“All day, every day, therapist, mother, maid…” These lyrics from Paris Paloma’s “Labour” have caught the attention of many women worldwide, which helps initiate topics of conversations about women’s history and the roles women take on inside and outside the family home. The song, a call for acknowledgement and change, is particularly resonant during Women’s History Month, when we have an opportunity to look at the broader trajectory of our society. To celebrate, let’s explore the history and impactful work surrounding women’s history from yesterday to today.
When is Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month is an internationally recognized annual observance honoring women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. During the entire month of March, institutions host lectures and exhibitions to honor historical and contemporary female figures.
In 1980, the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) was founded by Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan. The project transitioned into an organization 38 years later: the National Women’s History Alliance, where they focus on the celebration and support of women’s history all year round. The NWHA collaborates annually to decide the theme of Women’s History Month.
This Year’s Theme: Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future
For Women’s History Month, the concept of sustainability covers more than just environmental concerns – fostering financial growth, building community resilience, and ensuring effective leadership are other goals that should also be taken into account. With that being said, and wanting to endorse “leading the change,” we will discuss women doing just that across the board.
Inspiring Women and Organizations for Change
To really commit to uplifting and empowering others, it is important to back female-led businesses and get involved with relevant groups or projects. Below is a list of inspiring individuals currently making changes, and organizations with female leadership.
Inspiring Women
Young Jean Lee – Playwriter, Filmmaker, and Director
While pursuing her Ph.D in English, Young Jean found her calling and drive to become a playwright. From there, she went on to be Broadway’s first Asian-American woman to write and produce a play. In 2018/2019, Lee’s play Straight White Men had 56 performances and was widely loved by many. She’s a strong proponent of self-love, and advocates for better self-compassion.
Sarah Thomas – Football Official
Sarah was chosen to be America’s first woman to hold a full-time officiating contract for football in 2015. Rising through the ranks for two decades, she became the first female on-field official in American football. Thomas’s ascent peaked in 2021 when she made history as the first woman to officiate the industry’s premier championship game. Today, her legacy is a blueprint for women leading in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Tamika Mallory – Activist
Tamika Mallory has established herself as a proactive social justice leader through decades of advocacy. Tamkia gained global recognition as a national co-chair for one of the largest single-day demonstrations in history (2017 Women’s March). Her influential public speaking served as the foundation for her bestselling book: State of Emergency: How We Win in the Country We Built. Building on her previous success, Mallory co-founded Until Freedom, a globally recognized organization dedicated to assisting the less fortunate with issues of poverty, alienation, and inequality.
Female-Led Companies
Bumble
Whitney Wolfe Herd disrupted the tech landscape in 2014 by launching a dating platform where women make the first move. This simple shift in dynamics transformed a dating app into a global networking empire. Her leadership propelled the company to a historic IPO in 2021, making her the youngest woman ever to take a company public in the U.S.
Girls Who Code
Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012 to close the gender gap in technology through intentional, community-based education. What began as a local experiment with 20 students has evolved into a national movement that has reached over 500,000 girls across all 50 states. Saujani’s advocacy for “bravery over perfection” has landed her a well-deserved spot on Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders list.
Bobbie
Laura Modi and Sarah Hardy launched Bobbie in 2018 to fill a gap in the infant formula industry. They introduced European-style nutritional standards to the American marketplace. This commitment to quality earned Bobbie a high-ranking spot on Top 100 Women-led companies in 2026. Currently, the brand is spearheading a nationwide movement towards greater visibility, thereby effectively promoting open dialogue and acceptance around formula feeding.
Inspiring Zazzle Creators Demonstrating Female Empowerment
Following up on our discussion regarding Women’s History Month, we contacted our Creators to gather their perspectives on the inspiring women and figures they admire in their professional careers. We are pleased to share the insightful responses of three of them below.
Paula Zimmer
Is there a woman from the past or present who inspires your work, even if she is not widely known? She could be an ancestor, an artist, or someone in your own life whose style or strength influences what you create.
My grandmother was one of the most important people in my life. When my mother wasn’t around much during my childhood, my grandmother stepped in and became the person I could always count on. She gave me stability, love, and guidance when I needed it most. She came to America from Austria-Hungary as a small child, traveling by boat with her mother in search of a better life. Later, she lived through the Great Depression, experiences that shaped her into a strong and caring woman who never took anything for granted. She believed deeply in hard work, kindness, and helping others whenever she could. Growing up, she constantly encouraged me to follow my dreams and to do my best in everything I tried. Those words stayed with me throughout my life, even when I doubted myself.
If you could collaborate on a design with any woman from the past 100 years, who would it be, and what specific product would you create together?
Faith Ringgold – we would create a “story quilt” meant for family memories. I believe family is important and honoring it with a story quilt design could be magical.
What is the one empowering quote by a woman that you find yourself returning to when you hit a creative block?
Maya Angelou – You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
Jessica Letterman
Is there a woman from the past or present who inspires your work, even if she is not widely known? She could be an ancestor, an artist, or someone in your own life whose style or strength influences what you create.
My grandma has been one of the biggest inspirations behind my work. She loved gardening and spent years growing beautiful flowers in her yard. I remember how much care she put into everything she grew, and it taught me that creating something meaningful takes practice and intention. She also showed me how much flowers can spread joy to people. I think that’s a big part of why I’m naturally drawn to floral and botanical designs today.
If you could collaborate on a design with any woman from the past 100 years, who would it be, and what specific product would you create together?
I would choose to create a wedding suite with Frida Kahlo. I’ve always admired her bold, colorful floral paintings and the meaning behind her work. Her style is very different from mine, and I think collaborating with her would push me to think outside the box. It would be a really meaningful collaboration and result in something unlike anything I would normally create.
What is the one empowering quote by a woman that you find yourself returning to when you hit a creative block?
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” by Maya Angelou This quote reminds me that creativity is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Even when I am feeling stuck, continuing to create helps new ideas take shape.
Shara Karlin
Is there a woman from the past or present who inspires your work, even if she is not widely known? She could be an ancestor, an artist, or someone in your own life whose style or strength influences what you create.
My great grandmother who painted a lot. In fact I have one of her oil paints in my room and even though she passed away when I was very young I talk about her and her work all the time and she has definitely influenced my own work as it’s all very colorful and abstract.
If you could collaborate on a design with any woman from the past 100 years, who would it be, and what specific product would you create together?
Frida Kahlo for sure and the product would be a painting that shows it’s ok to not be ok sometimes.
What is the one empowering quote by a woman that you find yourself returning to when you hit a creative block?
If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one. This is said by Dolly Parton. I like this one because not everything goes to plan and it’s ok to change things to your liking
As we come to the end of this article recognizing the aspirational women in our lives, it’s only right that we mention International Women’s Day on March 8th. The best way to commemorate this day itself is to organize fundraising events for women-focused charities. You can find all the information you need here.
To everyone reading this, we just want to say we appreciate you all and hope you found this article insightful.
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