for president; Oprah Winfrey, who is the first woman to own and produce her own her own talk show; and Aretha Franklin, who is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The images were shot over the course of the year by a 22-year-old Brazilian photographer named Luisa Dörr using an iPhone.
Take a look at the portraits of women who tested and then broke boundaries that reshaped the world for decades to come below.
More info: time.com | Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Eileen Collins - First Woman To Command A Space Shuttle
Collins became an astronaut in 1991 and served as a pilot or commander on four spaceflights before retiring from NASA in 2006.
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#2
Ilhan Omar - First Somali-American Muslim Person To Become A Legislator
Omar was elected on Nov. 8, 2016, to represent Minneapolis’ District 60B in the Minnesota house of representatives.
Ben Smith 8 years ago
Why is everyone commenting on what she looks like??? She's a politician. Would her achievement be less if she wasn't "gorgeous"???
A Ghost 8 years ago
No one is undercutting her achievement. People are just commenting about her beauty because we know she is smart. I'm sure that it looks regressive to see these comments but humans just like to see beauty and comment about it.
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Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Chris Gill, do you also think that all Christians have the same view as the Westboro Baptist Church because that's basically what you're saying.
#3
Ann Dunwoody - First Woman To Rise To Four-Star General In The U.S. Military
Dunwoody, who served nearly four decades in the U.S. military, rose to become a four-star general in 2008 and retired in 2012 as commander of the Army Materiel Command.
#4
Sylvia Earle - First Woman To Become Chief Scientist Of The U.S. National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration
Earle is president and chair of Mission Blue, an organization that advocates for legal protection and conservation of the world’s oceans.
#5
Serena Williams - First Tennis Player To Win 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles In The Open Era
Williams, who has been playing professional tennis since 1995, has won 72 singles titles, 23 doubles titles and four Olympic gold medals.
#6
Aretha Franklin - First Woman To Be Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Franklin has won 18 Grammy Awards. Watch Aretha Franklin’s performance of “Rock of Ages”.
#7
Ellen Degeneres - First Person To Star As An Openly Gay Character On Prime-Time Tv
DeGeneres, an Emmy-winning TV host and comedian, has hosted her eponymous talk show since 2003.
just a thought ! 8 years ago
Her energy and enthusiasm is just really contagious ! She's amazing !
Pseudo Puppy 8 years ago
Absolutely! So many forget just how brave she was, and how much she lost as a result, before her more recent success. Hers is a story of bravery, loss, and the ultimate come-back. :)
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Gerry Higgins 8 years ago
Billy Crystal did this in the 70s. Show was SOAP and he was an openly gay character
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Right except that was a character and Ellen came out as gay herself, not just as the character.
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Pseudo Puppy 8 years ago
While Ellen was phenominally brave, and an absolute trailblazer within the LGBT, entertainment, comedy, and tv industries - what is often overlooked, is just how much she lost in the process, prior to her more recent, well-deserved success. <3 What is often overlooked, is the amount of backlash she received at the time. Her ratings dropped, the studio refused to support her, and the show was cancelled. She was ostracised from the entertainment industry, for almost 10 years, until someone gave her a break, and she started her (small at the time) talk show. On her tv show, she 'came out' to Oprah Winfrey, who was playing the character of a psychologist on the show. Oprah herself, has often stated that she received the most hate-mail in her career, for having been on that 'coming out' episode. Thanks to Ellen, and many other like her - things have absolutely improved. <3
Agnes Jekyll 8 years ago
Yes. She risked it all, lost everything, and came back--and changed so much
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Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
I love Ellen so very much! She is a true inspiration to women in general gay,straight, bi, etc just because she is so open and unapologetic of who she is
#8
Oprah Winfrey - First Woman To Own And Produce Her Own Talk Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest-rated talk show in TV history, ran for 25 years.
Anna Sheridan 8 years ago
Oprah is so admirable, rising from the bottom right to the top. An inspiration.
Daria B 8 years ago
Give people some time. ^_- We gotta wake up, get ready to go out and check our phones while commuting on our way to work/school/wherever.
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#9
Mae Jemison - First Woman Of Color In Space
Jemison, who holds degrees in engineering and medicine, went to space on the Endeavour in 1992.
