2021 International Women's Day
Every first opens the door for many
In the past year, the world searched for the first woman more than ever before.1
Whether in politics, the sciences, athletics or the arts, women have driven society forward throughout history. Over the last year, the world has looked to trailblazing women who overcame the obstacles of their time, to do what had never been done before.
As firsts, these women stand on the shoulders of countless others – women who laid the foundation but didn't have the same opportunities to break the glass ceiling. Some firsts achieve something spectacularly new; others are receiving a recognition that is long overdue. Collectively, and across the globe, these firsts have created a remarkable legacy for the generations that follow.
In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the firsts who paved the way, and the many women they inspire.
'While it is inspiring to see how far women have come, it is important to remember that there is still a long journey ahead of us. Just as we celebrate the "firsts" from history, we are working to make sure that many follow in their footsteps.'
Lorraine Twohill, Google CMO and Google.org Impact Challenge expert panelist
Google.org Impact Challenge
Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911, making her the first woman to ever win the prize and the first person to win it twice. In 2020, worldwide search interest for “women in science” hit a 10-year high as women scientists dominated in fields that had historically excluded them.2
The opportunities women have in STEM fields today are due, in a large part, to the perseverance of Marie Curie who, due to her gender, was not initially considered for the 1903 prize despite her pivotal role in radioactivity research. Curie shared this perseverance with others like the first women astronauts, who fought to be treated with the same respect as their male colleagues, and with countless women who devoted their lives to the sciences, though their work may never be widely recognised.
Women Techmakers
'Among women and girls, sometimes there’s a sense that no matter what they do, their work will not be recognised the way it would be if they were a man. I hope that this prize changes that at least a little bit, and that it’s encouraging to other women...to realise that their work can be honoured, and that their work can have a real impact.'
Jennifer A. Doudna, Nobel Laureate
See how Gitanjali developed an invention to detect lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan.
From life-saving vaccines to technological innovations, women played key roles in 2020’s most impactful advancements. Fourteen-year-old Anika Chebrolu was awarded the 3M science prize for a discovery that could provide a potential therapy for COVID-19. Özlem Türeci made global news as the co-founder of BioNTech, the German company that partnered with Pfizer to develop the first US-authorised COVID-19 vaccine.
Also in 2020, Gitanjali Rao was named Time magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year for her work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. And Google Jigsaw engineers, led by Lucy Vasserman, developed international languages for Perspective, a technology that is used by many platforms and publishers to identify and moderate toxic comments.
These are just a few of the thousands of women around the world whose work in science is not only inspiring a generation of girls, but also building a healthier, safer, more inclusive world for all of us. Explore more inspiring stories of women’s impact in science and other fields at Google Arts & Culture.
Women in business
One of the first women to become a self-made millionaire
Madam C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove)
Madam C. J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, is one of the first women in the world to earn more than $1 million through the business that she founded in 1910, the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company. Not only did Walker overcome sexist ideas when she built her business, she also battled racial discrimination and played a key role in the movement to end racism, colonialism and imperialism, setting an example for the many women of today who are fighting the same battles.
Walker is one in a long line of women who thrived in business: from the ambitious women traders of pre-colonial Southeast Asia and Africa, and the pioneering women merchants of 18th-century London, to icons like Helena Rubinstein and Margaret Rudkin (founder of Pepperidge Farm), whose start-ups have grown into global enterprises today.
These women paved the way for a steadily increasing number of women business owners around the world.
According to recent data, one in three businesses around the world is owned by a woman,3 and in the US, 21% of all women-owned businesses are owned by Black women.4
Grow with Google
While every woman who builds her own business knows hardship, the setbacks that businesses are experiencing due to the global pandemic are some of the worst in the past century. And women, particularly women of colour, have been one of the groups most severely affected, with higher rates of job losses and economic strain due to increased domestic responsibilities and racial discrimination.5
'2020 was a good year but with lots of lessons learned,' says Betsy Mikesell, co-founder of Beddy’s, a bedding set company in West Jordan, Utah. 'Over this past year, we’ve learned how important having an online presence is.' Fatima Alvarez co-founded Someone Somewhere, a clothing company working with more than 180 artisans in five states in Mexico. 'When I think about what keeps me going, it’s really the work we’re doing. I know that we are helping people, and I won’t give up on them,' she says.
Despite the strain of the last 12 months, women’s progress in business gives us plenty to hope for in the future. In January 2021, Germany’s cabinet approved a draft law that would require stock exchange–listed companies with executive boards of more than three members to have at least one woman on those boards, and Janet Yellen was named the first woman treasury secretary of the United States.
Fatima Alvarez, co-founder of Someone Somewhere
'When women are successful, we are all successful. We need to stand behind them, to make sure that they have the tools to continue the march toward progress and be the leaders they are born to be.'
Bonita Stewart, Vice President of Global Partnerships at Google
Women in sports
The first woman to climb Mount Everest
Junko Tabei
Junko Tabei was a Japanese mountaineer, an author and a teacher. In 1975, she became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and before her death in 2016, she also became the first woman to ascend the Seven Summits, the highest peak on every continent. Today’s women athletes continue to break new ground, raising the bar for women and men alike.
Women’s athletic abilities have traditionally been viewed as inferior to men’s, but history is filled with powerful women who pushed the boundaries of their own physical abilities, and in doing so pushed society forward as well. In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English channel, beating the fastest man’s existing record by nearly two hours. In 1967, 20-year-old Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run in the Boston Marathon – even as she fought off a race official who tried to physically stop her.
In the last 50 years, more than 700 women have climbed Mt. Everest, 629 women have swum across the English channel and 7 women have dunked during WNBA games.
Women athletes today continue to challenge notions of sports and masculinity, and are often treated unfairly due to their gender. In 2020, only two women were listed among the world’s highest-paid athletes.7
Still, there are victories to celebrate. In November 2020, the Miami Marlins hired Kim Ng as their general manager, making her the first woman to be a general manager in Major League Baseball history. Also in 2020, Emily Harrington became the first woman to free-climb the Golden Gate route up California’s El Capitan mountain in under 24 hours, a feat only an estimated 15 to 25 climbers have ever managed to achieve.
Kim Ng, the first woman to be a general manager in Major League Baseball history
'I never believed I could actually free-climb El Cap in a day when I first set the goal for myself… but I chose it exactly for that reason. Impossible dreams challenge us to rise above who we are now, to see if we can become better versions of ourselves.'
Emily Harrington
Take a look at this year’s annual International Women’s Day Doodle depicting the journey of female firsts throughout history.
What Google is doing
We are striving for a future where there is equity across the globe, equal opportunities for success in every field, and where women are safe online and in the physical world. Additionally, we remain committed to creating equity in the workforce, and with this in mind, Google has committed to a goal to improve leadership representation of underrepresented groups by 30% by 2025.
1. Based on Google Trends data as of January 2021, when measuring English-language search interest for the phrases 'the first woman' and 'first woman' January. 2004 – December 2020.
2. Based on Google Trends data as of January 2021, when measuring Google Search interest January 2004 – December 2020. Because 'women in science' is a topic, interest is measured across all Google-supported languages.
3. World Bank, 2020
4. American Express 2020 State of Women-Owned Businesses
5. Centre for American Progress, 2020
6. Based on Google Trends data as of January 2021, when measuring English-language search interest January 2004 – December 2020.
7. Forbes, 2020
Illustrations by Kate Gibb
