Ten women who are role models for perseverance, courage, creativity and leadership.

We live in a time where there are many women who are achieving amazing goals and impacting the lives of women and girls around the world. Here are 10 who have impacted and inspired more than they can count.

Judy Blume
She scandalized parents with Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret and other forthright novels about teenage sexuality. For teenagers in the 1970s, Blume’s books were a validation of all that young women felt and questioned. Girls could instantly identify with Margaret and Deenie, characters that alleviated feelings of personal alienation in a time when sex was not as openly discussed and dissected.

Madonna
Who wasn’t captivated by her Borderline video? When Madonna came out gyrating in ruffled ankle socks on the MTV scene, she was flamboyant and expressive and larger than life. She was the original Lady Gaga who pushed sexual, fashion as well as personal boundaries, and offered (to a young generation of women) freedom of expression that many ran with – neon, mini skirts, lace and all.

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah was the first woman to show us that you didn’t have to be white, thin or generically beautiful to be successful in front of the camera. Oprah’s personality, perseverance and business-savvy garnered her a multimedia empire and proved to girls and women everywhere that heart and smarts are what’s important.

Hillary Clinton
After Hillary Clinton spent eight years serving as First Lady, she went on to serve in the U.S. Senate, ran for president, and then became the U.S. Secretary of State. In no matter what capacity she was serving, the former first lady used her political platform and global presence to champion women’s rights. In 1995, she stood up at the World Conference on Women in Beijing and denounced the mistreatment of women around the world, from female infanticide, to forced abortion, to rape used as a military tactic. She famously proclaimed, “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”

JK Rowling
JK Rowling created the most well-known trio in young adult literary history and enchanted children around the globe, all the while living a real life rags-to-incredible-riches story. With the Harry Potter series, Rowling made reading a fantastic journey that no one wanted to miss so even kids that had no interest in reading were spellbound. Watching children gobble up these giant 600+ page tomes is truly amazing. From the midnight bookstore parties to unprecedented numbers of first print runs, it was a publishing phenomenon that we will probably never see again in our lifetime.

Mia Hamm
When Mia Hamm and the other players on the U.S. Women’s World Cup team came onto the scene, they made girl’s soccer popular and cool. Their World Cup triumph made the world notice female athletes. Mia Hamm posters graced millions of girl’s bedroom walls, and girls saw that sports equal teamwork, friendship and solidarity.

Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is an engaging speaker and her passion for women in business is infectious. She is known for telling women to “lean in” to their careers and keep climbing the ladder, no matter what, because it is possible for women to lead and have a family. As COO of Facebook, the most popular and well-known company on the planet, we have to wonder how much higher her star can rise. Perhaps she’ll show us that the sky really isn’t the limit.

Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand replaced Hillary Clinton as the junior democratic senator for New York in 2009 – a good fit since Gillibrand also has a passion for women’s rights and leadership, and tirelessly campaigns for more women to get involved in politics. A mother of two small children, she makes balancing a family and helping to run the country look easy. She represents women in a forum where there aren’t many women’s voices or perspective, reminding those in government what challenges half the workers in the U.S. and the majority of consumer decision makers face. Gillibrand, and the small number of other women in government, show girls that women can have an impact on how our country is run.

Annie Leonard
EcoSalon just interviewed Annie Leonard a month ago, and anyone who spends twenty years trotting the globe to find out where our trash goes earns the label of saint. In her Story of Stuff videos, Leonard boils complex topics down into simple examples using straightforward language that everyone can understand. Leonard also wants people to understand how empty materialism is and how much it harms the planet and walks the talk wherever she goes.