Svetlana Solopenkova 8 years ago
well obviously the first woman that have flown in space - Valentina Tereshkova - won't be mentioned here because she is from the USSR. shame on you, article author
#10
Rita Moreno - First Latina To Win An Emmy, A Grammy, An Oscar And A Tony
Moreno is one of 12 people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, known as an EGOT. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004.
Nadine Hughey 8 years ago
I remember when she was "just" the funny lady on The Electric Company.
Agnes Jekyll 8 years ago
me too!!!! I wish that show were on tv again--and Morgan Freeman was on it too!!
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#11
Gabby Douglas - First American Gymnast To Win Solo And Team All-Around Gold Medals At One Olympics
Douglas won three gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games and helped Team USA win gold at the 2011 and 2015 world championships.
Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
Not that I disagree with the fact that she is gorgeous but it's interesting to me that that's been said on multiple pictures. Would she be any less amazing if she wasn't gorgeous? Is that something that we comment on when we are talking about men's achievements? I don't want anyone to misunderstand and think I'm saying anything negative but I really find it interesting that no matter how far we come as a gender we still feel the need to look good while doing it. That may never change but it's something to think about.
#12
Carla Hayden - First Woman And First African American To Be Librarian Of Congress
Hayden, who ran the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore and served as deputy commissioner and chief librarian of the Chicago Public Library system, was the first African American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award in 1995.
DancingToMyself 8 years ago
From all of her accomplishments and hard work, you just wanted to mention that she is gorgeous?!
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Danica Patrick - First Woman To Lead In The Indianapolis 500 And The Daytona 500
In 2013, Patrick became the first woman to win the pole position at the Daytona 500.
Grazina Strolia 8 years ago
I really don't understand why more women aren't participating in NASCAR. The talents required to drive fast and well don't differ much between men and women!
Ben Smith 8 years ago
Notice they didn't say "win." Unfortunately she's only relevant as a driver because of her physical appearance
Pseudo Puppy 8 years ago
it wasn't about her winning.... it was about her qualifying. (as per the headline)
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Ava Duvernay - First Black Woman To Direct A Film Nominated For A Best Picture Oscar
DuVernay directed Selma, an Oscar nominee for Best Picture, and 13th, an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature.
Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
I'm gonna get so much c**p for this but what movie are they talking about?
Ben Smith 8 years ago
Ok...so she's an accomplished artist...and you like her hair and choice of clothing. How very forward thinking of you...
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#15
Mazie Hirono - First Asian-American Woman To Be Elected To The U.S. Senate
Hirono, who was born in Japan, was elected to Hawaii’s house of representatives in 1980 and later became the state’s lieutenant governor. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013 and has been a Senator since 2013.
#16
Shonda Rhimes - First Woman To Create Three Hit Shows With More Than 100 Episodes Each
Rhimes created Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal, and is an executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder.
#17
Madeleine Albright - First Woman To Become U.S. Secretary Of State
Albright served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. from 1993 to 1997 and U.S. Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001.
James Boles 8 years ago
Got to admit , that's a short-coming of this list . But then again we're talking about , the majority of this list , Powerful women . Ms Rice did her job quietly and , as Teddy Roosevelt used to say " carrying a Big Stick" .
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Santino Marazzo 8 years ago
Albright's word's to women voters. If you don't vote for Hillary, your all going to hell. What a lousy woman she is.
James Boles 8 years ago
Ms . Albright was and is a "Role Model " for up and coming females to truly emulate , Very little was ever said dispareging her , during her tenure .
#18
Patricia Bath - First Person To Invent And Demonstrate Laserphaco Cataract Surgery
Bath was the first female African-American doctor to patent a medical device, the Laserphaco Probe, in 1988.
Panpan 8 years ago
I'm trEYEing to make some good puns, but they just slip out of my head in a BLUR! :D
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Michał Jastrzębski 8 years ago
"first person to invent" - not that there is a "second person to invent" the same ;) just saying.
#19
Cindy Sherman - First Woman To Break $1 Million In A Photography Sale
Sherman, who studied painting before turning to the camera, is known for her chameleon-like self-portraits.
#20
Katharine Jefferts Schori - First Woman To Be Elected Presiding Bishop Of The Episcopal Church
Jefferts Schori studied biology at Stanford University and has a Ph.D. in oceanography from Oregon State University.
