As Women’s History Month comes to an end, the League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville is highlighting four influential women whose courage, innovation and leadership have left a lasting impact on the world. From astronauts to politicians, these women have reshaped their fields and continue to inspire change. 

FRANCES PERKINS was born on April 10th, 1880, in Boston, Massachusetts. She spent most of her childhood in Worcester, Massachusetts where she attended Classical High School. She then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from Mount Holyoke College in 1902, where she was named class president. After she discovered her interest in activism, she attended Columbia University, earning a master’s degree in economics and sociology in 1910, and became active in the suffrage movement. Perkins went on to become the first woman to serve in a U.S. Cabinet position. In 1933, she was appointed the Secretary of Labor by President Franklin Roosevelt. She played a pivotal role in shaping the New Deal, advocating for workers’ rights and fair labor standards. In addition, she fought for the 40-hour workweek, minimum wage laws and unemployment benefits. Her perseverance laid the foundation for modern labor protections, making her a key figure in both women’s history and the broader fight for economic justice.

FANNIE LOU HAMER, throughout her life, echoed the struggles of Black women in America. She was born into poverty in Mississippi in 1917 and became a fearless advocate for voting rights. She even co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge racial exclusion in politics. In 1964, she gave a powerful testimony at the Democratic National Convention, where she exposed the brutality of voter suppression, bringing national attention to the fight to give African-Americans the right to vote. Despite facing beatings, arrests and relentless opposition, Hamer didn’t let that get in the way of her perseverance. One of her most famous quotes is “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” This shows how the fight for voting equality was long and hard and should be a basic human right. Her courage and activism remain an enduring inspiration to women around the world.

HELEN ZIA is a Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ+ rights. Zia was born to first-generation immigrants from Shanghai in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952. From the age of five, she started working in her parents’ floral novelty business. She attended Princeton University and was a student in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. During her time there, she was one of the founders of the Asian American Students Association. She then became the executive editor of Ms. Magazine, where she used her platform to highlight issues of race, gender, and social justice. In the 1980’s, she played a critical role in seeking justice for Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man murdered in a hate crime, bringing national attention to anti-Asian violence. Her writing and activism challenged discrimination and pushed for civil rights. Her work has been featured in many notable books and magazines including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation and The Advocate.Throughout her work, Zia has helped shape Asian American representation in the U.S and left a lasting impact on the fight for equality.

ELLEN OCHOA made history in 1993 as the first Hispanic astronaut to travel to space. She paved the way for future generations in STEM. She was born on May 10th, 1958, in Los Angeles, California as the middle of five children whose parents didn’t have college degrees. Ochoa received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from San Diego State University and then went on to earn a Master of Science degree and a doctorate from the Stanford Department of Electrical Engineering. Before her space mission, Ochoa was a research engineer and inventor. She went on multiple space trips, the most famous being the nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Her work at NASA continued after her time as an astronaut. In 2007, after retiring from spacecraft operations, Ochoa served as a deputy director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Today, she continues to inspire young women and racial minorities to pursue careers in science and technology.