CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE 

1977 - Enugu, Nigeria

Author, novelist, and dramatist. Adichie's themes throughout her work range from feminism to immigration and from sexism to race.

 

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SOFONISBA ANGUISSOLA

c. 1535 - Cremona, Italy | 1625 - Palermo, Italy

Considered the first successful female painter of the Renaissance. She cultivated the portrait and self-portrait, establishing new rules in the field of female portraiture. Her career is a reference in the history of painting and a precedent for several women artists who had been excluded from academic teaching, guilds and workshops, and papal patronage. This paved the way for other women to develop their artistic careers, such as Lavinia Fontana, Barbara Longhi and Artemisia Gentileschi.

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CONCEPCIÓN ARENAL

1820 - Ferrol, Spain | 1893 - Vigo, Spain

Legal expert, journalist, poet, and playwright of literary realism. She was a pioneer of Spanish feminism and a forerunner of social work in Spain. In her life and work, she fought to improve the situation of men's and women's prisons, was against the misery in old people's homes, against begging and against the condition of women in the 19th century.

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ELISA BACHOFEN

1891 - 1976 Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first woman to graduate in civil engineering in Argentina and South America in 1918. She was an active feminist and was one of the founding members of the National Union of Feminists in 1918.

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RUTH BADER GINSBURG

1933 - New York, U.S. | 2020 Washington D.C., U.S.

American jurist, best known for having fought for legal equality between men and women. In 1972, she founded the Women's Rights Division of the American Civil Liberties Union. From 1993 until her death in 2020, she served as an associate justice of Supreme Court of the United States.

 

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MINERVA BERNARDINO 

1907 - 1998 El Seibo, Dominican Republic

Minerva was a Dominican diplomat and promoter of women's rights internationally, including her active participation in the 1954 Convention on the Political Rights of Women, which affirmed women's right to vote, elect and be elected to public office. She was the first vice president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the first vice president of UNICEF, and one of the four women who signed the original charter of the United Nations in 1945.

 

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BENAZIR BHUTTO

1953 - Karachi, Pakistan | 2007 - Rawalpindi, Pakistan 

She was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of a Muslim country and led the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from 1980 until her assassination. She was ideologically a liberal and a secularist and advocated pro-women policies such as development programs and the abolition of controversial laws (such as the Hudood and Zina Orders) that restricted women's rights. She was assassinated two weeks before the elections in which she was running as an opposition candidate.

 

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RUBY NELL BRIDGES

1954 - Mississippi, U.S.

She was the first African American child to attend an "all-white" school. At 6 years of age and protected by federal agents, she attended William Frantz Elementary. Her parents were members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and agreed to participate in New Orleans' system of racial integration.

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AENNE BURDA

1909 - 2005 Offenburg, Germany

Born as Anna Magdalene Lemminger, she was a German publisher of the Burda Group and one of the symbols of the “German economic miracle”. She was deeply involved in philanthropy, founding two charitable foundations to support young students and senior citizens.

 

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CLARA CAMPOAMOR

1888 - Madrid, Spain | 1972 - Lausanne, Switzerland

Lawyer, writer, politician, and defender of women's rights in Spain. During the Second Republic, she founded the Republican Women's Union and was one of the main advocates of women's electoral rights in Spain, which were included in the 1931 Constitution and exercised for the first time in the 1933 elections. As a lawyer and congresswoman, she defended women's rights and fought against racial and gender discrimination. The civil war forced her to flee Spain and she died in exile in Switzerland.

 

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COCO CHANEL

1883 - Saumur, France | 1971 - Paris, France

The most recognized and influential haute couture designer in history and the first female entrepreneur to be recognized as such. She broke with the opulent and impractical elegance of the Belle Époque and created a line of casual, simple, and comfortable clothes that liberated women through fashion.

 

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MARIE CURIE

1867 - Warsaw, Russian Empire | 1934 - Passy, France

Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, better known as Marie Curie, was a Polish physicist and chemist who became a French citizen. She pioneered the field of radioactivity and was the first and only person to receive two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields: physics and chemistry. Furthermore, she was the first woman to hold the position of professor at the University of Paris and the first to be buried in the Pantheon in Paris on her own merits in 1995.

