This has been a big year for women, not just here in the States, but around the world — there have been so many moments that made me proud to be a girl! In case you missed any of them, here's a quick run-down of some of the brightest girl-power moments of 2015 (in no particular order).
1 Adele's New Album
We've been waiting a long, long time for this, and the sales numbers prove it: in its first week, 25 sold more than the previous 19 Number 1 albums combined, and went Platinum twice over.
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2 Chrissy Teigen Shuts down the Pregnancy Police
Expectant momma Chrissy Teigen posted this sweet photo as her pregnancy announcement... then spent her entire first trimester shutting down anyone who tries to police her and her choices while she's pregnant. It's loathsome, and she shut. it. down!
3 Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
Like most other die-hard Star Wars fans, I've picked apart the trailers, and one of the things that made me happiest was the fact that it appears as though, like her male counterpart, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher has been allowed to — gasp! — age naturally in the upcoming film.
4 Jennifer Lawrence Takes on Hollywood Sexism
As soon as she's done eliminating the astounding Hollywood pay gap (wherein male stars make several times what their equally-worthy female costars make), she'll probably take over the world. I'm okay with that.
5 Basically Everything JK Rowling Tweeted about
Why should 2015 be any different than any other year, in which JK Rowling confronts hate, misogyny and general ignorance on Twitter?
6 But Especially Her Defense of Goddess Serena Williams
While acknowledging that Serena Williams doesn't need any help defending herself, I must add that JK Rowling's defense of Serena's so-called manly physique was fantastic.
7 Tampons Aren't Luxuries!
Early in November, women in the UK and around the world slapped back against a ridiculous tax on feminine hygiene products, letting it be known that they're straight up NOT a luxury, and shouldn't be taxed as such.
8 The UK's Female Politicians
While there's still quite a gender gap (female politicians still only make up less then 30% of politicians in the UK), they did gain a lot of seats in 2015. Pictured here is Mhairi Black, who at age 20 is the youngest MP since 1667.
9 We Got Supergirl
I love this show and I love how Calista Flockheart's character explained WHY she's called Super GIRL instead of Super WOMAN.
10 We Got More Agent Carter
And who says you have to be a superhero from another planet to save the worlds? MARVEL's Agent Peggy Carter is amazingly tough, smart, and provocative, doing everything her chauvinist co-workers can do, but in heels, too. It's no surprise we're getting a second season.
11 Call Me Caitlyn
It takes courage to undergo such an intensely personal transition under public scrutiny, but Caitlyn Jenner did it, lending visibility to a wretchedly underrepresented segment of our population: the transgender community.
12 Viola Davis at the Emmys
It seems unreal that this year, Viola Davis became the first African-American to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama (surely there have been some other deserving African-American actors!)... but after accepting her award, she gave a truly stirring speech, one you've got to see (or at least read) to appreciate.
13 Two Women Win Two Very Different Win Nobel Prizes
Both Svetlana Alexievich and Tu Youyou won their own Nobel Prizes this year, Alexievich for Literature (for "inventing a new kind of literary genre”) and Youyou for Medicine (for her anti-malaria drugs). Youyou was the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel for medicine.
14 Madonna Sings Taylor's Praises
Why is this a big deal? Because it's vital that we see female superstars supporting one another, to combat the nasty stereotype of the catty, overly-competitive powerful woman.
15 Tina Fey & Amy Poehler Take a Jab at the Clooney Conundrum
At this year's Golden Globes, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made a few stabs at Hollywood's sexist double standards (including an arrow straight into the sadistic heart of Bill Cosby), but my fave moment was the quip about George Clooney as a trophy husband, there to receive a lifetime achievement award.
16 Amber Rose Does the Walk of (No) Shame
If you haven't seen the fabulously wonderful Walk of No Shame video starring Amber Rose, watch it now. It truly was one of the best girl-power moments of the entire year!
17 The Rise of the Hashtag
2015 was a big year for the girl-power activist hashtag. For a primer, check out #AskHerMore or #DistractinglySexy or #LoveYourLines ... or all three.
18 Nigeria Bans FGM
This is huge! Finally, the Nigerian government has outlawed the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (yes, it's as horrifying as it sounds).
19 Zendaya Kills It
Zendaya isn't afraid to take on her haters, and she did it, often and well, in 2015. In my favorite exchange, she slapped down a Twitter troll who was dumb enough to imply she's only pretty all made up. As if!
20 Furiosa for the Win
Truly, this movie ought to have been called Furiosa, because bad-ass Charlize Theron completely stole the show.
