5 Dazzlingly Feminist Moments This Year

Ladies, how ya feelin'? Well, to borrow a word from my spiritual leader, Beyoncé, I'm going to say you should be feeling pretty ***Flawless, because feminism had a great year. Down in the trenches it's pretty hard to remember the rare bright spots when, you know, the American public decided that women deserve equal treatment to men, but I've rounded up some of 2014's greatest feminist moments to jog your memory. We flawless, ladies, tell 'em.

TIME may have tried to ban the word completely, but feminism is here to stay. In politics, sports, advocacy, and anywhere in between, women were out in full force in 2014. I've been wondering for years why I need to constantly remind people that women are equally awesome as men, and it seems that now people are finally catching on. Maybe it's Beyoncé. Maybe it's Emma Watson, or one of the countless celebrities who have embraced their feminism this year. But even outside of the entertainment community, it is the amazing showing of strength, grace, and intelligence that these women encompass.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite feminist newsworthy moments. Go grab your framed photo of Gloria Steinem and enjoy.

1. #YesAllWomen Goes Viral

In response to the misogynistic attitudes displayed in the aftermath of the Isla Vista shootings in May, the great feminists of the Internet birthed #YesAllWomen. The hashtag went viral, gaining nearly 2 million tweets in four days.

2. Notorious RBG Says What We Were All Thinking

In her epic dissent of the Hobby Lobby decision this June, Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg took down her five male colleagues who decided that closely held companies could decide for themselves about that whole birth control thing. The best line in the dissent?: "The court, I fear, has ventured into a minefield."

3. Columbia Student Carries Her Message On Her Back

When she faced what she believed was an unjust handling of her Title IX complaint from her school, Emma Sulkowicz carried around her mattress from class to class until her alleged rapist was expelled. The protest was part of her performance-art thesis called "Carry That Weight."

4. White House Launches Campaign Against Sexual Assault

In response to the growing campus rape epidemic, President Obama announced the "It's On Us" campaign this September, which laid out new groundwork for universities dealing with sexual assault. Of course, this issue is not only a feminist one, but with one in five women facing sexual assault throughout their four years in university, I'll count this as a feminist win.

5. Malala Yousafzai Wins Nobel Prize During Chemistry

In October, Malala Yousafzai was sitting in her chemistry class like many 17-year-olds are loathe to do. Unlike other 17-year-olds, Yousafzai found out during chemistry that she had received the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy work in female education. She is not only the youngest-ever recipient of the award, but the first Pakistani to be awarded the prestigious honor.

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