 

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SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

1908 - 1986 Paris, France

Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, known as Simone de Beauvoir, was a French philosopher, professor, writer, and feminist activist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, and monographs on political, social, and philosophical issues. Her philosophical thought aligns with the existentialist movement, and her work "The Second Sex" is considered a timeless classic in the history of feminism. In this book, she analyzes the female condition from various perspectives: scientific, historical, sociological, cultural, and psychological.

 

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OLYMPE DE GOUGES

1748 - Montauban, France | 1793 - Paris, France

Olympe de Gouges is the pseudonym of Marie Gouze. She was a French writer and advocate for equality, against slavery, and in favor of women's rights. In 1791, she authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen, proclaiming equality between sexes, the right to divorce, the establishment of shelters, and the recognition of natural-born children. Arrested for her political ideas, she was summarily judged and sentenced to death by guillotine.

 

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ANNE FRANK

1929 - Frankfurt, German Reich | 1945 - Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp, Nazi Germany

Annelies Marie Frank, known as Anne Frank, was a German-Jewish girl known worldwide for "The Diary of Anne Frank," in which she documented the nearly two and a half years she spent in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam with her family and four others during World War II. In 1947, just two years after the war, her father published the diary under the title "The Diary of a Young Girl ". In 1957, a group of citizens, including Otto Frank, established the Anne Frank Foundation, aiming to foster contact and communication among young people of different cultures, religions, and races, and to oppose intolerance and racial discrimination.

 

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ROSALIND FRANKLIN

1920 - 1958 London, England

She was a British chemist and crystallographer whose work was fundamental to understanding the molecular structures of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), viruses, coal, and graphite.

 

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ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI

1593 - Rome, Italy | c. 1656 - Naples, Italy

She was an Italian Baroque painter who began her artistic training in her father's workshop, the Tuscan painter Orazio Gentileschi. At the age of 18, she was raped by the painter Agostino Tassi, a friend of her father’s. This event undoubtedly influenced her life and works. In her father's workshop, she learned the technique of drawing and the strong naturalism of Caravaggio's works, with whom she has been compared for her dynamism and the violent scenes often depicted in her paintings. In her artwork, she developed historical and religious themes, and her works featuring female characters such as Lucretia, Bathsheba, Judith, or Cleopatra were celebrated. Feminist traits have also been identified in her paintings.

 

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KATHERINE HEPBURN

1907 - 2003 Connecticut, U.S.

American actress Katharine Hepburn is considered an important and influential cultural figure. Her cinematic legacy is credited with "breaking the mold" and bringing a new generation of strong women and feminist issues to the screen.

 

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HYPATIA

c. 355-370 AD – 415 AD Alexandria, Egypt

She was a Greek Neoplatonic philosopher and teacher, a member of the Neoplatonic School of Alexandria. Hypatia cultivated logical studies and exact sciences; she was one of the first female mathematicians in history. She wrote about geometry, algebra, and astronomy, designed various scientific instruments, including a flat astrolabe used to determine the positions of stars on the celestial vault, and invented a densimeter. For this reason, she is considered a pioneer in the history of women in science. Hypatia was killed at the age of 45 or 65 (depending on her correct birth date), lynched by a mob of Christians.

 

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SHAISTA IKRAMULLAH

1915 - Calcutta, British Raj | 2000 - Karachi, Pakistan

Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah was a Bengali-Pakistani politician, diplomat, and writer. She was one of the few Muslim women actively involved in the Pakistan movement and the first female representative of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. She was part of the United Nations delegation that worked on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

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KATHERINE JOHNSON

1918 - 2020 Virginia, U.S.

