2015 is rapidly coming to an end, so in order to commemorate some of the biggest leaps forward for feminism this year, Irish women's site Lovett created the video "10 Times Women Owned 2015." From Angela Merkel to Amy Schumer, women have been kicking ass this year, and what would a New Year's celebration be without acknowledging them?
2015 has been a huge year for feminism. Numerous celebrities came out as feminists; many women's sports trailblazers gained attention; and one of Sweden's top new words of the year was "Klittra," which describes female masturbation. If that's not feminist, I don't know what is.
I don't need to tell you that the world is still not particularly accommodating to women. Yes, this was also the year the House voted to defund Planned Parenthood and Donald Trump announced he was running for office, but there's a time to pay attention to all that and a time to celebrate the times things have gotten a little less awful. And this is the time of year to do the latter.
Here are five of the most memorable moments for women from 2015. Scroll down to the bottom to watch all 10.
1. Angela Merkel Was Named TIME's Person Of The Year
Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, is the fourth woman in history to achieve this title and the first woman individually honored since 1986. TIME described her as "the de facto leader of the European Union, the most prosperous joint venture on the planet."
2. Women Voted For The First Time In Saudi Arabia
This year's Saudi Arabian elections marked the first time women both voted and ran. About 980 of the 6,900 council candidates were women, and 17 were elected into office.
3. Serena Williams Was Named Sports Illustrated 's Sportsperson Of The Year
This is another instance when a woman was acknowledged this year as notable not just among women, but also among all people. Sports Illustrated points out that Williams was in the news this year not just as a tennis player, but also as a public figure appearing with many different celebrities. Sports Illustrated also made another wonderfully feminist move this summer, when it featured the entire U.S. women's soccer team on its cover.
4. Bill Cosby's Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Spoke Out
Over 50 women have come forward, mostly this year and last, alleging that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them, and Gloria Allred, who has represented 29 of the alleged victims, said even more women have contacted her claiming to have been assaulted by him. Cosby has denied the allegations. As we also saw with the rape accusations against James Deen, who also has denied the allegations against him, when one alleged victim steps forward, it becomes easier for more to do so, and the typical accusations of lying that victims face become less and less credible.
5. Amy Schumer Spoke Against Sexism And For Body Acceptance At Her Glamour UK Trailblazer Award Speech
This event may not be as monumental as the rest, but I had to throw it in for humor. When she accepted Glamour UK's trailblazer award, Schumer announced she was having zero issues on the sexual front due to her body, saying, "I'm not going to apologize for who I am, and I'm going to actually love the skin that I'm in." She also called out magazines' sexist photo shoots in her typical hilarious way: "They're just like, 'You're gonna be like a cum dumpster,' and you're like, 'Oh, thank you for having me.'"
Watch more of 2015's feminist moments in the video below:
Images: Lovett/YouTube(5)
