International Women's Day Google Doodle Highlights 35 Powerful Women
The trends Google shared were as interesting as the International Women’s Day Doodle itself
We always love seeing what Google comes up with for its Doodles, and today’s may be right up there with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The International Women’s Day Google Doodle honors the progress made by women since the late 1800s and includes some major powerhouses.
The Doodle — a multi-layered mandala design created by artists Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscrof and animated by Marion William of Makerie Studio and Daphne Abderhalden of DRASTIK GmbH — includes a layer for women globally in the late 1800s, as well as the 1930s during labor movements. Fair warning: The Doodle includes so many important figures, you’ll need to watch it a few times to catch them all.
“There was so much thought put into each of the 35 characters and how they were placed within the mandala,” Abderhalden said.
The next layer shows notable women from the ’50s through the ’80s, which a Google representative calls “a landmark era in the wake of pushes for gender equality and rapid changes to the status quo.”
“Starting from the center, it walks us through different time periods and depicts the issues women were facing in these times. Our biggest takeaway from the artwork is that we were reminded of how women fought and evolved through history so we can live the free life we live today. Without these women, the world would look much different,” Abderhalden said.
The final Doodle layer represents women from the 1990s to today. “We drew a lot of inspiration from the history of International Women’s Day and its humble roots, showing how the movement has grown exponentially over the years,” Wilkinson said. “We loved the idea of visually representing the number of women involved in each stage, from the Suffragettes to women today, and portraying how their freedoms gradually expanding as the movement has evolved.”
Google also released trend data on searches related to International Women’s Day and women in general, and the results are fascinating.
In the U.S., interest in women’s empowerment increased by more than 330 percent since 2004, according to their search data. The top-five most-searched pairings with “first woman to…” in the last 12 months were “run for president,” “win a Nobel Prize,” “dunk in the WNBA,” “vote,” and “run the Boston Marathon.”
Powerful women were also popular in Google searches on their own. Some of the most searched women of the year will come as no surprise to many. They include the following:
- Top athlete: Serena Williams
- Top musician: Taylor Swift
- Top author: Toni Morrison
- Top comedian: Awkwafina
Google also included stats around searches for working moms, stay at home moms, and single moms showing what’s on the minds of women today.
According to UN Women, the theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”
“The theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, the Beijing Platform for Action is recognized as the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere,” UN Women’s website states.
Here’s to celebrating the achievements of women around the globe and those who fought for the rights we have today. You are an inspiration.