Creola Katherine Johnson was an American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician who contributed to the aeronautics of the United States and its space programs. Her orbital mechanics calculations as a NASA employee were crucial for the success of the first and subsequent crewed spaceflights in her country. Over her 35-year career, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and contributed to the pioneering use of computers for tasks. The space agency highlighted her "historic role as one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist". Johnson's work included trajectory calculations, launch windows, emergency return paths, and rendezvous paths for modules and spaceflights. Her calculations were also essential for the beginning of the space shuttle program, and she worked on plans for a mission to Mars. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the NASA Group Achievement Award, and the Gold Medal from the United States Congress. In 2021, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

 

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MARY JACKSON

1921 - 2005 Virginia, U.S.

Mary Winston Jackson was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer who worked at the Langley Research Center as a research mathematician and later became the first African American female engineer at NASA. After 34 years at NASA, Jackson had reached the highest possible position for engineers, but realized she could not ascend further without becoming a supervisor first. At this point, she decided to accept a demotion to become the director of two programs simultaneously: the Federal Women's Program in the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Affirmative Action Program. In these roles, she worked to influence the hiring and promotion of women at NASA in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics.

 

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FRIDA KAHLO

1907 - 1954 Mexico City, Mexico

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón's work revolves thematically around her biography and her own suffering, resulting from the accident she endured, which left her bedridden for long periods and subjected to more than 30 surgical interventions. She authored 150 works, mainly self-portraits, projecting her difficulties in surviving. She is also considered a pop icon of Mexican culture. She was one of the first painters to express female identity in her work from her own perspective, rejecting the traditional masculine view of femininity. She contributed to shaping a new type of identity for women and is recognized today by many as a symbol of the perfect feminist heroine.

 

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JULIETA LANTERI

1873 - Briga Marittima, Italy | 1932 - Buenos Aires, Argentina

Julieta Lanteri was an Italo-Argentine physician and politician who fought for ideas related to gender equality, political equality, and divorce. In May 1910, together with other women, she organized the International Women's Congress in Buenos Aires. Women from around the world presented papers on gender-related issues such as civil and political rights, divorce, education, culture, and economics. It was the first event of its kind to concretely demonstrate feminist organization and proposals to change the situations of inferiority experienced by women.

 

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JUANA MANSO

1819 - 1875 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Juana Paula Manso de Noronha was an Argentine writer, translator, journalist, and teacher. In Brazil, she directed O Jornal das Senhoras, the first newspaper in Latin America aimed at a female audience. In Buenos Aires, she founded Álbum de señoritas, which focused on fashion, literature, and theater. She was a tireless advocate of popular education and wrote several books, including poetry and study guides. Manso also translated works from several languages and, along with other authors, was a pioneer of the novel in Latin America. For several years she wrote the Annals of Popular Education, created by Sarmiento. She held various teaching positions, both privately and publicly, in Uruguay and Argentina. She was a member of the Argentine National Education Council and, along with other educators, founded the Pestalozzi Society in Argentina.

 

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HANSA MEHTA

1897 - Surat, British Raj | 1995 – Bombay, India.

Hansa Mehta was a politician and feminist activist from India. A social worker, educator, writer, and reformer. Hansa Mehta fought for her country's independence, which was achieved in 1947, and was a member of the Constituent Assembly, where she fought for equality and justice for women and helped draft the Indian Constitution, which was adopted in 1949. She is considered the driving force, along with Eleanor Roosevelt, behind the initiative to incorporate inclusive language into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, successfully replacing the phrase "all men are born free and equal" to "all human beings are born free and equal".

 

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GOLDA MEIR

1898 - Kiev, Russian Empire | 1978 - Jerusalem, Israel

Golda Meir was a politician, diplomat and stateswoman who became the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Israel. Her uncompromising policies and leadership style earned her the nickname "Iron Lady". Her great courage lay in leading the country internally through the path of sacrifice. Nowadays, Golda can be defined as a model, a symbol, and a revolution of female power in the 20th century. She led with loyalty to the deepest values of Zionism and social democracy, determined to defend the interests of Israel and the Jewish people on the international stage.

 

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MELINA MERCOURI

1920 - Athens, Greece | 1994 - New York, U.S.

