The Future of Education is Always Female
The Future of Education is Always Female
As International Women’s Month commemorates over 115 years of awareness, advocacy, and celebration of women worldwide, the United Nations Young Professionals’ Quality Education committee truly values the work of women in education throughout time, standing true to their mission of empowering and guiding those of tomorrow. With their involvement and impact in advancing women’s education, both big and small, countless forward-thinking women have provided generations of future female leaders with role models to admire and reflect on as a building block for the change they will soon make themselves. However, the fight has just begun and has never stopped. The work has been driven by individuals motivated and committed to the mission of improving the quality of life for women and girls on every scale. To wrap up Women’s History Month, UNYP would like to highlight the impressive work of a few influential women, some changing lives right here in Texas and others globally.
Firstly, we look at a woman of our very own. A woman who dedicated her time to improving livelihoods within our very own state of Texas, and with an even more moving story to read…
Wilhelmina Ruth Delco
“It’s important to me to make sure that there’s diversity in all those elective appropriations”
Wilhelmina Ruth Delco stands as one of Texas’s most influential education advocates whose journey began long before she stepped into public office. From a very early age, she was raised with a deep appreciation for education. She performed extremely well in school, serving as president of the student body and as a member of the National Honor Society at Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago, Illinois. In 1950, she furthered her education by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. After marrying and starting a family, she moved to Austin, Texas, where she became an active leader in the Parent-Teacher Association at her children’s school. Upon witnessing the lack of school governance and unfair fundraising policies, she ran for the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees. Delco made history by becoming the first African American elected to public office in Austin.
Eventually, Wilhelmina Delco’s impact on Texas education expanded from the local to the national level over three decades. In 1974, she was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where she served ten terms and served on more than twenty different committees. In 1991, she became the first woman appointed Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas House. As a result of her leadership and constant dedication to education, Delco was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986 and received the James Bryant Conant Award in 1993. After retiring from the Texas Legislature in 1995, Wilhelmina Delco continues to serve as the chair of the Board of Trustees at Houston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas. In addition, she dedicates part of her time as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin, which ultimately proves her love and passion for education and her goal of achieving equitable education all throughout Texas.
Next, we will shift gears outside the United States to the South Asian country of Bangladesh and focus on the story of a young lady who has helped provide resources for women within her home country…
Rima Sultana Rimu
”I will not stop until every woman and girl becomes aware of their rights and can live happily and safely as equals”
Rima Sultana Rimu is a phenomenal woman who is passionate about bringing literacy to women and girls to help them understand their rights. As the daughter of a farmer, Rimu had to work very hard and overcame great odds to access and complete her education. While living in Cox’s Bazar, which hosts one of the largest refugee camps, she observed high rates of sexist behaviors targeting women. Rohingyan women and girls faced unfair treatment such as child marriage, street harassment, and sexual violence on a regular basis at the camp, and Rimu sought to put an end to this. Due to lower literacy rates, women were dismissed as unintelligent and deemed easier to take advantage of. Rimu hosted workshops to help them read and write, and therefore, better understand their rights. Rimu has helped inspire many women since then; however, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered some women’s ability to join her workshops, but Rimu kept fighting, as she made clear to UN Women in the quote above, highlighting her resolve. She has launched campaigns and radio broadcasts, so that even those who cannot attend can continue learning. In 2020, she was recognized on the BBC’s list of “100 inspiring and influential women from around the world.” She is immensely brave and plans to continue her tremendous and beneficial work for even more women and girls.
Lastly, within the European country of Italy, we turn to a figure that has not only been a representative for women and girls within her country but on an international scale, still dedicated to her mission and purpose throughout…
Stefania Giannini
”When teachers thrive, learners thrive. And when learners thrive, society thrives."
Stefania Giannini has been an inspiration to education globally, but especially to young women and girls. Giannini, an Italian linguist, academic, and political leader, was also the former Minister of Education, Universities, and Research in Italy from 2014 to 2016, and is now the Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO. Truly, a woman with an outstanding resume that exceeds text on a page. She has been dedicated to advocating for quality education globally. Stefania Giannini represents how women in leadership roles actively fight for inclusion, equality, and improvement of spaces they were historically excluded from.
Giannini was born on November 18th, 1960, in Lucca, Italy. In 1991, she became a professor at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, holding different posts in linguistic departments. Also having an impressive political career, she was elected to the Italian Senate and appointed Secretary and Coordinator in 2013. In her political positions, she proposed and enacted educational reforms, focusing on strengthening Italy's national systems. This educational reform was centered around increasing funding for research, collaboration between universities, and reducing the gap between education and the labor force.
Giannini’s work at UNESCO has been extensive and impactful. She was appointed as Assistant Director General for Education in May 2018. Ms. Giannini has been consistently recognized in this role for her commitment to ensuring education remains a top priority globally. She oversees coordination and surveillance of the Education 2030 Agenda.
Stefania Giannini’s career is a reflection of women's work to promote and improve education around the globe. Her work in UNESCO and Italy has consistently prioritized inclusion and innovation in education, demonstrating that education should not be only an institutional structure but a transformative system of expanding opportunity and reinforcing a population. Ms. Giannini is a noteworthy example of a successful woman in international leadership working toward progress in these spaces.
It is through stories of exemplary women like these that we as a society can find inspiration to continue creating positive change in the lives of others. Whether through advocating for women’s rights, showing up and showing out in predominantly male spaces, or overseeing global reform initiatives, women and girls continue to inspire through their work, values, and conviction. So, let us take their efforts into our hearts and minds and let the legacies of powerful women guide us to improve the world for all women and girls, with all that we have, one step at a time.
Contributors: Keyana Agbo, Sofia Magallanes, Camilla Garcia, Valentina Galeana Ruiz, Nancy Cuadros, Abigail Vandiver
Works Cited
“From Where I Stand: ‘Teaching Girls How to Read and Write Is One of the Biggest Ways I Can Make a Difference.’” UN Women – Headquarters, March 6, 2020. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/from-where-i-stand-rimu-sultana-rimu.
“Meet Rimu, the Woman Building a Future for Rohingya Refugees .” The Business Standard, November 28, 2020. https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/meet-rimu-woman-building-future-rohingya-refugees-164239.
“The Honorable Wilhelmina Delco Continues to Pave the Way for Austin Leaders.” KXAN, March 18, 2025. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/the-honorable-wilhelmina-delco-continues-to-pave-the-way-for-austin-leaders/.
“Wilhelmina Ruth Delco.” Texas Woman’s University, February 5, 2020. https://twu.edu/twhf/honorees/wilhelmina-ruth-delco/.
“Stefania Giannini on the Vital Role Teachers Play in Shaping the Future of Societies.” Global Teacher Prize, March 4, 2026. youtube.com/shorts/i0WrfPra8yY.