GalaxyInAJar 8 years ago
Gosh, I wish my religion allowed women to become officiaries like this
#21
Kathryn Sullivan - First American Woman To Walk In Space
After 15 years at NASA, Sullivan became chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and later administrator of the NOAA from 2014 to 2017.
#22
Mo'ne Davis - First Girl To Pitch A Shutout And Win A Game In A Little League World Series
The Monarchs finished the Little League World Series in 2014 with two wins. Davis, now 16, has turned her attention to basketball.
#23
Kathryn Smith - First Woman To Become A Full-Time Coach In The Nfl
Smith, who began her NFL career as a game-day intern with the New York Jets, left the Buffalo Bills in January 2017.
#24
Michelle Phan - First Woman To Build A $500 Million Company From A Web Series
Phan launched the beauty subscription company Ipsy and the beauty brand EM Cosmetics.
#25
Alice Waters - First Woman To Win The James Beard Award For Outstanding Chef
Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971 and started the Edible Schoolyard Project in 1995.
Irene Bocardo Reina 8 years ago
she's not going to make soup out of him right?
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Out of chocolate 8 years ago
Really? She was considered revolutionary at the time!
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#26
Nikki Haley - First Indian-American Woman To Be Elected Governor
Haley served as South Carolina’s governor from 2011 to 2017. She is the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Sheralyn 8 years ago
Perhaps they're referring to India as a country? They are called Indians as well.
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Gertrud Schmitz 8 years ago
No, not native American, Indian American. Her birthname is Nimrata Randhava. ;)
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#27
Geisha Williams - First Latina CEO Of A Fortune 500 Company
Williams took over as CEO and president of PG&E Corp. on March 1, 2017.
#28
Hillary Clinton - First Woman To Win A Major Party’s Nomination For President
Clinton, who has served as First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State, was the Democratic Party nominee for President in the 2016 election.
GalaxyInAJar 8 years ago
Can't we just support that she got farther in the elections than any other woman in the history of America, and that she is pushing the limits that society has placed on women? You don't have to agree with someone's policies to respect them,
Andrew Cas 8 years ago
Biggest mass murder in history I hope she finds herself in jail with some of her fat fingered friends!
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Out of chocolate 8 years ago
Bernie, fine maybe. Brazile? Naaaaah I’ll believe it when I see it. Did you read her whole statement?
Load More Replies... Daria B 8 years ago
Please, specify it's the first woman to win a major etc. for president in the USA. There are plenty of countries world wide with actual female presidents (including both of my home countries, Croatia and second home Korea, although the Korean one didn't end well, but that's a different topic).
Tyler Duffy 8 years ago
How the f**k is it this hack made this list but not Margaret Thatcher?
rio rawlings 8 years ago
Being Margaret Thatcher should not be an aspiration politically speaking.
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Jason Hook 8 years ago
America is so far behind in electing women to power, it's not even funny. Almost every other developed nation has elected a female head-of-state by now. Hillary, for all her incredible successes, isn't even the first American woman to serve as head-of-state of a nation. By all means we should be happy that a woman finally had the legitimate chance of becoming President of the United States, but we should also be ashamed that it's taken us this long to get a woman nominated, much less elected.
Full Name 8 years ago
Hey people, this article is about facts, not opinions. Let's just let it be that she won the nomination like the title says, and leave our personal politics out of it.
Ben Smith 8 years ago
I love how many people are complaining that she is on here... And yet we have a psycho currently turning our country into a worldwide joke.
Andrew Cas 8 years ago
She should be up there for the biggest female well not even biggest ever mass murder!
#29
Jennifer Yuh Nelson - First Woman To Solo-Direct A Major Hollywood Animated Feature
Nelson’s Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) is the second highest-grossing film directed by a woman, only recently surpassed by Wonder Woman (2017).
#30
Lori Robinson - First Woman To Lead A Top-Tier U.S. Combat Command
In 2016, Robinson became the highest-ranking woman in U.S. military history as leader of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.
#31
Elizabeth Blackburn - First Woman To Become President Of The Salk Institute
Blackburn, president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies since 2016, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her DNA breakthroughs.
#32
Melinda Gates - First Woman To Give Away More Than $40 Billion
Gates, who has degrees in computer science and economics as well as business administration, worked at Microsoft from 1987 to 1996. She is a co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Aegon VI Targaryen 8 years ago
its not even her money though - its bills! :P also women in history have given more than that (adjusted for inflation) - be it that they didnt give outright cash sums, instead they built schools, hospitals, wells, farms etc. notably im talking about queens, lady's and princesses.
