Ten Statements by Women—From Tarana Burke to Greta Thunberg—That Summed Up the Decade
Watershed moments for gender equality, equal pay, and female empowerment have occurred often in the 2010s, and in the last two years alone, global movements like #MeToo and TimesUp have led to significant changes in society.
In other places, conversations about important topics like gun violence, education, and climate change have been spearheaded by female leaders. Though many of the speeches given by women in the past ten years are worth revisiting, a few soundbites will endure for many years to come.
Who could forget the Oscars moment in 2015 when Patricia Arquette bravely demanded equal pay with her best actress speech?
Or when Oprah Winfrey accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 2018 at the Golden Globes, becoming the first black woman to do so? After reflecting on her own accomplishments, Winfrey ended her speech with a powerful call to action against sexual harassment, raising speculation about a possible presidential bid.
Furthermore, strong female voices have inspired people outside of award ceremonies as well. Consider the UN Climate Summit this year, where Greta Thunberg, a teenage environmentalist, attacked world leaders for allegedly “betraying” youth by failing to take action on climate change.
Shortly after Emma Watson, who was best known for playing Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, gave a similarly viral speech in 2014, Thunberg had her UN moment. Since then, Watson has developed a strong passion for women’s rights; her passionate remarks about gender equality at the UN that year surely played a major role in this change.
Watson, who had recently been named a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, said, “I have realised that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hatred.” “If there is one thing I am certain of, it is that something needs to change.”
This past decade has also seen poignant remarks from women that have helped to illuminate darker moments. One such instance is the time Emma Gonzalez, a high school student, urged US lawmakers to take action following the Parkland school shooting, which claimed the lives of 17 of her classmates.
The 19-year-old made a memorable statement at the 2018 March For Our Lives rally, saying, “We are grieving, we are furious, and we are using our words fiercely and desperately because that’s the only thing standing between us and this happening again.”
We’ve heard motivational remarks from politicians, activists, and former first ladies elsewhere in a variety of settings, including TED talks and university addresses.
