Agenda setters, rule breakers, those that have shifted the dial, those that have fuelled the fire for change. As we wrap up 2024, we present this list of 10 women who have left us awe-inspired this year.
These women have refused to stay silent amidst gender-based violence, war, climate change and legal challenges. It’s their thirst for justice and desire to change the world for the better that deserves to be recognised.
Gisèle Pelicot
Hands down, Gisèle Pelicot is nothing less than a hero. A brave, resilient and courageous hero.
Smashing the stigma and shame society too often places on survivors of sexual assault, Gisele refused to hide her identity in the French criminal trial, over her former husband, Dominique Pelicot’s sexual abuse.
Now sentenced to 20 years in prison, Dominique repeatedly drugged and raped Gisele for almost a decade, and invited dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in their home. The court found 50 other men guilty of various charges, including 47 found guilty of rape– all of whom hid their faces in court but will now have their names become public.
“Shame must change sides,” Gisele said to the world, and her voice has reverberated globally.
Cynthia Houniuhi
Cynthia Houniuhi was heavily involved in the climate hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this year, imploring the international court to hold large emitters and fossil fuel producers accountable for the extreme damage to the environment.
In March last year, the UN General Assembly unanimously voted to approve a resolution, calling on the ICJ to give an advisory opinion on states’ obligations to address the climate crisis. The ICJ will deliver its non-binding advisory opinion in several months.
This case was brought to the ICJ as a result of years-long campaigning from the PISFCC, a law student and staunch climate activist from the Solomon Islands, which Houniuhi leads as President.
Delivering a powerful address to the court, Hounihuhi said: “For my people, our land (Mako) is the most precious. Land is our mother – a living, timeless plane where generations past, present and future converge, interconnected and sustained, in an unbroken cycle of life. Without our land, our bodies and memories are severed from the fundamental relationship that defines who we are.”
Olivia Rodrigo
American pop star Olivia Rodrigo has been making waves in women’s health by using her international platform to speak out on the issues and raise large-portions of funding.
During her world tour this year, portions of profits from ticket sales have gone to Rodrigo’s charity initiative, fund 4 good, which is committed to championing girls’ education, supporting reproductive rights and preventing gender-based violence across more than 35 different countries.
In October, Rodrigo donated all profits from her biggest ever live performance to a women’s organisation in the Philippines. And following the reversal of Roe v. Wade in the US, Rodrigo spoke out repeatedly for reproductive freedoms, including giving out free condoms and morning-after pills to her fans.
Murrawah Johnson
This year, Wirdi woman and sustainability advocate Murrawah Johnson was awarded the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize in the category of climate and energy.
An Indigenous and Traditional Owner from the Birri Gubba Nation, Johnson is the co-founder of Youth Verdict, a Queensland-based transformative justice advocacy group working towards self-managed communities where equity and human rights are observed.
In 2022, her organisation successfully won a court case against billionaire Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal Ltd in Queensland. The historic court victory was a huge game-changer for environmental activism in Australia.
Johnson, 29, hopes to use her latest win to encourage other First Nations people to use the legal system, saying “when First Nations people do take up litigation and win, it’s not just little wins, it’s huge, significant wins that really change this country.”
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP, has been a significant voice for her people’s rights this year.
Last month, she led a haka, the traditional ceremonial group dance of the Māori people, in parliament, in protest over a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country’s founding treaty with Māori people.
Maipi-Clarke tore the bill apart, after which, she was suspended from parliament.
Refusing to stay silent, Maipi-Clarke’s defiance was seen as a powerful symbol, when at the same time, thousands of protesters were joined in a hīkoi – or peaceful protest march– across the country.
Kirsha Kaechele
In an epic 2024 saga, Kirsha Kaechele’s Ladies Lounge at the MONA made its return, after the Tasmanian Supreme Court overturned a ruling that closed the women-only artspace for discriminating against men.
A Tasmanian-based US artist, Kaechele created the Ladies Lounge as a women-only space, describing it as a concept “to drive men as crazy as possible…”, but also to provide “a beautiful space for women to enjoy themselves – we deserve it, the patriarchy has been rough on us – and revel in the purse company of women, away from the overwhelming domination of men.”
Using art and humour, the world watched on as Kaechele ignited critical conversations around the historical patriarchal impacts on women through her refusal to back down to this legal challenge.
Plestia Alaqad
Gaza journalist Plestia Alaqad is known worldwide for her coverage of the effects of Israel’s bombardment on the Palestinian people in Gaza.
This year, Plestia fled the war-torn territory to come to Australia, and continues to be a powerful voice for justice, demanding that the world open its eyes to raw and confronting truths. She’s currently living in Lebanon.
Amnesty Australia named Plestia a recipient of the 2024 Human Rights Defender Award.
Expressing her thanks for the recognition, Plestia said: “This award is not mine alone– it belongs to every Palestinian child who dreams of freedom, every mother who refuses to give up hope, and every voice that refuses to be silenced. It is a reminder that while the struggle for justice is long and arduous, it is not in vain.”
Following the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and the Israeli government’s response, Plestia began sharing videos and photos online to show the world an inside view of current events in Gaza. Since then, she’s been reaching the eyes and ears of millions of followers on Instagram. She’s also releasing a book in 2025, called The Eyes of Gaza.
Simone Biles
At the 2024 Olympics, Simone Biles made a historic comeback in gymnastics, which not only highlighted her athletic prowess, but also shined a light on the power of prioritising mental health.
In Paris, Biles became the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport, winning her fifth Olympic gold medal. She also boasts 38 career medals between the Olympics and world championships. At 27, she is the oldest American woman to make an Olympic gymnastics team since the fifties.
Deservedly referred to as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT), Biles has been an inspiration to us all for choosing to prioritise her mental health following the decision to drop out of several competitions during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She also continues to be a strong voice among a group of elite U.S. gymnasts speaking out for victims of sexual abuse. Last year, Biles testified before congress about failures in the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case against Larry Nassar.
Imane Khelif
Also at the 2024 Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won gold all while being forced to navigate bullying on a global scale, over her gender.
Throughout Khelif’s Olympic campaign, social media users, including high profile people like Elon Musk and JK Rowling, attacked Khelif, claiming she was a transgender woman competing in the 66kg women’s boxing category. These accusations were untrue: the International Olympic Committee confirmed Khelif is a cisgender woman and passed all eligibility requirements to compete in the Games.
Along with her historic 2024 Olympic gold, Khelif became the first female Algerian boxer to win a world championship medal with her silver at the 2022 World Championships. At Tokyo 2020, she made history as Algeria’s first female boxer to compete in the Olympics.
After the online abuse and harassment she was subjected to in Paris, Khelif took action by filing a legal complaint with the French authorities, and her resilience has been an inspiration to many.
Claudia Sheinbaum
This year, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president. The 62-year-old former mayor of Mexico City vowed to improve women’s rights and bolster the country’s economy amidst lagging growth.
A former climate scientist, Sheinbaum kicked off the start of her six-year term saying she hopes that her historical win as a woman will inspire “those who dreamed of the possibility that one day no matter if we were born as women or men we would achieve our dreams and desires without our sex determining our destiny.”
With only 30 countries where 31 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government, Sheinbaum’s new leadership is driving change.
“I will govern for everyone and be assured that I will put my knowledge, strength, my history, and my life itself at the service of the people and the country,” Sheinbaum said.