Melissa McCarthy
Finally the best friend character – the underdog – gets the glory. For once, it’s not the glamour girl, but the girl next door who is being recognized for her talent, her humor and her hard work. McCarthy, who stars on the sitcom Mike and Molly, spent years as the Gilmore Girls sidekick and broke out recently because of her show and women-centered comedy hit, Bridesmaids. Humor and personality should always win.

image credits: NJ State Library, David Shankbone, Alan Light, Marc Nozell, Beacon Radio, Global Sports Forum, JD Lasica, Freedom to Marry, The Story of Stuff, Audi USA, Kara Allyson

The post 10 Women Who Inspire Us to Succeed appeared first on EcoSalon.

Why it’s good for girls to play sports.

Your news editor was once a tomboy. I had two older brothers, and there wasn’t another girl on my street until I was 12. What was left but to follow the boys around, play with their toys and games, and be on their sports teams? Little did I know that deciding to play soccer – just because my brother did – would be a decision that would have many positive effects on my life.

The Raising Strong Girls, Raising Strong Leaders panel at the Women in the World 2011: Stories and Solutions summit made the case that learning about teamwork, participating in athletics, and having strong role models can help girls. Moderated by Juju Chang, Anita DeFrantz, (President, board member, LA84 Foundation, and Chairperson of the Women and Sport Commission, the International Olympic Committee) and Rachel Simmons (teacher, author and co-founder, Girls Leadership Institute) discussed the undermining portrayal of girls in the media today and how heavy exposure affects a girl’s worldview. Worth noting:

• Girls who frequently consume mainstream media place physical attractiveness at the center of women’s value
• 80% of female Fortune 500 executives identified themselves as former tomboys
• Teen girls are becoming the prime target of sexualized content
• Athletics and other extracurricular programs negate the impact of media influence on girls

Media Blitz
In the past decade, marketers have recognized that tween girls (age 7- to 14-year-olds) are an extremely attractive demographic for selling everything from dolls to purses to makeup, and have mounted a campaign that literally bombards girls with materialism in every form of media. Simmons said that the number of 8- to 12-year-old girls buying eyeliner has doubled in the past two years, and that age group is currently the biggest growth market in cosmetics. Simmons calls lip-gloss “the gateway drug.” You start with cherry-flavored lip gloss and the next thing you know, your 10-year-old is wearing red lipstick to class. Simmons believes that due to the heavy marketing and media barrage, “Girls are learning that it’s much more about how you appear, than who you are.”

Sports Can Break the Spell
DeFrantz, a former Olympic rower, is a strong advocate for girls becoming involved in sports. When girls (and boys) are involved in sports, they learn about decision-making, mastering a skill, and working together to accomplish a goal. Girls learn to work with others who aren’t their best friends. Chang, a collegiate swimmer, talked about the importance of investing sweat-equity to learn a skill. Sports help girls learn about effort, about failing, and about trying again, so that when they achieve success, they realize they earned it, and are willing to work toward the next success, and the one after that. Girls are also less likely to drop out of school, get pregnant, and get bad grades if they are involved in a sport.

Girls who don’t participate in extracurricular activities are more prone to internalize the omnipresent marketing. Simmons observed that girls are more likely to spend the day thinking about their appearance, how much they weigh and what they’ve eaten that day, instead of about what they should be learning, what else is going on in the world, or caring about others outside their circle of friends. Can girls still enjoy being girls? Of course, but I think participating in extra-curricular activities provides a balance.

Oh The Places You’ll Go
Participating in extra-curricular activities, whether they are sports, or some other group activity, is a great way to learn about other people that you might not have known and go places you wouldn’t have gone otherwise.

I played soccer from third grade through high school. During that time, I had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii to play in a tournament when I was 12. My teammates and I sold cookies and useless trinkets to our friends, families, and neighbors for a year to earn the money. When I was 15, we went to Scandinavia. For another year and a half, we sold more fattening snacks, had car washes and garage sales, and our friends, families and neighbors bought even more dime-store junk from us.

