Women Rising: Uplifting the Famous— and the Forgotten — Voices of Resistance

by Rachel Ryan, Enlight Media

When we think of women’s history, names like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg often come to mind. These are women who helped reshape America’s legal and political systems; their contributions are undeniable. But they are not the whole story.  

Women Rising: Overcoming Patriarchy in America is a video-based learning series that goes deeper. It highlights not only the famous changemakers but also the everyday American women who challenged the status quo in their own ways.  

The women who worked in factories during WWII, who crossed the country in search of opportunity with or without a man by their side during Westward migration (though for many, this journey brought not just hope but also hardship, violence, and loss), and who marched in protest after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. These women are not footnotes in history. They are history. 

“When developing [Women Rising],” said Cynthia Cox, a content developer for the series, “I was always thinking about how great changes are often the result of small acts from individuals—and they accumulate more power as more and more people contribute. In the module on the suffragette movement, some great women who had been silenced at an abolitionist convention realized that the rights of women were constrained by decisions made by men. That was the spark for the Seneca Falls Convention that launched the women’s rights movement. Yes, it’s important to tell the stories of the leaders, but it’s also important to tell the stories of the people who marched, handed out leaflets, and kept going. Their accumulated gestures and acts are also what achieved the end result. It’s important for people to see that—especially right now, as women’s rights are again being curtailed.” 

Adele Erenberg, a worker in a factory machine shop during WWII, is one of the many everyday women highlighted in the Women Rising series. When describing her wartime experience, she explained that “for me, defense work was the beginning of my emancipation as a woman.” 1  

Like so many women of the era, Erenberg discovered a sense of emancipation through work. As Women Rising notes, “a war that was fought for freedom overseas brought with it the possibility of liberation at home.” 

This historical context matters deeply in today’s workplace. For HR and equity and inclusion professionals, understanding the historical roots of inequality helps explain the persistent challenges we see today. Whether it’s in pay gaps, leadership disparities, or unequal expectations in the workplace. These issues didn’t appear overnight. They are the result of systems built without women in mind, and often at their expense.  

Women Rising connects history to the present, encouraging reflection, discussion, and action. It’s built for organizations that don’t just want to be compliant, but inclusive, and for teams that want to foster a more equitable society, not just talk about it. 

“Seeing how [resistance] has happened historically gives us a model we can follow, or aspire to, as we try to resist the things that continue to hold women back and take their rights away,” Cox said. “We all know people in our everyday lives who accomplish important things that matter to all women. They have a voice—and they need to use it. Everyone has a story, or knows a story, of someone who made small actions that made an impact, whether in families, communities, or across the country. It’s inspiring. This translates to the workplace. Everyday women can be agents of change in their organizations. In turn, their organizations push the limits further, leading to community change, changes in our culture, and ultimately, a more equitable society.” 

By showcasing the stories of both famous figures and the women history often overlooks, this series reminds us that change comes from all directions. That resistance lives in headlines and in daily life. And that progress requires both awareness and action. 

Explore the Women Rising series today and take the next step toward a more equitable workplace.  

 1 John W. Jefferies, Wartime America, Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996), pp. 97-98. John W.