Melina Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She became a member of the Hellenic Parliament and in 1981 became the first woman to hold the position of Minister of Culture in Greece. Known as a fighter and opponent of the military dictatorship in the seventies, called the Colonels' Regime, she gave concerts and organized marches against the regime. During her struggle, she was the target of several assassination attempts and had to go into exile in France during the 7 years of the dictatorship. In Greece, the dictatorial regime organized to oppose her in any way, censoring her records and films and confiscating all her assets. Her Greek citizenship was also revoked, to which she responded: "I was born Greek, and I will die Greek. Pattakos, leader of the regime, was born a fascist and he will die a fascist".

 

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MARIA MONTESSORI

1870 - Chiaravalle, Italy | 1952 - Noordwijk, Netherlands

Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was a physician, educator, psychiatrist, philosopher, humanist, feminist, and suffragist. At an early age, Montessori broke gender barriers and expectations by enrolling in an all-male technical school and later studying engineering. However, she changed her mind and enrolled in the medical program at the University of Rome La Sapienza, where she graduated with honors in 1896. Later, as an educator, she became known for the educational philosophy that bears her name and for her writings on scientific pedagogy. Her educational method is still used today in many public and private schools around the world. Montessori was also associated with feminist groups that advocated for women's political and civil rights. She was part of the Italian delegation at the Women's Rights Congress (Berlin - 1896). "I speak on behalf of six million Italian women," Montessori stated, "who work in factories and farms for eighteen hours a day for a wage that is usually half of what men receive for the same work, and sometimes even less". She also defended the right of unmarried women to enter the work force and their right to decide upon marriage and control of their property, championing the banner of equal pay between men and women. She also denounced, at the International Women's Congress (London -1890), the living conditions of rural teachers in Italy and of children forced to work in mines in Sicily. In this way, she linked feminism to social demands and, presenting her ideas on the role of women as agents of change, insisted on their right to education, knowledge, industrial and intellectual work, the right to vote and to decide on partnership and motherhood. She defended and promoted a model of the "new woman", aware of her potential and the architect of her own destiny, reflecting the first steps of women's emancipation in Europe.

 

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ALICIA MOREAU DE JUSTO

1885 - London, England | 1986 - Buenos Aires, Argentina

Alicia Moreau de Justo was an Argentine physician and politician, a prominent figure in feminism and socialism. From an early age, she was involved in demanding greater rights for women, founding the Socialist Feminist Center in 1902 and the Women's Trade Union in 1903. She received her medical degree in 1914 and joined the Socialist Party a few years later. By 1918, she had already founded the National Feminist Union and was always active in the defense of women, especially on issues related to women's suffrage, workers' rights, health, and public education. She remained involved in political life until her death in 1986, at the age of 100, actively participating in issues related to the struggle against the military dictatorship through the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights.

 

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MALAK HIFNI NASIF

1886 - 1918 Cairo, Egypt

Malak Hifni Nasif was an Egyptian writer, poet, and teacher who contributed to the promotion of women's rights in Egypt in the early 20th century. She advocated for reforms to improve women's conditions, compatible with the respect for the customs of Muslim society at that time. In 1911, she presented her "Ten Principles for the Progress of Egyptian Women" at the Egyptian National Congress. The principles included religious orientation in education, free access to mosques for women, compulsory primary education for both sexes, the establishment of medical schools for women equivalent to those for men, teaching young girls the principles of hygiene, domestic economy, childcare, and first aid, among others.

 

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VICTORIA OCAMPO

1890 - 1979 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Victoria Ocampo was an Argentine writer, intellectual, essayist, translator, editor, philanthropist, and patron. From her youth, she participated in the early manifestations of feminist, intellectual, and anti-fascist movements in Argentina. This led her to establish the Argentine Women's Union in 1936. The association fought for women's civil and political rights, more protective legislation for women in industry, agriculture, and domestic service, maternity protection, and the protection of minors, among other reforms. She was the only Argentine who attended the Nuremberg Trials. Due to her open opposition to the fascist Peronism regime, she was imprisoned for 26 days in 1953. In 1977, she became the first woman to be elected a member of the Argentine Academy of Letters.

