These amazing women are doing great things and leading by example
Simone Biles
If you’ve ever watched gymnast Simone Biles take the floor (or the vault, balance beam or uneven bars), you’ve likely been inspired to get off your butt and do something … anything! Now, Biles is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast in history—she’s the most decorated gymnast ever with 30 World Championship medals (23 gold) and one of the few athletes to be a six‑time World all‑around champion.
Biles also had a triumphant comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning multiple medals and continues to be a global icon in sport and beyond.
Melinda Gates
As a philanthropist and influential business leader, Melinda Gates has spent decades championing women’s equality and working to improve lives around the world. Through Pivotal Ventures and her philanthropic efforts, she has committed $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s power globally, funding initiatives that support women’s workplace equity, health and leadership.
Ava DuVernay
Shaking up a business that has been around as long as the film industry may seem like an intimidating thing to do, but filmmaker Ava DuVernay is one of the most amazing women doing it. With her powerful projects that focus on fighting for justice (like her feature film Selma), she is doing more than just entertaining—she is educating.
In an interview with Smithsonian Magazine, DuVernay shed some light on the way she works, and why it works: “I try to be a shapeshifter and do a lot of things. A: Because I can. B: Because the traditional walls collapsed, so there’s more flexibility. And C: Because you can’t hit a moving target.” Her documentary 13th is one of the documentaries about race everyone should see.
Kamala Harris
As the former vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris is a woman who holds many firsts: the first Black American woman to hold that office, the first South Asian woman to hold that office and the first woman to hold that office. She also became the first woman with presidential power when President Joe Biden temporarily power to her during his routine colonoscopy (which lasted just under an hour and a half), though she lost her bid for the presidency in 2024.
Before becoming vice president, Harris served in the Senate and as attorney general of California. She has said that she attributes her strong sense of justice and activism to her parents: “My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.’”
Harris also has a large, loving, nontraditional family. In 2014, she married Doug Emhoff (who held the position of second gentleman) and became a stepmom, or “Momala,” to Emhoff’s two children, Cole and Ella, as well as becoming close friends with their mother. She is a truly modern woman and an inspiration to women everywhere: the first, but not the last.
Halima Aden
The words model and activist may not often describe the same person, but they do for Halima Aden. She first showed courage and pride in her culture for being the first contestant to wear a hijab (a head covering worn by Muslim women) in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. She then became the first woman to wear a hijab in Sports Illustrated‘s annual Swimsuit Issue, advocating for greater diversity and inclusivity.
“It’s important for me to be visible and to do whatever I can to let girls know that they don’t have to change who they are,” she said in an interview with Essence. “I want them to know the world will meet them exactly where they stand.”
Oprah Winfrey
Can you remember a time when Oprah Winfrey wasn’t inspiring the masses? In fact, her story is one of our favorite early “failures” of wildly successful people. The business mogul, philanthropist and overall amazing woman has been honored for her selfless efforts countless times, like when she received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2011.
The first Black female billionaire, Winfrey started a school for girls in Africa to help them meet their educational goals. “I think all the work I do is about opening the heart space,” she told Daily Word. “My whole career [has been] trying to get people to see how other people’s stories mirror or reflect into their own stories. Many times it’s easier to see it when you’re looking at a reflection rather than looking at yourself.”
Michelle Obama
Beyond being the first African American first lady, Michelle Obama is a powerhouse—a lawyer, writer and true inspiration for women. Before her time in the White House, she held many roles, including being the assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago’s City Hall. She even founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program focused on preparing youth for public service.
As first lady, she launched initiatives including Let’s Move! in 2010 to tackle childhood obesity; partnered with the former first lady, Jill Biden, for Joining Forces to support veterans; initiated Reach Higher in 2014 to encourage education completion; and co-launched Let Girls Learn in 2015 to empower girls worldwide.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sha’Carri Richardson is a sprinting sensation who’s been shattering records since her teenage years. In 2019, she set the fastest collegiate 11cm mark at just 19, making her the ninth-fastest woman ever (at the time).
After bursting onto the scene as a collegiate phenom, she won the 2023 World Championships women’s 100‑meter title in a championship record 10.65 seconds, solidifying her status among the fastest women in the world. She also defended her U.S. national 100m title and earned medals on the global stage, remaining a leading force in sprinting.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
OK, so we all know that Beyoncé is one of the most amazing women in music. She has the most Grammy wins and is the most-nominated Grammy artist, boasting an impressive 35 awards and 99 nominations.
