Short Stories v.03: The legacies of restless women

Every so often, I come across a story that I think would work well for this audience, only to find that it is actually just too light to justify a full article. Never one to deny you informative (and interesting) content, I’ve decided to alternate my usual long writing format with the occasional collection of short stories, tied together by a central thread but otherwise distinct from each other.

In v.03 of my Short Stories, I couldn’t resist the allure of women’s month and the chance to write about one of my favourite topics: fierce and powerful women, and the legacies of change they bring into the world.

The indomitable Nellie Bly

Elizabeth Cochrane didn’t have much formal education, but that didn’t stop her from making waves. In 1885, she kick-started her journalism career by sending a fiery letter to the Pittsburgh Dispatch after reading a rather offensive article titled “What Girls Are Good For.” The editor was so struck by her writing that he offered her a job. She took the pen name “Nellie Bly” from a Stephen Foster song and began her journey into investigative journalism.

At a time when female reporters were mostly confined to writing about fashion or household tips, Cochrane broke the mould. Her early articles for the Dispatch focused on the harsh realities faced by working girls and the poor in Pittsburgh. She then spent some time in Mexico, reporting on government corruption and poverty – a move that solidified her reputation as a fearless journalist, but also got her expelled from the country.

In 1887, Cochrane left Pittsburgh for the bright lights of New York City, where she joined Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World. One of her first assignments was to go undercover in a mental asylum by pretending to be insane. The resulting exposé, “Ten Days in a Mad House”, sparked a grand jury investigation and led to much-needed reforms in the care of mental health patients. But Cochrane was just getting started. From there, she went undercover in sweatshops, jails, and even legislative lobbies, exposing corruption wherever she found it.

Her most famous adventure began on November 14, 1889, when she set out to beat the fictional character Phileas Fogg’s record of travelling around the world in 80 days. Her journey, chronicled by the World with daily updates and a wildly popular guessing contest, took her across continents in ships, trains, rickshaws, and more. She completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds, becoming an international sensation. Her book, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days, was a hit, and the name Nellie Bly became synonymous with fearless, boundary-pushing journalism.

The unstoppable Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai, born in Kenya in 1940, had a deep connection to the land, even while her country was under British colonial rule. As Kenya moved toward independence and the political climate became turbulent, she recognised that education was key to her ability to make a difference. Through the Kennedy Airlift programme, she studied in the US and later earned a doctorate at the University of Nairobi, becoming Kenya’s first female professor.

However, Maathai’s vision extended far beyond academia. She was deeply passionate about democracy and women’s rights, which led her to the National Council of Women of Kenya. Here, she listened to the struggles of rural women, who were facing environmental degradation – drying streams, food insecurity, and a dwindling supply of wood for fuel and fencing. Inspired by their stories, Maathai proposed a solution that seemed simple but was revolutionary: planting trees. The young trees would help the soil retain rainwater, fully grown trees could provide food, and mature trees could be harvested for wood.

This idea blossomed into the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a grassroots effort that mobilised thousands of women across Africa to plant over 30 million trees. The movement not only helped restore the environment but also empowered women, giving them a tangible way to improve their lives and communities.

Maathai’s efforts didn’t stop at environmental work; she also focused on civic engagement and educating local farmers about their rights. Her relentless advocacy often brought her into conflict with the government, leading to her arrest on several occasions. Yet her dedication to justice, democracy, and environmental stewardship earned her international acclaim, culminating in the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 – the first time an African woman received this prestigious honour.

In December 2002, Maathai’s influence took another significant turn when she was elected to the Kenyan parliament with an overwhelming 98 percent of the vote. This achievement further solidified her legacy as a trailblazer who fought tirelessly for a better Kenya and a better world.

The irrepressible Dolly Parton

Most of us know Dolly Parton as a country music icon and blonde wig enthusiast, but not many people know that she is also a passionate advocate for children’s literacy. In honour of her father, who never learned to read or write, she launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through her Dollywood Foundation in the early 90s.

Since its inception, this initiative has mailed one free book per month to each enrolled child from birth until they enter kindergarten, fostering a love for reading early on. If you do the math, that works out to each child in the programme receiving 60 books before they turn 5. What started as a local project in Tennessee has blossomed into a global phenomenon, reaching nearly 850,000 children every month across the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Ireland.

In 2018, Parton marked an extraordinary milestone by donating the 100 millionth book from her Imagination Library, a copy of her own children’s picture book Coat of Many Colours, to the Library of Congress. This achievement was celebrated with a special ceremony, further solidifying her impact on literacy worldwide. At last count in February 2023, The Imagination Library had mailed 200 million books to children around the world.

Despite being offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom on two occasions, Parton graciously declined both times. And when the Tennessee legislature proposed erecting a statue in her honour, she respectfully asked them to withdraw the idea, saying, “I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time”. This humility, paired with her relentless dedication to helping others, continues to make Dolly Parton not just a beloved performer but a global humanitarian who has touched countless lives through her generosity and vision.

The unbeatable Allyson Felix

In May 2019, renowned athlete Allyson Felix took a bold step in her advocacy for maternal rights in sports by penning a poignant op-ed for The New York Times. In her article, the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history accused her longtime sponsor, Nike, of failing to guarantee salary protections for her and other female athletes during the critical postpartum period.

Felix’s op-ed brought renewed attention to similar allegations previously made by her former Nike teammates, Alysia Montaño and Kara Goucher, who had faced their own struggles with the sportswear giant over pregnancy-related disputes. Their collective experiences highlighted a troubling pattern of inadequate support for athletes balancing professional demands with motherhood.

In her article, Felix detailed her personal experience with Nike following the expiration of her contract in December 2017. As she planned to start a family in 2018, she sought assurances from Nike for financial security during her maternity leave, anticipating potential performance declines while recovering from childbirth. However, Nike’s negotiators denied her request for written guarantees and instead proposed a contract renewal with a 70% pay cut. According to Felix, this offer was accompanied by a strong message that she should “know her place’. As a result, she parted ways with Nike permanently.

In July 2019, she signed a landmark sponsorship deal with Athleta – an apparel company owned by Gap Inc. – making her their first sponsored athlete. Soon thereafter, she launched her own brand of sports shoes, Saysh, under the tagline “I know my place”.

The public outcry and Felix’s bold stance prompted Nike to reevaluate its policies. By August 2019, the sportswear company announced a significant change in their approach to maternal protections. Nike pledged to eliminate performance-related salary reductions for female athletes for 18 months, starting eight months before the due date and continuing through the postpartum period. During this time, athletes would also be assured that their contracts would not be terminated if they chose to refrain from racing due to pregnancy. This policy shift represented a major victory for female athletes, reflecting the impact of Felix’s advocacy and the growing demand for equitable support in the sports industry.

In 2024, Felix partnered with Pampers to bring a nursery to the Olympic Village, marking a first for the Games. The space was designed to be a place where athlete moms could care for their babies during the event. The nursery was located in the Athletes’ Village Plaza, offering a sanctuary for playtime, feeding, and bonding. As a member of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Felix continues to use her voice to advocate for maternal rights, building on her earlier efforts to challenge Nike’s maternity policies.

About the author: Dominique Olivier

Dominique Olivier is the founder of human.writer, where she uses her love of storytelling and ideation to help brands solve problems.

She is a weekly columnist in Ghost Mail and collaborates with The Finance Ghost on Ghost Mail Weekender, a Sunday publication designed to help you be more interesting.

Dominique can be reached on LinkedIn here.