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EMMELINE PANKHURST

1858 - Lancashire, England | 1928 - London, England

Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the suffragette movement, which fought for women's right to vote in England. In 1903, she founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was affiliated with the Independent Labour Party. Its members came to be known as suffragettes. Their tactics included graffiti on large walls, starting fires, and even raiding the private homes of prominent members of the government and Parliament. These actions, when published in newspapers, increased support for the suffragette movement. In 1999, Time magazine named Pankhurst one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, stating: "She shaped an idea of woman for our time; she pushed society into a new structure from which there could be no turning back. Her work is recognized as a crucial element in achieving women's suffrage in Britain”.

 

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ROSA PARKS

1913 - Alabama, U.S. | 2005 - Michigan, U.S.

An important figure in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, this African American activist is known for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested for this action, and it’s frequently cited as the spark that ignited the movement. She was honored as the "First Lady of Civil Rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement”. Parks' remains were honored in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, making her the first African American woman to receive this honor.

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CLARISA PINKOLA ESTÉS

1945 - Indiana, U.S.

Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a clinical psychologist, post-doctoral Jungian analyst, social activist, poet, and American author of the international bestseller "Women Who Run with the Wolves". She worked as a post-trauma specialist for social inclusion in clinical psychology, helping Vietnam War survivors with adverse physical and psychological conditions. Estés has worked with women who have lost their children, survivors of natural disasters and family crimes. From 1999 to 2003, she provided support to family members and survivors of the Columbine massacre, and later to those affected by the 9/11 attacks in New York.

 

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SAVITRIBAI PHULE

1831 Bombay Presidency, Company India | 1897 Bombay Presidency, British India

Savitribai Phule was the first female teacher in India and is considered an important figure in the social reform movement and the improvement of women's rights. Alongside her husband, she founded one of the first schools for girls in 1848. In 1864, she built a large shelter for destitute women, widows, and married girls rejected by their families. Her role was crucial in the fight for equal rights, against discrimination, and unfair treatment based on gender, and for the eradication of the caste system.

 

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AYN RAND

1905 - Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire | 1982 - New York, U.S.

Ayn Rand, born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum, was a Russian-American philosopher and writer. The author of the novels "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" she developed a philosophical system known as "Objectivism." Rand advocated freedom and non-discrimination as primary values, asserting that social integration was the natural state of man. She deeply rejected religion and gender distinction, arguing that these were the root causes of discrimination.

 

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ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

1884 - 1962 New York, U.S.

First Lady from 1933 to 1945 during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms as President. Eleanor Roosevelt was also an American author, activist, and politician. Eleanor expressed her support for the civil rights movement for the African American population and became one of the few voices in the Roosevelt administration insisting that benefits be extended equally to all Americans of all races. She was the first to invite African Americans to the White House. In 1939, when the daughters of the American Revolution (an organization of which she was a member) refused to allow African American contralto Marian Anderson to perform in a concert at Constitution Hall, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the group in protest and helped organize another performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Later, after a performance by the alto, she introduced Anderson to the monarchs of the United Kingdom at a White House dinner. She served as a United States delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. Harry S. Truman later called her the "First Lady of the World" for her advancements in human rights.

 

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DURRIYYAH SHAFĪQ 

1908 - Tanta, Egypt | 1975 - Cairo, Egypt

Doria Shafik or Durriyyah Shafīq was an Egyptian feminist, philosopher, editor, and poet who was one of the main promoters of women's rights in Egypt. In 1948, Shafik founded the Bint Al-Nil Association to help solve women's problems by involving them in political life. The association also established women's education centers, an employment office, and a dining hall for working women throughout the country. In 1951, along with 1,500 women from the Bint Al-Nil Association and the Egyptian Feminist Union, she stormed the Parliament demanding full political rights, equal pay, and reforms in civil status laws. As a direct result of their actions, Egyptian women won the right to vote in the 1956 constitution. However, the constitution granted women the right to vote on the condition that they could read and write, a requirement not imposed on men. Because of this, Shafik went on a hunger strike at the Indian Embassy against the dictatorial nature of General Gamal Abdel Nasser's government. As a result, Shafik was placed under house arrest by Nasser. She spent 18 years of her life in this manner, with a police officer at her door and any kind of visitation forbidden. The Bint Al-Nil Association was stripped of its license, leading to its dissolution.