And that’s not all—Beyoncé’s country song, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” rocked the No. 1 spot on the country music charts, making her the first Black woman ever to conquer Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. She also became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album in 2025.
Madonna Ciccone
Just like Cyndi Lauper, Madonna literally rocked the 1980s as a female pioneer in music. Beyond her musical success, she’s been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ community, speaking out during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and tackling present-day anti-gay political policies.
Madonna is also a philanthropist. In 2006, she founded the charity Raising Malawi to provide health and education to vulnerable children in South Africa. Her commitment to that cause led to the completion of 10 primary schools in Malawi in 2013, educating more than 4,870 children.
Rihanna Fenty
Rihanna isn’t just a pop icon—she’s a boss entrepreneur too. In 2017, she shook up the beauty industry with Fenty Beauty, introducing a groundbreaking foundation line with a whopping 40 shades (now 50) for diverse skin tones. And that’s not all: Her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, gets its own spotlight in an annual television special. Oh, and did we mention that she became America’s youngest self-made female billionaire in 2022? Talk about an amazing woman and powerhouse making major moves!
“We don’t believe in division. We do not believe in excluding anyone,” Rihanna said about her business ventures in an interview with the Associated Press. “That’s been our message from day one, and it’s not going to change now because everyone is having that realization.”
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is a no-brainer for this list, even if she’s not as much of a household name as some of the other amazing women discussed here. A philosopher and an activist, Davis has been a pioneer in the civil rights movement since the 1960s. And her commitment to equality and justice hasn’t stopped—she’s still out there, engaging in international speaking tours, writing and founding advocacy organizations, such as the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
She’s also an author of numerous essays and intellectual reads, including Women, Race and Class, where she explains the “powerful history of the social and political influence of whiteness and elitism in feminism.” Currently, Davis holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emerita of the History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has graced us with her talents in country music, film and storytelling for decades, and her impact offstage is just as legendary. Beyond founding Dollywood and producing dozens of hit songs and albums, she’s a powerhouse philanthropist, from her Imagination Library that has distributed millions of books to children, to major gifts supporting vaccine research and pediatric health.
Parton was even honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2025 Governors Awards, recognizing her decades of heart‑centered giving.
Emma Watson
Harry Potter fans will never forget Emma Watson’s role as Hermione in J.K. Rowling’s magical universe. But beyond the screen, the British actress is a spokeswoman for women’s rights and social issues. After being appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, she helped launch HeForShe, a campaign that advocated for gender equality. She also started a feminist Goodreads book club, Our Shared Shelf, in 2016, to help raise awareness about gender inequality through scientific books and articles.
Tarana Burke
You can’t know about the #MeToo movement without knowing its founder, Tarana Burke.Burke’s hashtag has been buzzing across Twitter (now known as X) since its creation in 2006, racking up more than 19 million mentions since its first use. She was even named Time’s Person of the Year in 2017 and served as the senior director of Girls for Gender Equity in Brooklyn, New York.
Greta Thunberg
No matter where you stand on the issue of climate change, you’ve likely heard the name Greta Thunberg. This amazing woman was just 16 when she became known for her climate activism, and to date, she was nominated for a Nobel Prize four years in a row (though she has yet to win the coveted award).
Thunberg first came to international attention when she started skipping her Friday classes each week to campaign outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign that read: Skolstrejk för Klimatet (School Strike for Climate). Since then, she has caught the attention of heads of state, whom she has addressed about climate and environmental concerns. Thunberg also set up a nonprofit foundation for her #FridaysForFuture campaign.
Malala Yousafzai
All Pakistan-born Malala Yousafzai wanted was an education—the same education provided to her male peers. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, ran a girls school in the village where they lived, but when the Taliban moved in, they ordered the school to be shut down, since they didn’t believe girls should receive an education. Undeterred, Yousafzai continued to pursue her education, but in 2012, she was confronted by a gunman on her school bus who shot her in the left side of her face.
She and her family live in the United Kingdom, and Youfsafzai founded the Malala Fund, a nonprofit whose aim is to give girls everywhere a chance at the future they deserve. She received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 2014.
Megan Rapinoe
You may have first heard of Megan Rapinoe when she famously led the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team to become World Cup Champions in 2019. But there’s so much more to this athlete than her athleticism on the field. Rapinoe is a staunch women’s rights advocate who has been fighting for equal pay in sports.
