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What a difference a decade makes. From 2009 to 2019, women around the world have made monumental strides challenging the status quo in media, politics and activism. There have been some wins, some hard lessons, and some new beginnings.

In no particular order, here are 29 times women and girls around the world made a positive dent in the decade in the name of equality and saving the planet. There are many more were these came from. Please add any that come to mind in the comments section below!

2016: When The Women Of Standing Rock Protected Their Water

In the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, Native American women instrumental in inspiring action across the U.S. Since early 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, have been resisting the construction of the $3.7 billion-dollar pipeline, which would transport 470,000 barrels of oil every day and threaten the land and waterways, including the Missouri River, which provide drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux.

2014: When Malala Yousafzai Was Named Youngest Nobel Laureate In History

In October 2014, then 17-year-old Yousafzai became co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the suppression of young people and for the right of all children to have an education. On 9 October 2012, while on a bus in her native Swat District of northwest Pakistan, Yousafzai and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt against her activism. Following her recovery, Yousafzaico-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit that advocates for girls education, and in 2013 co-authored the international bestseller I Am Malala.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai poses for photo session during the G7 Development and ... [+] Education Ministers Meeting, in Paris, on July 5, 2019. - France is hosting the rotating presidency of the G7 in 2019. The 45th G7 Summit will be held in August 2019 in Biarritz. (Photo by Christophe PETIT TESSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/AFP via Getty Images)

2013: When Womens Leadership in Rwandas Parliament Skyrocketed

Following the genocide of Rwanda in 1994, the country was left in turmoil with a death toll between 800,000 to 1 million. Holding a population of 6 million, 60 to 70 percent were womenmeaning more women needed to step up to the plate for leadership positions. And they did. In the 2003 election, 48 percent of parliamentary seats went to women. Five years, later womens representation rose to 56 percent. In 2013, the number climbed to 64 percent. Rwanda is the first country in the world which women have moved beyond half of political leadership.

2010: When Ai-jen Poo Led Americas First Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights Campaign

Community organizer and founder of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, has been advocating for the rights of domestic workers for more than a decade, and with good reason. Most nannies, house keepers, and hired caregivers have lacked basic protection, such as minimum wage, unemployment benefits, and protection from abuse. Poo led Americas first campaign for the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, which was designed to ensure overtime pay, paid vacation, and basic human and civil rights protections for over 200,000 workers in the state of New York.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA - FEBRUARY 02: National Domestic Workers Alliance director Ai-Jen Poo ... [+] speaks at the AOL 2016 MAKERS conference at Terranea Resort on February 2, 2016 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

2018: When Saudi Women Activists Campaigned For The Right To Drive & Won

In June 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on womens right to drive. While this was a win for women of the country and for those who led the campaign for years, a number of the human rights defenders involved in moving the culture forward including, Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan and Aziza al-Yousef were put in prison. According to Amnesty International, Nafjan, Yousef and Ruqayyaa al-Mhareb were provisionally releasedon 28 March. But the others are still detained. So in some ways, this was a partial win and a total call to action.

Saudi Majdoleen Mohammed Alateeq, a newly-licensed Saudi driver, prepares for driving her car near ... [+] her home in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on June 24, 2018. - Saudi Arabia ended its longstanding ban on women driving on June 24, 2018 -- and the second the clock struck midnight, women across the country started their engines. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

2016: When Beyonc Broke The Internet With The Premiere of Lemonade

When Queen Bey dropped her visual album Lemonade and shredded the internet, many music critics and fans across social media said the piece was an ode to black feminism. But that didnt stop women of a number of races from feeling like she was singing to and with them. Through the songs and short films of Lemonade, Beyonc delivered poetic prose and anthems paying homage to New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, Malcolm X, black men shot by white police officers, the mothers of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, her daughter Blue, and a number of her friends in entertainment and the arts. As Miriam Bale wrote in Billboard, the album emphasized the concept of turning nothing in something. Lemonade is even stronger than blood.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Beyonce Knowles-Carter attends the European Premiere of Disney's "The ... [+] Lion King" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 14, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)

2013 - When The Women Of Black Lives Matter Started A Worldwide Movement

Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi initially tweeted #BlackLivesMatter in response to the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, FL. Shortly after Zimmerman was acquitted the hashtag quickly evolved into a movement and global network of more than 40 chapters. In 2013 and 2014, #BlackLivesMatter was used as an organizing too, as other groups harnessed it to combat racism across the U.S. In October, the project announced that it is currently fighting disinformation about black organizers.

