In a year marked by division, women everywhere pushed the world forward—and many made history, shattering long-standing glass ceilings to become “firsts” in their fields. From Zuzana Caputova, the first woman to become president of Slovakia, to Indonesian speed climber Aries Susanti Rahayu, the first woman to climb 15 meters in under 7 seconds, to Ruth E. Carter, the first black costume designer to take home an Oscar, this year saw women breaking new ground around the world. Here, 28 women who became “firsts” in 2019.
Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids
First Native American women to serve in Congress, Jan. 3
Alastair Pike— AFP/Getty ImagesU.S. Representatives Sharice Davids, left, and Deb Haaland are recognized as the first Native American women elected to Congress during a dedication and unveiling ceremony for a statue of Ponca Chief Standing Bear of Nebraska on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Sept. 18, 2019.For more than 200 years of American history, a Native American woman has not..