‘PATRIARCHY
I S A
HUGE ONE.’
Alicia Garza, a workers’ rights advocate, is a
co-creator of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
“Patriarchy is a huge one. Racism.
And also—and I think this is a by-product of
both of those other things—what people call
impostor syndrome. Right? Where you can’t imagine
why anyone would think that you could be a
leader or consider you to be a leader.”67%
of senior business
leaders who are
female—compared to
32 percent who are
male—said in a 2019
survey that impostor
syndrome kept them
from pursuing a raise
or promotion for
which they qualified.
Psychologists in the
1970s coined the term
impostor syndrome
for people who doubt
their talents and
fear they are frauds,
despite accom-
plishments proving
otherwise.Not being consumed
by experiences of
trauma, assault, abuse,
and other experiences
that were difficult,
especially in the for-
mative years. On a per-
sonal level it’s enabled
me to understand the
importance of forgive-
ness, of moving for-
ward and focusing on
how we do better. How
do we understand one
another and create
spaces for survivors?
How do we do better as
a society overall?AN OJIBWA OF THE
COUCHICHING FIRST
NATION AND A LAWYER,
HOUSKA WORKS FOR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S
RIGHTS, FROM WASH-
INGTON, D.C., TO THE
SITES OF PROTESTS
ON TRIBAL LANDS.
When I was just 16, my
father passed away;
that difficult time was
one obstacle. And
I think one obstacle
is actually myself, you
know. Over the course
of time, the issue of
confidence is one I
had to struggle with.
It’s probably closely
related to the passing
of my father and the
sense of loss that you
feel as a result. Then,
whenever you face
that same sense of loss,
that lack of support
or love or whatever,
you have to build that
confidence within
yourself. I think love
is an extraordinary
engine for confidence,
and when you lack
some of it in an early
stage, you have
to constantly battle
against it.SHE’S THE FIRST
WOMAN TO HOLD
THE FOLLOWING
PRESTIGIOUS POSTS :
CHAIR OF ONE
OF THE WORLD’S
LARGEST LAW
FIRMS, MINISTER
OF FINANCE IN
HER NATIVE
FRANCE, AND TWO-
TERM MANAGING
DIRECTOR OF THE
INTERNATIONAL
MONETARY FUND.
IN 20 19 SHE WAS
TAPPED TO DIRECT
THE EUROPEAN
CENTRAL BANK.
CHRISTINE
LAGARDE
TARA HOUSKA
Being raised by a single
mother with no involve-
ment of my father was
really challenging. I grew
up watching my mom
struggle to pay bills and
to feed my sister and
I, but we never went
without her love. Pov-
erty and homelessness
were two experiences
I wouldn’t wish on any-
one, but they made
me a stronger per-
son. Growing up near
Chicago, I never got
to study the ocean
like I dreamt of, until I
received a scholarship to
study at the Duke Uni-
versity Marine Lab for a
semester. I conducted
independent research,
made connections, and
grew as a scientist.
I never thought some-
one like me could do
all of those things!A SELF-DESCRIBED
“QUEER WOMAN OF
COLOR,” SMITH IS
GETTING A MARINE
BIOLOGY MASTER’S DE-
GREE AT CALIFORNIA
STATE UNIVERSITY,
NORTHRIDGE. SHE’S IN
NATIONAL GEOGRAPH-
IC’S WOMEN OF IMPACT
COMMUNITY.*
TAYLORANN
SMITH
What Is the Greatest Hurdle You’ve Overcome?
Q:48 *NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S WOMEN OF IMPACT, A COMMUNITY WHERE WOMEN SHARE THEIR STORIES, IS AT ON.NATGEO.COM/WOMENOFIMPACT.