In 2017, women decided to storm the gates — both literally and figuratively. Millions poured into the streets for the Women's March on Washington, and hundreds have come forward in the last several months to out sexual predators for their abhorrent behavior.
At the head of the pack were activists, journalists, social media commentators, celebrities, producers, directors and more. Women from every industry stepped forward and said collectively, "Enough is enough."
More: 9 Badass Women Who Are Giving Us Faith in Humanity Right Now
To celebrate these women, we've rounded up a (brief) list of 20 real-life women who embodied the tenets of superheroes this year. We'd love to hear from you in the comments about women you want to honor, as well — let's kick off 2018 with a loud, beautiful bang.
1. Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke on CBS News
Tarana Burke on CBS News
Activist Tarana Burke created the #MeToo movement over a decade ago, though it wasn't until actor Alyssa Milano tweeted the words that it took off as a hashtag. Burke's tireless advocacy work is aimed at helping the most marginalized people — women of color especially — who lack the same privilege as white women to accuse and seek refuge from their abusers.
Burke was named one of the Silence Breakers in Time's 2017 Person of the Year issue, though many have noted that her absence from the issue's cover is glaring.
2. Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union on Weinstein
Gabrielle Union on Weinstein
Actor and activist Gabrielle Union has been speaking out for years about rape culture and sexual violence. Her new book, We're Going to Need More Wine, is a collection of personal essays that dig deep into her experiences — including her own rape, her relationships and life as a black woman. Tarana Burke credits Union as "one of the few examples of resilience [she] could point to" when she started doing workshops with black survivors.
3. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong'o accuses Harvey Weinstein
Lupita Nyong'o accuses Harvey Weinstein
Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o has had a banner career year. Having already been involved in the Star Wars franchise, her casting in the upcoming Black Panther film has had everyone buzzing — especially after seeing the trailer.
Nyong'o was also one of dozens of women to come forward about sexual harassment from film mogul Harvey Weinstein and one of the only women Weinstein's team actually responded to in the press. Nyong'o also called out Grazia U.K. for editing her hair in a cover photo. This star continues to shine, regardless of how many people try to knock her down. We're constantly in awe.
4. Kesha
Kesha fought tooth and nail for the right to make new music without her abuser, Dr. Luke, whom Sony fired earlier this year. Her newest release, Rainbow, was the first album she recorded without his input — and it was a smash. It was clearly shaped by her legal battle and her experiences as a survivor, but what no one could have predicted was that Rainbow would become an anthem for 2017 (#MeToo).
More: 16 Most Empowering Songs for Women in 2017 So Far
5. Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman on Harvey Weinstein
Uma Thurman on Harvey Weinstein
Uma Thurman embodied all our rage when she told a reporter she wasn’t yet ready to speak about the wave of sexual assault allegations that stormed through Hollywood this fall. She gave us a snippet of her thoughts in an Instagram post on Thanksgiving, but we're still waiting to hear the entirety of what she has to say. When she's ready, we will be too.
6. Heather Heyer
Heather Heyer's Mom on Ellen
Heather Heyer's Mom on Ellen
Activist Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia when a neo-Nazi drove a car into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white supremacist rally. Her name and the quote in her last Facebook cover photo became rallying cries for those resisting white supremacist gatherings all over the country.
The Heather Heyer Foundation was founded in Heyer's name to provide scholarships and financial assistance to those in need who are passionate about civil rights and social change. In the wake of her death, Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, encouraged people to follow in her footsteps, stand up for social justice and keep fighting.
7. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande - One Last Time at One Love Manchester
Ariana Grande - One Last Time at One Love Manchester
Following a terrorist attack at her Manchester show that killed 22 people and left 59 injured, Ariana Grande and her team pulled together a fundraiser concert in just a couple of weeks. The One Love Manchester show raised $13 million in funds to help bombing victims and their families.
8. Kelly Marie Tran
Kelly Marie Tran Red Carpet Interview
Kelly Marie Tran Red Carpet Interview
The first Asian woman to be cast in a lead role in the Star Wars franchise, Kelly Marie Tran has spent the whole year making us smile uncontrollably at her enthusiasm. She broke down crying at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere, and we all cried along with her. Representation matters.
More: 11 Times Princess Leia Was the Embodiment of Resistance Goals
9. Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson at SDCC 17
Tessa Thompson at SDCC 17
Tessa Thompson has come a long way from Veronica Mars. She most recently debuted her Marvel Cinematic Universe character, Valkyrie, in Thor: Ragnarok and came out in full support of the character’s canonical bisexuality (although it was never confirmed in the film, which is a representation issue for sure).