Alicia Garza, from left, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, co-founders of the Black Lives Matter ... [+] movement, arrive at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards at NeueHouse Hollywood on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

2018 - When Emma Gonzalez Called BS On The Trump Administration

Days after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, senior Emma Gonzalez, delivered the speech of a lifetime in an emotionally charged anti-gun rally. She addressed President Trump and politicians who accept money from the NRA as part of the national problem. In response, to the incident, Gonzalez co-founded the gun-control advocacy group Never Again MSD.

2017 & 2014 - When Naomi Kleins Books Debuted As A NYTs Bestsellers

The force of nature that is author, activist and filmmaker, Naomi Klein, comes through time and time again in her fearless journalism and analysis of climate justice. Shes an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and international and bestselling author of No Is Not Enough: Resisting the New Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need (2017), This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate(2014), The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007) and No Logo (2000). Her criticism of corporate globalization and research on how it impacts the environment will go down in history as some of the most forward thinking and important writing of our generation.

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 12: Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein speaks at the "Willy Brandt ... [+] Lecture 2019" at the Willy Brandt Foundation on December 12, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Klein, known for her critique of corporate capitalism, is advocating a Green New Deal as a means to mitigate climate change and save the planet. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

2010, 2016 & 2018:When The Women of Iceland Went on Strike

On October 24, 2018, the women of Iceland went on strike at 2:55pm Icelandic time to protest the gender wage gap. The monumental occasion commemorated the original Womens Day Off, which took place in 1975. This event is emblematic of why the small island has topped the World Economic Forums survey for gender equality for nine years in a row. Out of 144 countries, Iceland ranks number one in political empowerment among women, number one for closing the gender income gap (government ambitions look to finalize this in 2022), and corporate quotas ensuring women represent 44% of company boards.

2014: When Jane Goodall Published Reason for Hope

Renowned primatologist and anthropologist, Jane Goodall, is most well known for her studying and interactions with wild chimpanzees. Evolving from science to advocacy, she opened the worlds eyes up to a higher level of humanity and shared her discoveries in her memoir Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Jane Goodall attends the National Geographic Documentary Films' ... [+] premiere of "Sea of Shadows" at NeueHouse Los Angeles on July 10, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

2016: When Women In Argentina Protested Crimes Against Women

Following police inaction after the rape and killing of a number of women, specifically 16-year-old Lucia Perez, hundreds of thousands women in Argentina and across Latin Americafloodedthe streets chantingthe slogan Ni una menos (not one less).Four yearsprior, Argentina sanctioned a law defining the escalating problem of violence against women as femicide.

2009 - WhenMichelle Obama Became First Lady & So Much More

In 2009, Michelle Obama not only became the first African AmericanFirst Lady of the United States, she quickly evolved into a iconic beacon of hope for the rest of the world. That year, she hosted a womens rights reception in honor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Pay Equity law. In her memoir, Becoming, Obama describes her four primary initiatives as First Lady: Let's Move!, Reach Higher, Let Girls Learn, and Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 06: A conversation with Michelle Obama takes place during the 2019 ... [+] ESSENCE Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

2017 - When Survivors Said #MeToo

Originally founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to support survivors of sexual violence, particularly black women and girls, #MeToo experienced a second phase two years ago when Alyssa Milano called for people to post their sexual harassment incidents across social media using the hashtag #MeToo. What subsequently erupted was a movement and cultural reckoning overflowing with survivors and supporters shining a light on sexual misconduct in the workplace across sectors. Since then, several states have passed laws prohibiting the use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases. There is more work to be done, but some positive shifts are unfolding on state and federal levels.

