Hillary Rodham Clinton runs as the first female presidential candidate for a major party
The former first lady, secretary of state, and proud Girl Scout alum made history and inspired many girls and women around the country.
Ghostbusters and Supergirl capture the imagination of girls everywhere
Yay for diverse role models! Over the summer, the stars of the all-female Ghostbusters reboot got high fives and tons of love from little girls on the red carpet, and, for the first time in more than a decade, superhero Halloween costumes like that worn by Supergirl outranked princess costumes to become the most popular for kids.
Plans are announced to put a woman on the $20 bill
The government will be replacing slaveholding Andrew Jackson, who is currently featured on the $20 bill, with former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Other history-making women and civil rights leaders will be appearing on five and ten dollar bills.
Women rise to the top of the sports world
Both the National Football League and the National Hockey League hired their first female coaches, while the National Basketball Association hired its first female assistant coach this year. Similarly, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), a traditionally male-dominated organization, appointed its first female secretary general. Oh, but there’s more! For the first time in 17 years, women were able to compete in the first female big wave surf competition, and American women walked away from the 2016 Summer Olympics with more gold than any other group. Bravo!
Women take their places in the Senate
In November, Americans voted 21 women—the largest number ever—into Senate seats. Beyond that? We also have a record number of women of color serving in the Senate.
Grace Dy, M.D. takes the lead in fighting lung cancer
Dr. Dy of Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, is heading up the first U.S. clinical trials for a lung cancer vaccine originally developed in Cuba. The trial may take up to three years, but has the potential to save countless lives.
Women assume unprecedented active duty ranks across the military, and West Point gets its first female dean
The United States Military Academy has been around for more than 200 years, but it’s never had a female dean until this year when Colonel Cindy Jebb (now Brigadier General Cindy Jebb!) was named to the job. Additionally, thanks to a 2015 decision by the U.S. Secretary of Defense which allowed women to enter combat roles, female soldiers are rising to new levels and taking on historic roles in the military.
Girls and women can see themselves in a whole range of new emoji
Smartphone users can now choose between male and female characters for emojis, including surfer, detective, police officer, weight lifter, scientist, and chef.
Emma Watson makes headlines by hiding feminist books throughout the NYC subway system
The actress and activist for gender equality brought joy and smarts to the city’s transit system earlier this year. The overwhelmingly positive response she got helped drive home the fact that seemingly small, random acts of awesome can make a difference.
Girl Scouts reaches new heights and continues to build a better world
Wherever you looked in 2016, Girl Scouts were there, pitching in, speaking up, and definitely having a ton of fun. In addition to community-changing volunteer efforts by troops around the country and another amazing appearance at the White House Science Fair, Girl Scouts also teamed up with Disney Channel to help families practice leadership. We’ve had a lot of outstanding work to celebrate, and we’ve done it in style with our first-ever appearance in the 90th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® and the Movement’s first-ever anthem.