Trailblazing Women: Three Moms Who Made History Happen
March is Women’s History Month—a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of women across the globe, and we’re shining a light on a specific group of women: working moms who defied the odds and made history. Juggling careers and caregiving isn’t a new struggle—it’s something women have been doing for centuries. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Despite progress in recent history, women continue to face discrimination, prejudice and bias in the workplace. The disadvantages are magnified further for women of color and marginalized groups.
These three women achieved incredible things in their careers while balancing a life outside work as parents. Breaking barriers and challenging perceptions ahead of their time, we’re here to celebrate their astounding courage and grit!
1. Marie Curie – The Mother of Modern Science
Scientist, Nobel Prize Winner, & Widowed Mom of Two
Marie Curie, the groundbreaking physicist and chemist, was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (and the only person to win in two different sciences). Behind her world-changing discoveries, she was also a mother raising two daughters. Despite the challenges of being a widowed mom in a male-dominated field, Curie mentored her daughter Irène, who went on to win her own Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Curie shattered glass ceilings, managing groundbreaking research while raising a Nobel Prize winner and a National Book Award winner—two very impressive women in their own right!
2. Shirley Chisholm – Breaking Barriers in Politics
First Black Congresswoman & Fierce Advocate for Working Parents
Shirley Chisholm made history in 1968 as the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. A former teacher, she was passionate about education, civil rights, and workplace equality. As a working mother, she knew firsthand the challenges women faced balancing career and caregiving. In Congress, she fought for universal childcare and paid family leave—issues that remain critical today.
Chisholm was ahead of her time in advocating for policies that support working parents. She famously said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” reminding us to push for change, especially when it benefits families.
3. Wangari Maathai – The Mother of the Green Belt Movement
Environmental Activist & Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist, wasn’t just a mother to her three children—she was a mother to an entire movement. In the 1970s, she founded the Green Belt Movement, empowering women to plant trees, restore land, and fight for their economic independence. Despite political opposition and personal struggles, she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Maathai’s story is a testament to resilience. She showed that mothers can be powerful change-makers on a global scale.
Women’s History Month is about honoring the past while shaping the future. These three women remind us that working moms have been changing the world for generations. Whether you’re founding a movement or balancing a spreadsheet, your contributions matter.
Let’s celebrate the strength of working moms—past, present, and future.
