Nothing is as inspiring as witnessing someone breaking barriers put before them. The following 5 powerful TED Talks are given by women who have overcome more than just their gender’s perceived limitations and serve as an example to everyone, men and women, of how we can make personal and social change.

5 TED Talks by Women About Breaking Barriers

Whether plagued with a “disability” or forced by a male-driven society to bow to convention, the following 5 women challenge our views on life as we know it and remind us that there is still so much work to be done in building a more open-minded and proactive environment, both personally and socially.

1. Meera Vijayann: Finding Your Voice Against Sexual Violence

Journalist and gender activist Meera Vijayann talks about her experience confronting sexual violence in India, particularly after the horrific events in 2012, which saw a 23-year old girl gang-raped on a bus in Delhi and die from her injuries. In 2013, Meera won the CNN IBN Citizen Journalist Award for her reporting of the rape case.

2. Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Who better to reflect on the glass ceiling than Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg?

3. Aimee Mullins: The Opportunity of Adversity

Born without shinbones, Aimee Mullins overcame her physical challenge and became a ground-breaking runner. She discusses how adversity can open the door for human potential.

4. Caroline Casey: Looking Past Limits

Caroline Casey was told at 17 years old that she was legally blind. Caroline explains how belief and vision were all she needed to not be held back by a limit she never knew she had.

5. Maysood Zayid: I got 99 problems…palsy is just one

Arab-American comedian, actress and philanthropist Maysood Zayid challenges society’s perceived limitations of those with cerebral palsy and stands as an emblem of success, despite her so-called disability.

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