7 Women We Celebrated – Or Should Have – in 2019

As we commemorate this holiday season with gratitude and gifts, we are reflecting on some of the women we celebrated and who inspired us this past year.

Women made strides everywhere we turned in 2019, from the top of the music charts and late-night television to environmental activism and women-led business — and just about everywhere in between. We listened to their struggles and eyed their progess, so here is our list of the women who stood out in 2019:

1. Lizzo

NBC

Lizzo’s has one major goal with her music: “I’m trying to empower everyone,”  thhe Time magazine 2019 Entertainer of the Year said in an interview. With her powerhouse vocals matched with classically trained flute skills and the confidence to empower the world, it’s no surprise that Lizzo is the overall most nominated artist for the 2020 Grammy Awards. And she closed out 2019 with a showstopping SNL performance. 

2. AOC

Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman/AP

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, widely known as AOC, serves as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14thl district. AOC reminded us in 2019 in the power of voice, and the power of the people, as she fearlessly spoke out against injustices and challenged traditional ideas, despite facing constant ridicule from opposing political parties. 

3. Greta Thunberg

TIME

At only 16 years old, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is the youngest person to be named Time’s Person of the Year. Speaking up against climate change on a global stage, Thunberg got the world’s attention in 2019. Not only is she the voice of a generation, but we have a feeling her voice is the catalyst for big changes to come in the next decade. 

4. Megan Rapinoe

Getty Images

Megan Rapinoe is Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. She led her team to victory at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, protested visiting the White House and advocated for LGBTQ rights. The soccer star and captain of Reign FC also challenged perceptions of female athletes in 2019 when she led her teammates to stand up, speak out and sue the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay. 

5. Cindy Eckert

CEO Cindy Eckert not only graced the cover of our holiday issue this year, but she also graced the world with her company The Pink Ceiling, investing in women-owned or -centered companies and products. Creator of “female viagra,” the entrepreneur built and sold not one but two pharmaceutical companies for over $1 billion, proving that in 2019, pink is powerful. 

6. Issa Rae

Amy Sussman | Getty Images

From the beginning of the decade to now, Issa Rae’s career has evolved like no other when it comes to producing TV series. From her awkward YouTube web series (“The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl“) to Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, Rae has come a long way since writing rap songs in her bedroom. She now has her hand in a number of major production projects for 2020, including her HBO hit series, “Insecure.” She received a standing ovation at the 2019 Women In Film Gala when she won the Emerging Entrepreneur Award after her hilarious and unapologetic acceptance speech honed in on how hard she’s worked over the years.

7. Lilly Singh

Nathan Congleton | Getty Images

Lilly Singh made late-night TV history when she announced in March of this year that she was getting her own NBC late-night show. The Indian-Canadian YouTube comedian with nearly 15 million subscribers is the first openly bisexual woman of color talk show host and the first woman of Indian descent to host on a major American network. Starting as a Youtube comic but now now replacing Carson Daly on NBC late-night, Singh built an empire before her 30th birthday.