In 2019, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation for alleged gender discrimination, claiming that their male counterparts on the Men’s National Soccer team earned far more than they did, despite the women’s team ranking first in the world and the men’s team ranking 21st.
“Don’t settle for anything less—go for equal, go for more. Don’t accept any of these sort of antiquated and b.s. answers,” Rapinoe said in an interview with the BBC on her fight for equal pay.
Amani Ballour
If you’ve never heard of Dr. Amani Ballour, you should watch the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave. The film features Dr. Ballour and her courageous efforts to save lives in Syria while running an underground hospital in Eastern Ghouta.
“Men in our community, they say, ‘No, you should be at home, or you can work in your clinic, but not to be a manager of the hospital,'” Dr. Ballour said in an interview with Deadline. “I insist and I want to challenge them and prove that a woman can [do this work]. … I have to support women because if I succeed, all women will be supported. That will make men think that of course women can succeed and they can do that.”
Glennon Doyle
When you want to read the words of someone who really gets you (or gives you the swift kick in the pants you need to motivate), you turn to author Glennon Doyle. And when you want to do some good in the world but don’t know where to start, you also turn to Doyle. A favorite of Oprah Winfrey, the writer has penned several acclaimed books, including Love Warrior, Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life and Untamed.
She also founded the nonprofit Together Rising, through which she connects people who want to make a difference with meaningful projects that provide help to those in need.
Serena Williams
Tennis icon Serena Williams captured the hearts of sports enthusiasts across the world with her athletic prowess and dedication to the game at an early age. But as we’ve watched her grow up before our eyes, this amazing woman has become so much more than an inspiration on the court. Like many of her peers on this list, she is vocal about the need for gender-pay and racial equality.
But Serena doesn’t just talk the talk—she also walks the walk. Williams is a longtime ambassador for the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, which fights financial abuse in domestic violence situations, and through Serena Ventures has backed companies focused on women’s health, tech and equity. She’s also supported maternal care initiatives after her own 2017 postpartum health scare, including investments in organizations improving perinatal and postpartum support for new mothers and families.
Sheryl Sandberg
Former Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg doesn’t want to merely be an inspiration to other women—she wants to bring them into the fold and help make their dreams a reality. This amazing woman started the Lean In movement, with the goal of creating “a world where people of every gender can pursue their dreams without bias or other barriers holding them back.”
In addition to donating generously to causes dear to her, Sandberg inspires through her actions and words. In her book Lean In, she writes, “At a certain point, it’s your ability to learn quickly and contribute quickly that matters. Women need to shift from thinking ‘I’m not ready to do that’ to thinking ‘I want to do that—and I’ll learn by doing it.'”
Amanda Gorman
You may know Amanda Gorman from the incredible poem she read at President Biden’s inauguration, “The Hill We Climb,” or from her equally impressive appearance at the 2021 Super Bowl, where she became the first poet ever to perform at that event. The Los Angeles native and Harvard graduate has been internationally lauded for her talent, poise and activism work for racial and gender equality, as well as youth literacy.
This young poet is definitely going places, and one of them may be the White House. When Gorman appeared on CBS’s The Late Late Show, host James Corden asked her if she had any political ambitions, adding that he could see her becoming president herself. “Plan on it,” Gorman replied.
Jameela Jamil
Actress Jameela Jamil is best known to American television audiences as Tahani Al-Jamil on NBC’s The Good Place, but the London-born star has bigger goals than simply making viewers laugh. Jamil is using her fame to inspire confidence in women and young girls, advocating for greater discussions around body image. In 2019, she kicked off her “I Weigh” campaign, which calls on women to focus more on what’s on the inside rather than what’s on the outside.
“I created this campaign so that if women are having a bad day or are down on themselves, they can just come to this account and be inspired,” she told NBC News. “And so they know that there’s so much more that defines them than just their looks.”
Bethenny Frankel
If you’re surprised to see a member of the Real Housewives franchise on this list, then you’re unaware of Bethenny Frankel’s crisis work through her BStrong Foundation. She has hand-delivered cash cards after natural disasters in places like Puerto Rico and North Carolina while raising money to provide other types of aid.
“What it teaches me from a human condition and person perspective is that, yes, every little bit counts, but the nurses and the teachers and the people who don’t have any money are the people who are working the hardest,” she said in an interview with AOL. “They’re working for free and volunteering and wanting to help. They work harder than the people who I work with in business that are getting paid. They will work for months at a time longer and harder than me.”
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
