7.
Amy Poehler makes girl power funny--yet utterly
inspirational.
When Saturday Night Live alum and star of NBC's
Parks and Recreation Amy Poehler took the stage, she had a
tough act to follow. She accepted her Women of the Year award
immediately after Maya Angelou (more on that in just a minute). But
the ever-consummate comedian took it all in stride, jokingly
thanking Dr. Angelou--and her presenter President Bill Clinton--for
opening for her. I think there was even some joke about them all
performing at the Laugh Factory together. In any case, Poehler
ended her acceptance speech by telling the girls in the crowd that
"if a guy says something that's not funny, you don't
have to laugh." Seriously good advice from one of the funniest
women we know.
Video: Watch highlights from the 2009 Women of the Year Event!
The First Lady of California may have come from a famous family
(she's John F. Kennedy's niece), but that doesn't make
the honoree's advice any less true. She credits her mother, who
passed away in August, as a strong female whom she always looked up
to.
Best in Beauty from the 2009 Women of the Year Awards’ Red Carpet!
5. Remember: Not every woman has equal
rights.
It's hard to imagine living in a place where women are
constantly reminded that they're worth less than men, but in
Iran, that's the reality. The women behind the
One Million Signatures Campaign are fighting--at
potentially the cost of their lives--for gender equality. Their
bravery and refusal to stop standing up for themselves makes them
heroes to me.
Journalists
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years of
hard labor after they were captured in North Korea for trying to
report on human trafficking. With the help of Bill Clinton and Al
Gore, and the support of people around the world, the women were
freed. Their outlook remains incredible. We didn't ask to be in
the spotlight, they said, but because we are in it, we're going
to use it for good. It was quite a message for everyone in the
audience to hear, but the fact that Lee's young daughter was on
stage with her made it that much more powerful.
Check out editor-in-chief Cindi Leive's inspiring experience at the Women of the Year Awards!
Rihanna seemed humbled by her Women of the Year award, but her
willingness to speak out about what she calls the "secret of
domestic violence" makes her clearly worthy of the title.
After the singer went public about her assault by former boyfriend
Chris Brown, she opened the doors for so many other women to come
forward with their own stories of domestic abuse. Calls to domestic
abuse hotlines soared after Rihanna's story came out, said
presenter Iman.
Related: Rihanna's Top 10 Wow Outfits!
At 81 years old, poet Maya Angelou is the very definition of
phenomenal, said presenter Bill Clinton. We couldn't agree
more. Although I was in awe of everything Dr. Angelou said, it was
this line that really got to me: Be as beautiful as you can be, for
yourself first, and then to anyone else with enough good sense to
see it, too.
Jane Aronson has devoted her life to helping orphans around the
world. The pediatrician has helped more than 20,000 children
without parents through her work with the Worldwide Orphan Foundation. After a
video about her work tugged at the audience's heartstrings,
Aronson was joined on stage by a group of children she had helped.
As she began hugging each one, it was practically impossible not to
cry. I vowed to be a better person right then and there.
Which of these moments inspires you most? What's the most inspirational message you've ever received? Do you have a strong female role model? Let's talk about it!
by Lindsey Unterberger
More about Glamour's Women of the
Year:
- Read Tracey's recap of
the night's best dressed--you absolutely MUST see what some
of the stars wore
- See all of our 2009 Women of the Year
- Check out this year's 50 Most Glamorous Women
- Enter to win a VIP Women of the Year gift bag!
- Find out how you can help!