The friends I made playing soccer were some of the best I’ve had in my life, and I still am close to several of them 20 years later. At the time, I knew it was a great experience, but now I know it was an amazing one. Our team was made up of girls of all shapes, sizes, and interests. Would we all have been friends if we weren’t on a team together? Probably not. Soccer united us. We weren’t all best friends, but we were a team.

Of course, we’ve all since scattered to the four winds. Many of us went on to play in later years, some in college, some in recreational leagues, and each time, we built new friendships and loyalties, learned how to work with new teams, and achieved new successes. These are lessons and skills that we took with us for the rest of our lives.

image credit: wilmotuhs (travis wetzel) via creative commons license on Flickr

The post The Competitive Advantage appeared first on EcoSalon.

The World Cup finals are Sunday and, if you’re like me, you’ll think nothing of picking up the remote and tuning into the game. In fact, as usual, I probably won’t think much of flipping a lot of switches this weekend – my coffee-maker, laptop, electric lights; hell, my Prius, the electric wonder that will probably scoot me out to stock up on chips and guac before game time.

Which is why the following has me thinking. According to UN-Habitat, an estimated 560 million people live without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa (this year’s World Cup is taking place is in South Africa), including residents of Kenya’s Kibera, the largest slum settlement in the region. Situated in Nairobi, Kibera is “home” to almost one million people and only about 20 percent of people residing there have electricity.

In light of what it means to live without electricity, I know the tournament doesn’t even register as a footnote when seen in terms of life’s necessities. But there are lot of people residing in the Cup’s host continent, including a lot of kids no doubt, with a passion for the sport that I can’t even begin to fathom, who are cut off from witnessing sports’ – their sport’s – greatest spectacle.

A little ray of hope, however, comes from Solafrica.ch, a Swiss nonprofit organization that started the Kibera Youth Solar Project, which is training Kiberan kids to “assemble and repair solar technology.” To televise the games locally, Solafrica has worked with a couple dozen youth to help them hook up “open-air” television sets and projectors to a solar power-station with photovoltaic solar panels and batteries. At the end of the World Cup, the station (which can provide light and charge mobile phones and other small devices) will be installed in a nearby school to provide power for a number of local needs.

“The Kibera youths have now conquered the power of the sun,” said Solafrica Executive Director Joshiah Ramogi, who spun the group off from Greenpeace, which is also involved in supporting the effort. Quoted in Techworld, he added, “We want to show the residents of the slums the benefits of solar technology. We want to convince them to adopt new solar LED technology that will benefit them and their children.”

Image: Dundas Football Club

The post Soccer Sunshine: Game On in Africa’s Largest Slum appeared first on EcoSalon.

We’ve picked out some of the most entertaining and wacky in eco bags for your viewing pleasure. And who knows? Maybe you’re the kind of eco diva who can pull off using one of them!

Righteous Fur

Wait… fur is now sustainable? According to designer Cree McCree, it just depends upon whose fur you’re using. In this case, it’s that of the nutria, a large invasive rodent. Native to South America, nutria were introduced to the US in the 30s, but since then have become an invasive species, threatening wetlands. So, buy a rodent bag, save an ecosystem.

Fab Firehoses

These bags (above) aren’t actually all that unattractive, but the material is beyond industrial chic. Elvis & Kresse‘s new Firehose line uses recycled British firehoses, which have subdued flames for around 25-30 years before making it to the purse stage of life. The green aspect of the bags doesn’t stop there; the bag liners are made from old fabric or recycled furniture upholstery and the bag labels are printed on old luggage tags.

Living Plant Bags

Even the greenest thumbs may not be up for  the Woolly Vagabond living handbag, made from reclaimed leather and recycled plastic. The bag doubles as a potted plant, and while we do love most things multipurpose, it does raise the question: would bringing your potted plant along feel like a third wheel on a first date? Not sure it grows on you.

Repurposed License Plates

There’s a lot of good going on in the world of repurposing; what’s better than putting an item that would normally go to waste to good use? This little number – called MiniFlare Bag – is made from repurposed license plates, complete with a recycled rubber handle. But does the Swarovski crystal embellisment make this eco bling or an eco bust?