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Anna Sheridan don't start with the "really rich only donate for tax purposes" c**p because unless you know them you can't comment. I live and work for millionaires and billionaires and people always make stupid assumptions based on what they THINK they know. People know absolutely NOTHING other than what they have seen on TV or read on the internet. Unless you know for a fact, shut the f**k up. Same goes with celebrities. If you don't know them personally, you don't know s**t. Don't believe ANYTHING you read or hear. Most of it is not true.
Juana 8 years ago
Melinda Gates is a good woman, but tbh she is only famous for who she married, unlike most other women on this list.
Stille20 8 years ago
Not to people in the philanthropic community. She is a big deal. Bill may have a higher profile, but she drives programs that are not just about charity. They are about actually solving big problems.
Load More Replies... Full Name 8 years ago
This one doesn't belong. I don't care what her title is, she is not "giving away" money because it's not hers. She didn't earn it. She decided where to give Bills money. That's not to take anything away from what she did, but let's not make it out to be something it's not. This is misleading.
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
wow so you were there in their household living with them? You know how they lived and supported each other? You know their finances and what went on with them? F**k off. You don't know anything about these two people unless you were a part of their accounting team or you were a part of their inner circle so mind your f*****g business and mind your manners dumb s**t. You have NO idea about other people's money.
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#33
Ursula Burns - First Black Woman To Run A Fortune 500 Company
Burns retired in 2017 as chair of Xerox, where she served as CEO from 2009 to 2016.
#34
Loretta Lynch - First Black Woman To Become U.S. Attorney General
Lynch served as U.S. Attorney General from 2015 to 2017.
chris gill 8 years ago
And the first black women AG who like 76 times pled the 5th in the investagations on her....
#35
Mary Barra - First Woman To Become CEO Of A Major Car Company
Barra joined General Motors when she was 18 and has been its CEO since 2014.
#36
Candis Cayne - First Transgender Woman With A Major Role On Prime-Time Tv
Cayne, who started her career dancing in New York City, is known for her role on Dirty Sexy Money and her appearances on I Am Cait.
Lisa Boutin 8 years ago
It shouldn't matter if she "looks" trans or not. Beautiful is beautiful.
Load More Replies... Aegon VI Targaryen 8 years ago
she looks good :) and glad to see transgenders making it into the film industry too.
James Boles 8 years ago
Cayne does not belong in this group of Powerful Women . Transgender individuals are in a classification by themselves . Please don't misunderstand my comment , it is NOT a "put-down " , but simply a clarification . Good for Cayne and all the success afforded , and hopefully continuing .
#37
Maya Lin - First Woman To Design A Memorial On The National Mall
Lin won a public design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial while she was an undergraduate student at Yale University.
Krystine Patterson 8 years ago
I love her Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. A stunning design..."Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream".
#38
Rita Dove - First Black U.S. Poet Laureate
Dove, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry in 1987, served as U.S. poet laureate from 1993 to 1995.
#39
Rachel Maddow - First Openly Gay Anchor To Host A Prime-Time News Program
Maddow hosts the Emmy-winning Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
James Boles 8 years ago
And probably the rudest , Liberally influenced Commentator in Mass Media today ! Watching or listening to her , invariable insights anger in its audience . She has too many crosses to bear and much like some of the Women on The View , too biased to put forth any useful information .
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
yeah. I am liberal and I have to say that the division in this country is being fed by the media on both sides. I am sick of it too. It's not just Fox, it's on the other side too. Somebody has to stop feeding into it. If not in the future they'll ALL be like Alex Jones on both political sides. It's going to get worse and worse if we don't all stop feeding into this hatred. We can disagree with each other without this stupidity.
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Barbara Walters - First Woman To Co-Anchor A Network Evening News Program
After more than 50 years in journalism, Walters retired from her talk show, The View, in 2014.
James Boles 8 years ago
Barbara Walters was and still is an excellent commentator on a myriad of subjects . As well a good interviewer . When she created The View it was intended to give Women the opportunity to express , analyze and comment their take on a subject . However since her retirement 3 years ago , the "controlling ( and dare I say conniving ) " members of the table , the Show has gone straight into self-destruct mode ! Not one thing said is ever fully explored , facts are suspect and personal opinion has become " order of the day " . It really is time to put the Show to bed and for it to become a " was " , not an" it ."