10. Danica Roem
Meet Danica Roem - Broadly
Meet Danica Roem - Broadly
Danica Roem became the first openly trans woman to be elected to a state legislature in November after running on a platform that was purely based on policy. To make the victory even sweeter, she beat a legislator who fought (and lost) to ban transgender people from being allowed to use public restrooms. Way to go, Virginia.
11. Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay in Essence
Ava DuVernay in Essence
Writer, director and producer Ava DuVernay was everywhere this year, and we loved it! In addition to her incredible work on Queen Sugar, she put hope into the hearts of everyone when the first trailer for Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time premiered. Her attention to detail and focus on bringing black girls to the forefront of incredible stories is so, so inspiring.
12. Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay - 2017 National Book Festival
Roxane Gay - 2017 National Book Festival
Author Roxane Gay faced a ridiculous amount of fat shame this year when she released Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. Gay shot down her critics with aplomb and penned dozens of critical essays and op-eds that called attention to some of the worst things in 2017. What a badass.
More: 5 Empowering Books Your Daughter Needs to Read Right Now
13. Keah Brown
@Keah_Maria #DisabledandCute
@Keah_Maria #DisabledandCute
Keah Brown created the #DisabledAndCute hashtag earlier this year and got nationwide media attention when it went viral. Her incredibly personal, sharp-witted writing about the experience of being a black woman with cerebral palsy will be collected into a book of essays, The Pretty One, coming soon from Atria Books.
14. Patty Jenkins
Patty Jenkins on Late Night with Seth Meyers
Patty Jenkins on Late Night with Seth Meyers
The first woman to direct a DCEU film blew the entire franchise out of the water. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman made $821.8 million at the box office, and we’re so ready to see her take on the rest of the world too.
15. Issa Rae
Issa Rae ESSENCE Speech
Issa Rae ESSENCE Speech
Issa Rae's rise from YouTube star to celebrated actor, writer and director is one for the books. Her HBO series Insecure aired its second season this year, and she unapologetically acknowledged the series is not made for men or for white people. Rae carved out a space for herself on a white-dominated network, and it's awesome to see her (and Insecure) thrive.
16. Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe - Women's March
Janelle Monáe - Women's March
Janelle Monáe delivered a fiery speech at the Women’s March on Washington in January just months after launching the women's empowerment movement #FemTheFuture, which had its inaugural brunch last fall.
17. Gina Rodriguez
Gina Rodriguez on HuffPost
Gina Rodriguez on HuffPost
Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez dedicates weekly posts on her Instagram account to #MovementMondays wherein she highlights a different person of color in the entertainment industry. These posts offer accolades and exposure to the accomplishments of actors, writers, producers, activists and more — and Rodriguez's 2.1 million followers are always stoked in the comments.
Seeing her uplift others each week is super-inspiring, especially when celebrities are so often seen tearing each other down. Rodriguez has also spoken candidly about her experience as a Latina in Hollywood and how she's often criticized for not being "Latina enough."
More: Why Gina Rodriguez Is the Role Model I Want for My Daughter
18. Zoë Quinn
Zoë Quinn at Strand Books
Zoë Quinn at Strand Books
In 2014, video game developer Zoë Quinn’s ex-boyfriend posted a blog that sparked the Gamergate controversy, wherein men in the gaming community went on a target harassment campaign against Quinn and other women, including Brianna Wu and Anita Sarkeesian.
Quinn's book Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate hit stores in September. It details her experiences with online harassment and offers solutions for combating the problem at every level. Quinn has become a voice for the voiceless in gaming and online harassment, and her social media presence and grassroots organizing are so important.
19. Lauren Duca
Lauren Duca Shorty Awards
Lauren Duca Shorty Awards
One year ago, journalist Lauren Duca wrote an article for Teen Vogue arguing that Trump was gaslighting America. She then launched the Thigh-High Politics column, taking an insult hurled at her and reclaiming it for her sharp political commentary pieces.
Duca has been the subject of intense, targeted harassment from several high-profile men — including "pharmabro" Martin Shkreli, who was banned from Twitter because of his obsession with her. Despite these threats to her well-being, Duca has never stopped delivering critical think pieces. Her 2017 Shorty Award for Best in Journalism was well-deserved.
20. Janet Mock
Janet Mock on Wendy Williams
Janet Mock on Wendy Williams
Trans author, activist and TV host Janet Mock has long been an important voice in the transgender rights movement. She released her second book, Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me, in June, and her insightful commentary in every interview has been a breath of fresh air.