The Disruptor Diaries: Stories of Women Shaking Up the Status Quo
All around the world in every industry, women are ready to defy the norms, dismantle the status quo, and make a name for themselves. These disruptors don’t settle for the deterministic say of how things have been done, they envision what they could do and go ahead and do it. Their lived experiences are proof of resilience, innovation, and unbreakable determination to change things for the better.
What distinctly characterizes a disruptor is their perspective towards a challenge wherein they’re able to spot opportunities where everyone gras to have difficulties. To many women, especially those who are operating in male-dominated industries, this has been a tool they have developed out of necessity. Consider the example of Madam C.J. Walker who ended up mastering the hair care industry in the early 1900s by designing products tailored to the distinct needs of African American women. Walker seized a gap in the market and forever altered an industry that had previously neglected the needs of her people.
We live in a day and age where women like Oprah Winfrey are breaking the glass ceiling in the media industry by providing a platform for different voices. Oprah’s talk show, which ran for 25 years, was revolutionary in the daytime television space and allowed her to speak on topics within society that very few people were able to do. Other than doing television, she transformed her impact into creating OWN, which is a media powerhouse and continues to change the narrative of millions.
As in the case of Sandberg, she used her influence as Facebook’s COO and helped the company rank among the top five global platforms along with others in changing the face of the technology sector that was traditionally dominated by men. This means that not only did her actions disrupt modern social media channels, but also her strategically written book Lean In urged conversations on women in leadership positions Sandberg. Women have been motivated by her pursuit of equality in workplaces to become more active in leadership positions and create change.
A co-founder of Canva and a technology destabilizer, Perkins was able to make the graphic design software accessible to anyone. Her aim was to provide an easy-to-use interface that could be designed for use by any person irrespective of their experience with new technologies. The rapid growth of her business demonstrates the effectiveness of making complex tasks easier and catering to an international audience.
Katalin Kariko is currently doing some very remarkable things in science and technology which is quite contrary to the popular notion. She was positive outwardly for her participation in the development of mRNA technology used in Covid-19 vaccines. Kariko was underfunded and even fully disregarded for more than a couple of decades but technology has managed to save many people’s lives and she was able to confirm the saying that hard work pays off. She challenges popular scientific dogmas and monopolistic thought by emphasizing that innovation requires profound efforts on a significant scale.
The arts have also provided a space for disruptions, with women at the forefront of pushing limits in terms of how art can be made. In literature for instance, writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie have taken international literary phases that include Africa into account, completely reforming the accepted form. Adichie’s Americana and We Should All Be Feminists attempt to break boundaries over what narratives are permissible and for whom they could be.
In the fashion arena, leaders such as Stella McCartney have taken the industry by storm and revolutionized it with eco-friendly animal cruelty free clothing and accessories. Thanks to McCarthy, who has consistently greened the industry, the notoriously wasteful and exploitative economy of fashion has been re-evaluated. She has demonstrated that one can be profitable without compromising on sustainable practices, with a new generation of fashion brands dedicated to ethics on the rise.
What these disruptors share is the capacity to question not only the markets but also the very breath of air the markets are operating on. Disruption, particularly when it relates to one’s beliefs or the beliefs of those around you, is not easy bringing in divergence in thoughts and traditions. To most women, this entails a stare of sexism, discrimination, or hatred. Contrary to this, they understand that change only comes with fighting through the barriers and true change needs to take place.
Like Malala Yousafzai, who vehemently fought against the stereotypes tied to female education and wanted to make the world believe that girls belonged in school, envisioned worlds without borders, Yin’s efforts are boundless. Malala Yousafzai was an activist who fought against oppressive structures that had taken the power of education away from millions— Yousafzai was even shot in the face during this struggle. No wonder, with courage and commitment, she was able to build a movement that spanned the globe and brought together intangible yet powerful agents of change and feminism— primarily the young. It showed that even the youngest of voices can be powerful agents for change.
But in order to be a Disruptor more often than not, one needs to be okay with failing at first and then thinking outside of the box. There are multiple female disruptors today who had the odds not been in their favour, would have thrown them off course— however they proved their doubters wrong and came through the other side without compromising their vision. For some, success seems to elude them time and time again. For instance, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, had to contend with a deluge of ‘no’s for years prior to launching her billion dollar shapewear business. This story encapsulates the stamina to move forward and even stronger, the ability to try again.
Women’s ability to be great disruptors comes from their capability to encourage and motivate others. Their barrier-breaking acts create space for others to step into. Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, exhibits this kind of ripple effect. Her organization is transforming the tech space by training and empowering young girls to become coders and programmers. It is also assisting in overcoming the stereotype of technology as a man’s world as the program is making great strides.
Women’s stories, not only as industry disruptors, but also as survivors, shaping the world over, encourage the world at large to think differently, enabling them to see what can be attained. Furthermore, the stories blend into the concept of disruption, as women break generational amalgamations, rather than tinkering with a creation, generating new systems instead.
With the ever-deepening nettle Ness of the world, the demand for disruptors will keep increasing even more. Challenges to the norm will always be encouraged as progress and innovation becomes inevitable through brave women. Unlike average women, who display sheer courage, creativity, and resilience, set themselves apart as leaders even through thick and thin.
To sum up, the saga of women who set the existing order in motion tells us that it is possible to change the world in which we live – provided, of course, we deny the inherent limitations in us. Women doing business, history, women in science, technology or even women working in arts, these disruptors illustrate that audacity, and intellect can change the facets of the society and industries. Through refusing the status quo, they set the stage for a future of progress that will not only be reliant on the principles of innovation, but also, inclusion.