In this Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, photo Tarana Burke, founder and leader of the #MeToo movement, poses ... [+] for a portrait in New York. Burke is using the second anniversary of the movement to launch a new effort intended to mobilize voters heading into the 2020 election. The new hashtag #MeTooVoter was unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 15 on the same day as the fourth Democratic presidential debate and reflects a frustration among activists that issues of sexual violence and harassment have largely been absent from the debate stage and campaign trail. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

2011: When Hillary Clinton Declared Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights

Reminiscent of her famous 1995 speech in Beijing as First Lady, when she said "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a speech on Dec. 6, 2011, to the United Nations saying, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."

2014: When Emma Watson Launched HeforShe

In 2014, actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, addressed men and women at the UNs headquarters in NYC in a highly applauded speech about gender equality that went viral almost instantly. Her remarks launched the HeforShe campaign, an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women to create a united front for gender equality.

2019: When Indigenous Women of The Amazon Took To The Streets

As the worlds lungs, the Amazon rainforest, ferociously burned in August and September, indigenous women mobilized to protest the policies ofBrazils president Jair Bolsonaro, which they say have violated their indigenous rights and escalated racism, violence, and high rates of deforestation in the Amazon. Marking the countrys first Indigenous Womens March, they rallied across their countrys capital carrying signs with the slogan Territory: our body, our spirit.

13 August 2019, Brazil, Brasilia: Indigenous women are taking part in a protest against right-wing ... [+] President Bolsonaro's environmental policies and the loss of their traditional settlements. Bolsonaro wants to make greater economic use of the Amazon region in particular and allow further deforestation. Photo: Tuane Fernandes/dpa (Photo by Tuane Fernandes/picture alliance via Getty Images)

2015: When Jennifer Lawrence Called Out Hollywoods Pay Gap

Plenty of people publicly offered anything but sympathy for Jennifer Lawrence when she released her essay, Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars? Some criticized her taking this stance because she earns millions of dollars per movie, while others applauded her candid, direct approach to an important issue.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox's "Dark ... [+] Phoenix" at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

2019 - When Greta Thunberg Sailed Across the Atlantic to NYC

Sixteen-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg, rocked headlines and got under the skin of certain politicians when she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in a solar powered racing yacht to speak at climate conferences in New York and Chile. Prior to her carbon free voyage, she spent school days outside the Swedish Parliament demanding aggressive action to reduce the risks from future global warming. Other young people joined her, and soon after, a youth-led global climate action movement spread like wildfire.

Greta Thunberg on December 13, 2019 in Turin, Italy.The 16-year-old environmental activist Greta ... [+] Thunberg, just been elected Time Magazine's Person of the Year, on her way back from Madrid (where COP25 is happening) to Stockholm decided to partecipate to 50th Friday For Future in Turin. (Photo by Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

2019 - When Women Won Leadership Of Finlands Political Parties

In December, 34-year-old Sanna Marin became Finlands and the worlds youngest prime minister. This now makes a party of five women leading Finlands Social Democrat Coalition, which has agreed to stay together to execute policies the group announced in June. The four other female party leaders in the coalition are Li Anderson, 32, who heads the the Left Alliance; Maria Ohisalo, 34, of the the Green League; Katri Kulmuni, 32, from the Centre party, who was named finance minister on Monday; and Anna-Maja Henriksson, 55, of the Swedish Peoples party.

