Text for "Leaders" Page of Website

We wrote text to go with images of important woman leaders on our website:

Helen Clark:

Famously ridiculed for her "man-voice," former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has received her fair share of sexist insults. A prime minister’s job is to take charge and make decisive changes to our country, which Clark has indeed achieved, but because she is a woman she is a "bitch". According to Urban Dictionary Clark “claims to be a female but we all know she has balls".

Hilary Clinton:

As one of America’s most prominent female politicians Hilary Clinton has long endured being called a bitch. What's even worse is that male politicians fail to correct those who lob the word at such a credentialed woman. Politicians need to come equipped with nerves of steel and to aggressively advocate for their countries best interests, yet, when a woman fulfills these requirements, she's a "ball buster" and a "bitch."

Jill Abramson:

Jill Abramson was the first female Executive Editor of The New York Times, and was supposedly fired for being a "bitch." While we will never know whether it was actually gender bias that had Abramson fired, the word has been attached to her name ever since.

Lydia Ko:

Ko the teenage golf prodigy from New Zealand is taking the golfing world by storm. She competed in the Canadian Women's Open to become the youngest women in history to win. She has won many competitions and is continuing to break records. Ko is strong, independent and works extremely hard for her results. She is the new generation of Bitch and is a prime example for what we need to aim for within the up and coming role models for our country.

Madonna Ciccone:

Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to her music, Madonna Ciccone, know professionally as Maddona remains a major force in pop culture. She gets endless criticism for acting like the megastar that she is, when most male stars in her position rarely get questioned for their over-the-top bravado. She's taken matters into her own hands on her upcoming record by spinning the b-word to her liking with a response to her haters featuring Nicki Minaj called, "Bitch, I'm Madonna."

Oprah Winfrey:

When the press isn't lauding Winfrey’s impact on network television or discussing her latest charitable contribution, they are uncovering dirt on how much of a difficult bitch she is. It makes sense that anyone who could, would try to cut the Queen of All Media down to size. And what do people love to call Winfrey more than a bitch? A "fat bitch." However, these insults only seem to roll off her back (if she even acknowledges them at all). She's too busy being a billionaire.

Urzila Carlson:

 Who says women aren’t funny? Voted New Zealand’s best female comedian by NZ Comedy Guild from 2010-2014, Carlson has racked up an impressive array of awards.  She has had five sold out seasons at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Often called a bitch, or a "fat bitch" for calling people out on their bullshit, Carlson is still one to question why there are so few women in standup.

Ruth Ginsberg:

 As the second woman to ever hold a seat on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg has been dedicated to gender equality throughout her legal career. She is outspoken about her view that America is ready for same-sex marriage and wouldn't dare sugarcoat her words to make anyone more comfortable. Ginsberg is no stranger to backlash from the men around her for it, her nickname in law school was "bitch," and upon discovering this fact she quipped, "better bitch than mouse." If that doesn't exemplify an unshakable constitution and make her a badass bitch, what does?

Ella Yelich-O’Connor:

Known by her stage name Lorde, 18 year old New Zealand Pop Artist Ella Yelich-O’Connor was overnight international sensation but has still encountered sexism in the music industry. In a recent tweet she wrote, “hey, men – do me and yourselves a favour, and don’t underestimate my skill”. Her gender and her age coupled with her self-assuredness are both reasons Lorde attracts more than her share of scrutiny but when she specifically warms us not to underestimate her, we probably should listen.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter:

Known by her stage name Beyoncé, American singer and performer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is a self-described modern-day feminist. She creates songs characterized by love and relationships as well as female sexuality and empowerment. She believes “we should all be feminists” and has also contributed to the “Ban Bossy” Campaign, which uses social media to encourage leadership in girls.