NK 8 years ago
You mean first woman who has successfully been the first woman to lie for her overlords and never get us a truthful story from mainstream lying news since the 60s. You go Babs...thanks for making me research and double think everything that ever came out of your mouth. All you had to do was lie once in the news and your credibility was s**t.
#41
Issa Rae - First Black Woman To Create And Star In A Premium Cable Series
Rae is the author of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and stars on HBO’s Insecure, which she created.
#42
Janet Yellen - First Woman To Chair The Federal Reserve
Yellen, formerly an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, is the chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.
Full Name 8 years ago
You can't be serious. The fed chairmen going back a long time have been all about inflation, inflation, inflation at all costs.....which costs us all in the long run. When Ron Paul tried to ask very intelligent, well researched questions about the money supply they tried to have him barred from the proceedings even though the questions were rational and calmly asked. F*****g scumbags.
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Nancy Pelosi - First Woman To Become Speaker Of The U.S. House Of Representatives
Pelosi, who represents California’s 12th Congressional District, has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987. She was the Speaker from 2007 to 2011 and is now the minority leader.
Mick Fowler 8 years ago
Anybody who opposes the "Pu$$y-grabber party" must be a decent human being.
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Sheryl Sandberg - First Woman To Become A Social-Media Billionaire
Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and was the first woman named to the company’s board of directors. She founded the nonprofits Lean In and Option B.
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What do you think ?
Alec 8 years ago
The title of this article is incredibly misleading, at least add an 'American' to it because --and this may come as a surprise to whoever curated this list-- there are powerful women in other countries.
James Boles 8 years ago
Agreed Alec , and the compilation of this list is visibly bias .
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Rose 8 years ago
JK Rowling should be on this list. She's the first Billionaire Author! That's quite an achievement, especially for a woman who's book idea was rejected multiple times before she could finally get it published!
Ellis 8 years ago
Yes but she’s not from ‘murrica so she’s not important enough...
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Bunnies are better!! 8 years ago
Inspiring, but i don't get why the first person to accomplish 100 million followers on instagram was on there but people like sandra day o'connor(first female supreme court justice), mary walker(first to get medal of honor)sally ride(first female astronaut) and Victoria Woodhull(first presidential nominee) were not?
Dave Roger 8 years ago
Instead of complaining about the lack of international women featured, why doesn't someone just make a list? Anyone is able to post to Bored Panda, and it sounds like there is some interest.
Jonathan Eatsalot 8 years ago
No Condi Rice? - Rice was the first female African-American Secretary of State
Ellis 8 years ago
There’s a whole wide world full of wonderful, smart, powerful and accomplished women OUTSIDE THE USA too!
stacyh 8 years ago
Someone should make a list of them then! I'd love to see it :)
Load More Replies... Alec 8 years ago
The title of this article is incredibly misleading, at least add an 'American' to it because --and this may come as a surprise to whoever curated this list-- there are powerful women in other countries.
James Boles 8 years ago
Agreed Alec , and the compilation of this list is visibly bias .
Load More Replies... Rose 8 years ago
JK Rowling should be on this list. She's the first Billionaire Author! That's quite an achievement, especially for a woman who's book idea was rejected multiple times before she could finally get it published!
Ellis 8 years ago
Yes but she’s not from ‘murrica so she’s not important enough...
Load More Replies... Bunnies are better!! 8 years ago
Inspiring, but i don't get why the first person to accomplish 100 million followers on instagram was on there but people like sandra day o'connor(first female supreme court justice), mary walker(first to get medal of honor)sally ride(first female astronaut) and Victoria Woodhull(first presidential nominee) were not?
Dave Roger 8 years ago
Instead of complaining about the lack of international women featured, why doesn't someone just make a list? Anyone is able to post to Bored Panda, and it sounds like there is some interest.
Jonathan Eatsalot 8 years ago
No Condi Rice? - Rice was the first female African-American Secretary of State
Ellis 8 years ago
There’s a whole wide world full of wonderful, smart, powerful and accomplished women OUTSIDE THE USA too!
stacyh 8 years ago
Someone should make a list of them then! I'd love to see it :)
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