In 1900, a photographer asked the unassuming though still charismatic elderly woman to sit at her desk for the photo.

It was here that she had composed some of the most profound messages for women’s rights and human equality in American history.

She sat at the desk surrounded by images of suffragists who had mentored her and who she had worked alongside.

She turned to her left, the flash popped, the photo of the iconic American women’s rights leader Susan B Anthony was captured.

On this day 203 years ago Susan Brownell Anthony was born in Massachusetts.

From a young age, she was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and was actively involved in various social and political causes throughout her life.

Her legacy still burns bright.

Anthony’s tireless advocacy for social reform and her unwavering commitment to equality and justice have had a profound impact on American and global society.

Anthony was raised in a Quaker family that believed in the equality of all people.

In 1851, she joined forces with another remarkable woman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Together they launched in 1869 the National Women’s Suffrage Association.

It became one of the most influential organisations in the fight for women’s suffrage.

It also took on social issues, race and slavery, equality in marriage, and divorce.

Anthony dedicated her life to the cause of women’s suffrage, travelling the country to give speeches, organising rallies and demonstrations, and lobbying for legislative change.

Her persuasive speaking style made her one of the most recognizable and effective leaders of the movement, and she inspired countless women to join the cause and fight for their rights.

In 1872, she was arrested for casting a vote in the presidential election. Imagine that – being arrested for casting a ballot because you were a woman.

Anthony and countless others persevered and sacrificed.

Anthony passed away in 1906. She did not witness the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, which granted women the right to vote, but her presence was felt – it still is.

On Susan B Anthony’s birthday, I pause for a moment, as if holding a camera and snapping a photo of her at her desk.

I wonder what I would say to such a hero, ask of her. I do hear her voice of encouragement echoing through time telling us the fight for equality, education, justice, economic empowerment for women and girls is far from over.

247 million women around the world live in abject poverty, 130 million girls are out of school, and women are deeply impacted by war and conflict.

We also see that domestic abuse and sexual violence against women are still enormous social problems. The challenges seem overwhelming.

Anthony gives the world strength and hope to address challenges that seem daunting.

She once said: “I have given my life and all I am to it, and now I want my last act to be to give it all I have, to the last cent.”

I know she would tell us give what you can – lace up our shoes, grab the banner, march in your parade of time!