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- Maya Angelou. From her powerful poetry to her moving autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou forever changed the literary world and opened doors for Black authors everywhere.
- Lucille Ball. While she was an undeniable light onscreen in I Love Lucy, Ball was an extremely powerful figure off camera as well. She was the first woman to own a major studio, called Desilu Productions.
- Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II served as head of the royal family for 70 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, just three months before she passed away at 96 years old.
- Rosa Parks. Parks famously became a leader in the 1950s Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. Her bravery sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was a major factor in the end of legal segregation.
- Kelly Bryant
- Names you should know. During Women’s History Month in March, we honor the legacies of the women who came before us who led the charge for change, each in their own way.
- Greta Thunberg. No matter where you stand on the issue of climate change, you’ve likely heard the name Greta Thunberg. The 18-year-old climate activist was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize for a third year in a row (she has yet to win the coveted honor).
- Malala Yousafzai. All Pakistan-born Malala Yousafzai wanted was an education, the same education provided to her male peers. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, ran a girls’ school in the village in which they lived, however when the Taliban moved in, they ordered the school to be shut down as they didn’t believe girls should receive an education.
- Simone Biles. If you’ve ever watched gymnast Simone Biles take the floor (or the vault, balance beam, or uneven bars) for one of her impressive routines, surely you’ve been inspired to get off your butt and do something…anything!
- Afroze-Numa, Pakistan. Shepherdess. One of the last Wakhi shepherdesses, Afroze-Numa has taken care of goats, yaks and sheep for almost three decades. Having learnt the trade from her mother and grandmothers, she is part of a centuries-old tradition that is now dying out in Pakistan's Shimshal valley.
- Hosai Ahmadzai, Afghanistan. TV presenter. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Hosai Ahmadzai was one of very few female news anchors to carry on broadcasting in the country.
- Esi Buobasa, Ghana. Fishmonger. A native of Fuveme, a Ghanaian village washed away by the sea, Esi Buobasa has experienced first-hand the impact of climate change.
- Chila Kumari Burman, UK. Artist. Working across a range of arts including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film, Chila Kumari Burman uses her work to discuss issues such as representation, gender and cultural identity.
- Fatima Al-Fihri
- Maya Angelou
- Sofonisba Anguissola
- Susan B. Anthony
- Virginia Apgar
- Jane Austen
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Josephine Baker
- Jeanne Baret
- Clara Barton
In the early 9th century, in what is now Morocco, Fatima al-Fihri could have lived the rest of her life as a wealthy heiress when she inherited a fortune after her father died. Instead, she established the world’s first university. With her inheritance, al-Fihri built a mosque and education center for her community. Those institutions eventually gr...
Maya Angelou was a writer, poet, civil rights activist, dancer, and director best known for titles such as her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1928, Angelou fought back against a society filled with racism and prejudice to write more than 30 books, direct 1998’s Down in the Delta starring Alfre Woodard...
Unlike men, female artists in Renaissance Italy weren’t allowed to learn their craft by becoming masters’ apprentices. But that didn’t stop Sofonisba Anguissola from studying with other artists like Bernardino Campi, Bernardino Gatti (Il Sojaro), and even Michelangelo himself. Anguissola became one of the few globally recognized female Renaissance ...
The year 2019 year marked the 100th anniversary of (many) women gaining the right to vote in the United States—and 2020 marked the 200th birthday of one of the women who made it possible: Susan B. Anthony. Born in Massachusetts in 1820, Anthony was a lifelong activist on behalf of women’s rights. With fellow suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Antho...
Virginia Apgar’s career was full of firsts: In 1937, she became the first female board-certified anesthesiologistand the first woman to achieve the rank of professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was the first professor of anesthesiology. In 1952, she presented a five-step system for assessing the condition of newborn babies ...
Jane Austen completed just six novels before she died at the age of 41 in 1817, yet she managed to change the course of literature. Her books, including Pride and Prejudice, were groundbreaking in their use of literary realism and free indirect narrative style—modes that would become so commonplace in fiction that it’s easy to miss how experimental...
There’s not a lot to say about Ruth Bader Ginsburg that hasn’t already been stated: The associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who passed away on September 18, 2020, has been the subject of countless articles and books (including several children’s books), as well as an Oscar-nominated documentary (RBG) and a Felicity Jones-starring biopic (O...
On the surface, Josephine Baker is best known as an enchanting singer who wowed crowds pretty much anywhere she performed—but she was much more than that. A dedicated civil rights and social activist, Baker actually worked as a spy for the French Resistance across North Africa and Europe during WWII. She was known to sneak photos of German military...
The French crewmembers of the Étoile voyage in the 1760s fully intended to circumnavigate the globe—they just didn’t think a woman would be doing it with them. Dr. Philibert Commerçon had been hired as the ship’s botanist on the expedition, and he hatched a plan to bring along his lover, fellow botanist Jeanne Baret. Since women weren’t allowed, Ba...
Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton started tending to wounded soldiers just a week after the Civil War began, using supplies from her own home. She proved herself to be a relentless, reliable, fearless nurse throughout the war, eventually earning the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield” and even narrowly avoiding death herself when a bullet tore throug...
- Lima Aafshid. Afghanistan Poet. Award-winning poet and writer, whose poetry and articles challenge patriarchal norms in Afghan culture. Lima Aafshid has worked as an independent reporter and social commentator for more than five years.
- Halima Aden. Kenya Humanitarian and former model. The first hijab-wearing supermodel, Halima Aden is a Somali by descent but was born in a refugee camp in Kenya.
- Oluyemi Adetiba-Orija. Nigeria Founder - Headfort Foundation. Criminal lawyer and founder of the all-women law firm Headfort Foundation, which offers pro-bono legal services.
- Muqadasa Ahmadzai. Afghanistan Social and political activist. She organised a network of more than 400 young women activists from Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan, to travel to nearby districts and help survivors of domestic violence.
Dec 6, 2021 · 6 December 2021. BBC. The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2021. This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are hitting "reset"...
Nov 23, 2020 · The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020. This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference...