Haute Hair

For the ultimate in upcycling, turn to Australian artist Polly van der Glas, who made a full line of accessories from human hair and teeth. Careful though – with a purse like this you’ll be styling for two, better set the alarm clock a little earlier.

Killer Keyboards

For your inner eco-nerd there’s the Keyboard Purse, designed by João Sabino of Portugal. This would be my number one pick for the green bloggers out there; write intriguing eco posts by day, sport your trade by night!

It’s a Party!

Balloons aren’t the most eco-friendly (think turtles in the ocean who can’t distinguish between latex and real food), so what better use for them after they’ve turned a so-so birthday party into a killer one than a bag? Okay, maybe not. These balloon bags by designer Krizia Robustella were spotted in Madrid during Fall 2009 fashion week.

A Gorgeous Goal

You’ll be looking sporty and responsible with this reclaimed soccer ball tote. The perfect accessory for a conscious soccer mom? We’ve blogged this baby in the past, and we still aren’t convinced.

All Tied Up

No need for a business suit if you’ve got this clutch under your arm. Made of vintage men’s ties with an organic denim interior, this creative little clutch could be your key piece next time you need to show who’s boss. This one we might actually go for!

Which bag will you be sporting in 2010?

Photo Credits: Core 77, Green Muze, Littlearth, Polly van der Glas, Cree McCree, João Sabino, Fete LA, BTC Elements

The post Would You Be Caught Dead Toting These 9 Eco Bags? appeared first on EcoSalon.

From organic cotton garb to reusable serving ware, they have raised the bar in San Francisco this week as more than 1,500 Jewish teen athletes from 40 U.S. cities and four international countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Israel and Canada) compete in the Maccabi Games 2009.

This year, for the first time, organizers introduced a Green Team – a committee chaired by Miriam Gordon, an environmental activist, and games director, Jackie Lewis. Their game plan: a zero-waste event that completely circumvents the dreaded landfill.

Instead of the usual bottled water and other plastic beverage containers supplied to thirsty players, the participants have been issued reusable stainless steel water bottles to be refilled throughout the week of competition.

Garbage cans at every venue, from the polo fields in Golden Gate Park for soccer matches to the ritzy Meadow Club for golf – will be called eco-stations with recycling and composting labels for dispensing with waste.

“It’s a whole new way of doing the event,” Gordon told the Jewish News Weekly, adding that in addition to the reusable bottles, the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (the event sponsor) will serve athletes kosher meals on reusable/compostable plates with reusable utensils.

Apparently, this will also cut down on a huge litter problem on fields and event sites witnessed at past games held throughout the country.

Lewis says it’s not unusual to see water bottles scattered on the ground or thrown in the garbage because the kids are so preoccupied with matches, they aren’t thinking about what they are doing (ahh, yes, those clueless days!).

But greening the event reinforces the message that the kids must learn to be the stewards of the planet and do their part to conserve resources and consume wisely. In other words, be keen green teens!

Other gold medal eco moves:

The transportation company hired to drive the teens uses buses that run on biofuels, posters have been printed on reclaimed cardboard, volunteer tees were made from organic cotton and the food served to athletes will be mostly organic and locally-produced. The organizers also made an effort to produce fewer paper programs and notices, and whatever they did print was double-sided and on post-consumer, recycled products.

Not to miss a beat, even the pins (above) that the San Francisco delegation was issued to trade with other athletes were forged of recycled PVC-plastic.

There’s also an online component that allows spectators and participants to calculate their carbon footprint during the week of games. They can offset the pounds of carbon produced by making a contribution to the Jewish National Fund or the Carbon Fund.

Images: Luanne Bradley

The post Jewish Teen Summer Olympic Games Reach for the Green appeared first on EcoSalon.