Every year, presidential proclamations designate March as Women’s History Month, which is a time to honor women’s contributions to American history, according to the National Women’s History Museum. This year, the theme for Women’s History Month is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”. According to the National Women’s History Alliance, this theme “is both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history. To celebrate Women’s History Month, here are 10 influential women who shaped history:

Jane Addams

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Jane Addams was a progressive social reformer and activist who was the first woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.

Jane Cooke Wright

According to Time, Jane Cooke Wright is credited as being one of the cancer researchers to discover chemotherapy, was the first woman elected president of the New York Cancer Society, and the highest ranked African American woman physician.

Sally Ride

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, who was passionate about improving science education and helping young women and girls become interested in science.

Claudia Jones

According to Time, “Claudia Jones was one of the most influential Black radical and feminist intellectuals of the 20th century” who “emphasized the triple oppression of race, class and gender, laying the foundation for what Kimberlé Crenshaw later termed intersectionality.”

Judith Heumann

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Judith Heumann is considered the “mother” of the disability rights movement due to her advocacy that has improved accessibility and opportunities for disabled people in the United States.

Patsy Mink

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress, the first Asian-American to run for U.S. president, and an advocate for gender equality in schools through the Women’s Educational Equity Act.

Wilma Mankiller

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Wilma Mankiller is recognized as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation who spent her life advocating for the rights of Indigenous Americans.

Mary Tape

According to the National Park Service, Mary Tape fought for her daughter’s right to attend public school in California, since school authorities wouldn’t allow her to attend because of her Chinese ancestry. Tape sued the Board of Education, and this lawsuit became a landmark civil rights case for public school desegregation.

Sylvia Rivera

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Sylvia Rivera was a veteran of the Stonewall Inn uprising who fought for the inclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Elizabeth Blackwell

According to the National Women’s History Museum, Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in America to receive a medical degree, who championed the participation of women in the medical field.