If you've spent any time on Instagram or any social media for that matter in the last couple of days, you've most likely come across the 'Women Supporting Women' challenge.
So, what does it look like? And what is all about? This challenge involves posting a black-and-white selfie (usually after you've been nominated by another woman who has also done so), and then nominating several other women who inspire you, to do the same. It is as simple as that. It is women supporting women.
In our case, let's look at some influential Greek women who are truly making a difference. These women don't need a black and white photo, they have embraced and overthrown the many challenges thrown at them and come out on top, all the while making us proud to be Greek.
- Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Katerina Sakellaropoulou is probably the most influential Greek Woman, the first female President of Greece elected by parliament on January 22, 2020. She won the support of 261 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament.
Before her election, Katerina served as President of the Council of State, the highest administrative court in Greece. When she won the election in landslide fashion, she vowed to work towards tackling some of the most crucial issues facing the modern world, including the financial crisis Greece was and is still experiencing and those displaced from humanitarian crises.
- Christina Flampouri
Mountaineer Christina Flampouri proudly hoisted the Greek flag on the highest peak of Antarctica earlier this year after the jubilant completion of her ambitious “Seven Summits” quest. Flampouri became the first Greek woman in history to accomplish this monumental achievement. The 'Seven Summits' are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents of the earth.
- Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks
Kelly is a Greek-American entrepreneur, current president and CEO of Earth Friendly Products. She is a well-known passionate advocate for worker’s rights and the protection of the planet. What makes Kelly stand out in particular, is that her company employs women in leading positions and provides one of the highest minimum wages in all of the USA.
- Anna Korakaki
At the tender age of twenty, and in her maiden Olympic campaign, she became the first Greek woman to win two Olympic medals in the same competition, and the first Greek athlete of any kind since 1912. That is an incredible achievement for any woman! It is, for this reason, she is dubbed the 'The unrivalled shooting champion of Greece'. Korakaki represented Greece at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in the 25m pistol and a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol. Anna is attributed to winning Greece's first gold medal since Greece had hosted the Olympics back in 2004.
- Despoina Petousi
Despoina Petousi, a Greek software engineer based in Germany, won the prestigious “Bertha Benz Prize” for 'best emerging female Software engineer in 2018'. The prize is aimed specifically at young female doctorate-level engineers or engineering students whose work makes a difference.
Petousi, from the Technical University of Berlin, says her research work is aimed at creating devices which will make it possible for everyone, rich or poor, to have high-speed internet in the future.
- Nitzia Logothetis
Nitzia is a dedicated psychotherapist in the area of women’s psychological health. Mrs Logethetis and her husband, George Logothetis founded the “Seleni Institute,” a non-profit organization dedicated to providing care, research, professional training, and information about maternal and reproductive mental health. The Seleni institute has its headquarters in Manhattan.
In her own words, Nitzia's vision is a “world where emotional health is valued just as much as physical health,” and that, "every person has the potential to succeed when supported.” This is incredible, and her work has helped so many women around the world, not just in America.
May we continue to support these great women and raise equally strong and influential women!
