Women who live to make positive impacts on the lives of others deserve uninterrupted commendations. At Marymount, it is our duty to acknowledge and lift up the inspirational activists who are encouraging change – change in small town settings and change in worldly platforms. For this issue’s “Women of the Month” article, both the local and the international women endured unimaginable, hate-fueled trauma. While the two women were completely innocent, both were denied their basic human rights and stripped of their dignity. Amazingly, despite these setbacks, both women chose to rise above their oppressors in hopes of initiating necessary change for themselves and the generations to follow. These women truly embody the impassioned phrase: Nevertheless, she persisted.

For our local woman of the month, this kindhearted and beautiful lady was chosen because of her relentless optimism and admirable strength:

Clara Hada

When I think of my family’s longtime friend Clara, I think of an outwardly friendly woman who shows munificence in everything she does. However, in contradiction with her ever-present optimism, Clara’s past was corrupted with the cruelty of humanity. Following Japan’s attacks on Pearl Harbor during World War II, Clara was forced to suffer in internment camps solely because she was of Japanese ancestry. The government disregarded the fact that she was a legal American citizen, choosing instead to discriminate against her race and punish her for something she had absolutely no control over. While this unjust prejudice against Clara and countless other Japanese Americans could understandably taint one’s perception of humanity’s morality as a whole, Clara chose to rise above her oppressors. She did not allow the anger and hatred that she faced in the concentration camps to rub off on her, instead, she became a true beacon of hope for anyone fortunate enough to meet her. In the sixteen years that I have known Clara personally, I have never once seen her without a smile on her face. Her continually positive outlook on life, despite enduring extremely tragic hardships, will never cease to inspire me.

This month’s global woman of the month is none other than: Malala Yousafzai!

“I raise up my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back” (Malala Yousafzai’s speech at the United Nations). At only 19 years of age, Malala Yousafzai has broken barriers for oppressed women around the world, and she has no plans of stopping. After girls in her home of Pakistan were banned from attending school, Malala began writing about this maltreatment through anonymous blog posts. However, the Taliban eventually took notice of her advocacy and shot her while on her school bus ride home. The Pakistani activist received international attention after surviving the Taliban gunman’s murder attempt. Rather than use this near-death tragedy to fuel an attitude of anger and hatred, Malala chose to speak out against the injustices originating in her home of northwest Pakistan. Her father addressed the importance of not backing down in the face of inhumane brutality. He declared, “We wouldn’t leave our country if my daughter survives or not. We have an ideology that advocates peace. The Taliban cannot stop all independent voices through the force of bullets” (taken from the book Malala: The Crusader of Fearless Freedom). Malala’s inspirational outlook on life and necessary calls for change prompted international support. Among her notable achievements, Malala became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient in 2014 for her remarkable activism regarding women’s rights to education. For her unwavering commitment to equality (especially in regards to gender), for her outspoken address of the human right to education, and for the genuine forgiveness of her oppressors, Malala Yousafzai truly embodies a role model for women everywhere.