10 Women Doing Things in 2021
Illustration by Alexandra McDermott Brown
Sometimes, getting out of bed and opening your curtains is a triumph. Particularly during the “p” word that shall not be named, we take the little wins as they come. This week, for instance, after a walk in the gorgeous sun of early-Edinburgh-spring, I burst into tears for no apparent reason and (naturally) hid behind my bed. A triumph? No. Bear with me. Hearing sobs through my door, my two flatmates came and sat beside me. Communal sobs turned to laughter and within twenty minutes we were looking up frozen margarita recipes.
This week, I was reminded of the glorious women in my life. The women who do little things every single day – send me a text, buy me a coffee, share a meme – to remind me that I am here, I am loved, and that we will get through this.
A few months ago, my best friend, Georgia, started a Podcast with her pal (also called Georgia), the name of which inspired this article. Women Doing Things is a brilliant, uplifting, and current series which looks at a bunch of different women doing a whole host of things, from the wacky to the everyday. Stimulated by the work of Georgia and Georgia, we’ve compiled a list of ten fantastic women doing incredible things in 2021, two of whom are featured on Episode #3 of Women Doing Things. We don’t all have to be world-leaders. It is our hope, though, that you find some inspiration here: send a text, get out for a coffee, share a meme, or make a frozen margarita.
1. Sanna Marin
Getting our list off to a strong start is Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin. The first person in her family to go to university, Marin is also Finland’s youngest ever Prime Minister and the world’s youngest female state leader at thirty-five-years-old. Boasting an array of environmental policies, Marin pledged to make Finland carbon-neutral by 2035. Marin leads a coalition of five parties, all led by women.
As if she couldn’t get more cool, Marin is a vegetarian, and having been raised by same-sex parents, is a product of a self-described “rainbow family.” Notably, when it comes to protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, Finland has consistently ranked within the top ten countries in the world. Fancy a trip to Finland?
2. Agnes Chow
Agnes Chow is a student, politician, and social activist from Hong Kong. Sparking her career in pro-democracy activism at the young age of fifteen, Chow has been a significant political figure for the better part of a decade. She was a key player in the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, or Umbrella Movement – a series of sit-in protests. According to multiple news sources, Agnes Chow has recently been moved to a top security prison as a Category A prisoner, related to crimes of inciting illegal assembly. Her supporters gave her the nickname “Mulan,” and she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2020.
3. Jacinda Arden
Jacinda Arden, is probably no new name to you. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is most recently known for implementing a Covid-19 response which the rest of the world watches with envy and admiration in equal measure.
A progressive social democrat, Arden led the country through the aftermath of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, responding swiftly and decisively by introducing strict gun laws. She’s also down with the kids, communicating through the new, unofficial medium for press conferences: Instagram Live.
Whilst Arden is certainly an example of a woman smashing through glass ceilings, we recommend you read Lottie Needham’s article, “Women in Power: Doomed to Fail?,” if you haven’t already.
4. Juno Roche
Juno Roche is a transgender writer and activist, and the Founder of both the Trans Teachers Network and Trans Workers UK. Roche made the Independent’s Rainbow List in 2015 and in 2016, and has published a number of books about queer and trans lives. Juno’s most recent book published last year, Gender Explorers: Our Stories Growing Up Trans and Changing the World, is a brilliant and honest collection of interviews with young trans people.
5. Ilwad Elman
At twenty years of age, Ilwad Elman co-founded Somalia’s first rape crisis centre. From there, she hasn’t stopped working for the Somali peace process, especially with gender justice, and security. Ilwad is the daughter of Elman Ali Ahmed, who is remembered as the “Somali Father of Peace.” Today, she continues her father’s work at their non-profit, Elman Peace, as Director of Programs and Development.
6. Mhairi Black
Mhairi Black is a Scottish politician, and member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). When elected in 2015, she was a mere twenty years old, meaning Black is the youngest ever Member of Parliament. A socialist, and a gay woman, Black became an MP before completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow. Mhairi Black is a passionate and candid politician whose work is forward thinking and refreshing to say the least.
7. Jackie Kay
Jackie Kay is a Scottish poet, novelist, and playwright, and was named the Scots Makar (national poet of Scotland) in 2016. Kay was born in Edinburgh to a Scottish birth-mother and Nigerian birth-father. Having grown up with white adoptive parents, Kay is perhaps most known for her 2010 book, Red Dust Road, inspired by her search for her biological parents.
Having won an array of awards for her work, Kay was also made a CBE for services to literature in 2020, and was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2020.
8. Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an actress and political activist, who orchestrated the Fire Drill Fridays, a series of weekly peaceful protests at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Fonda has created several of our cultural touchstones, including “Grace and Frankie” and the hit movie “9 to 5,” which birthed the iconic song of the same name. She has also been an activist for over fifty years, beginning with the anti-war movement in the 1960s.
Ahead of Fire Drill Fridays, Fonda pledged: “I will be on the Capitol every Friday, rain or shine, inspired and emboldened by the incredible movement our youth have created.” Aged 83, we could all take a leaf out of Jane Fonda’s book.
9. Waad al-Kateab
Waad al-Kateab is a Syrian journalist and award-winning film-maker, best known for her feature film, “For Sama”. In 2020, “For Sama” received the Bafta award for best documentary and was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary feature.
Displaced from Aleppo in 2016, Waad al-Kateab now leads Action For Sama, an advocacy campaign to stop the bombing of healthcare facilities in Syria. Her feature is a beautiful and harrowing insight into the female experience of war, where Waad gives birth to her daughter, Sama, amidst catastrophic conflict.
10. Amanda Gorman
We’re rounding our list off with the incredible, Amanda Gorman. If you tuned into Joe Biden’s Inauguration back in January, you’ll surely remember the stunning words of the twenty-two-year-old inaugural poet and her glorious yellow coat.
Reading her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” Gorman more or less stole the show on January 20th, going viral on social media and making the cover of TIME Magazine’s February issue. Gorman was gifted a pair of earrings and a birdcage ring, from none other than Oprah Winfrey, the latter of which referenced previous inauguration poet, Maya Angelou and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Head to Allie McDermott Brown’s article, “Fashioning Power and Empowering Fashion,” to read more on this topic.
Amanda Gorman’s incomparable work will surely be gracing our bookshops and bookshelves for years to come.
Listen to “Women Doing Things” on Spotify.
Meg Edwards is a fourth year student at the University of Edinburgh studying English Literature and History. She is the Culture Section Editor and a Copy Editor for Ensemble Magazine.