Sanna Marin the Prime Minister of Finland at the European Council - Euro Summit - EU leaders ... [+] meeting, during a press conference with President of European Council Charles Michel and President of Europe Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The Social Democrat Finnish prime minister is in office from December 10, 2019 and is currently the world's youngest serving pm. Finland helds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

2014: When Trans Rights Activist Laverne Cox Graced The Cover of Time

In 2014, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the Netflix series Orange is the new Black. GLAAD, an NGO that fights discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the media,notedthat Cox repeatedly breaks barriers in her advancement of the LGBTQ cause. That same year, she was the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, breaking boundaries around the world for the transgender community.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Laverne Cox attends the Premiere of Columbia Pictures' ... [+] "Charlie's Angels" at Westwood Regency Theater on November 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

2016: When The Women Of Poland Stopped Anti-Abortion Legislation

In Poland, after the drafting of a law that would have banned abortion across the country, women wore all black and went on strike to protest the legislation. And it worked. The parliament, along with the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), backed away from the controversial proposal, which wouldve made all abortions illegal unless a mothers life was at risk. If the bill had become law, it wouldve been illegal to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. Additionally, the law called for doctors who facilitate an illegal abortion and women who seek one to be jailed for up to five years.

2018: When Oprah Gave Her Monumental Golden Globes Speech

The women of Poland arent the only ones who wore all black as a symbol of solidarity. At the2018 Golden Globes, the women of Hollywood donned black evening gowns to show support for the anti-sexual harassment initiative Times Up, which was formed in response to the outpouring of #MeToo movement voices. Times Up publicly launched after allegations against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein proliferated the news media. That evening, Oprah Winfrey received the Cecile B. DeMille Award, and delivered a moving speed declaring, So I want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say, Me too again. Thank you. Her words had a few people in the audience encouraging her to run for president.

2018: When A Record Number Women Ran For Office

While Oprah opted not to run for office, a record number of women in the U.S. did, specifically for the House, Senate and state legislatures. A record 3,379 women won nomination for state legislatures across the country, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. Meanwhile, 235 women won nominations in U.S. House races, breaking the previous 2016 record of 167. Twenty-two women won major-party nominations for U.S. Senate, breaking the record of 18 set in 2012. Sixteen women were nominated for gubernatorial races. The previous record, set in 1994, was 10. Whether it was in direct response to the Trump Administration, the #MeToo movement, or an increase in programs encouraging women to get elected is difficult to determine. Whatever the cause, a cultural shift transpiredone that will continue to progress in years to come.

2019: When AOC Introduced The Green New Deal

Shortly after becoming New York's 14th District congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez garnered support for the Green New Deal, drafted to combat climate change andincome inequality. The draft says that within 10 years from the start of execution of the Plan, the country will be fully powered by renewable energy sources. Cortez also proposed providing all Americans with the opportunity, training, and education to be full and equal participants in the countrys clean energy transition, universal health care programs that would support green energy start-ups, and a jobs guarantee program that would assure a living-wage job for all.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference ... [+] to introduce legislation to transform public housing as part of her Green New Deal outside the U.S. Capitol November 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. The liberal legislators invited affordable housing advocates and climate change activists to join them for the announcement. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

2017 & 2018When Women Around The World Marched In Unison

The day after President Trumps inauguration in 2017, women (and men) across the globe came together to protest his election, along with a number of injustices including the rollback of reproductive rights, issues around immigration, civil rights and more. The main demonstration took place in Washington D.C., as additional marches made noise in at least 408 different U.S. locations and 673 total worldwide. During the D.C., event, legendary feminist activist, Gloria Steinem said to the crowd: Make sure you introduce yourselves to each other and decide what were going to do tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow. Were never turning back!

WASHINGTON,DC-JAN19: The Women's March, January 19th, 2019. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The ... [+] Washington Post via Getty Images)

2017: When Elizabeth Warren Persisted

The words Nevertheless, she persisted evolved into a popular feminist battle cry and meme after Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke out against the nomination of Jeff Sessions to become Attorney General, citing his anti civil rights record. While she was reading a letter supporting her objection to Sessions leadership, she was interrupted by Mitch McConnell. Following that, the Senate voted for her to be silenced during the rest of Sessions confirmation. McConnell, later said of Warren: She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted. And were so glad she did.

MANCHESTER, NH - DECEMBER 12: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) ... [+] gestures as she delivers an economic policy speech on December 12, 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Iowa Caucuses are less than two months away. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Originally posted here:
2009-2019: 27 Times Women & Girls Fighting For Equality Slayed the Decade - Forbes