 

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GEORGE SAND

1804 - Paris, France | 1876 Berry, France

George Sand, the pseudonym of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, was a French novelist and journalist considered one of the most notable writers of French Romanticism. In 1832, she wrote her first novel, Indiana, which brought her fame. At this point, she became known for challenging the society of the time by wearing masculine clothing, justified by the practicality and durability of such attire compared to the typical dress of a noblewoman at that time. In addition to feeling comfortable, Sand's masculine attire allowed her to move more freely through Paris and granted her access to places often excluded to women, even those of her social standing. It was also scandalous for the time that Sand smoked in public. This "rebellious" attitude was her way of fighting against gender discrimination and subverting the prevailing stereotypes of the era.

 

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ROSA SENSAT I VILÀ

1873 - Maresme, Spain | 1961 - Barcelona, Spain

This Catalan educator and pedagogue played a crucial role in the establishment of public schools in Catalonia and in the education of working-class women in the early 20th century. She undertook education studies and joined the progressive pedagogical movement associated with the new trends coming from Europe. She was an advocate of nature-based and experimental education, with a particular focus on the renewal of science education and the transformation of girls' education. She believed that gender inequalities, the exploitation of working-class women, and discrimination were due to a lack of education. Therefore, her main goal was to provide women with the necessary knowledge to become a "new woman" through education.

 

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DIANA SPENCER, PRINCESS OF WALES

1961 – Sandringham House, England | 1997 - Paris, France.

Diana, Princess of Wales, born Diana Frances Spencer, was the first wife of the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. However, she is recognized worldwide as a great British activist and philanthropist. While the Royal Family has always supported charitable organizations and activities, in the case of Lady Di, "her overall impact on charity is probably more significant than anyone else in the 20th century," according to Stephen Lee, director of the UK Institute of Fundraising Managers. The princess developed a keen interest in serious diseases such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, and leprosy, and fought hard to remove the stigma and taboo associated with them. She was a patron of charities and organizations working with the homeless, children, young people, drug addicts and the elderly, including the National AIDS Trust, Barnardo's, the British Red Cross, and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, among many others. She volunteered at the Royal Brompton Hospital, where she visited seriously ill or dying patients every week. She worked with the British Red Cross Anti-Personnel Land Mines Campaign and was a sponsor of the HALO Trust, an organization that removes the debris left by war, particularly landmines. All her work was aimed at supporting and involving these vulnerable groups, combating discrimination, and promoting their social reintegration. Shortly before her death in June 1997, she organized a major auction of some of her dresses and suits at Christie's in London and New York, with the proceeds going to charity.

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ALFONSINA STORNI

1892 – Sala Capriasca, Switzerland | 1938 - Mar del Plata, Argentina

Alfonsina Storni was an Argentine poet and writer associated with modernism. Her work is a defense of artistic and individual freedom, showcasing her as an excellent poet of love and a feminist in the literal sense of the word, as she always sought equality between men and women. Her prolific, vigorous, and original work transformed Latin American literature and was a powerful source of influence in the feminist movement.

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HARRIET TUBMAN

c. 1822 – Maryland, U.S. | 1913 - New York, U.S.

Harriet was an American abolitionist and social activist. After escaping slavery, she conducted thirteen rescue missions, liberating around 300 slaves, using the antislavery network known as the "Underground Railroad." After the Civil War, during her later years, she worked to promote the suffrage cause and fought to secure women’s right to vote. She traveled to New York, Boston, and Washington to give speeches in favor of women's suffrage, describing her own actions during the Civil War, and using the sacrifices made by women in modern history as evidence of equality between men and women.

 

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DOROTHY VAUGHAN

1910 - Missouri, U.S. | 2008 - Virginia, U.S.

Dorothy Jean Johnson Vaughan was a respected African American mathematician and computer scientist who worked at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and NASA. During her career, she became the first African American to hold a leadership position at both institutions. In her final decade at NASA, she worked extensively with Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson, who initially worked in her group of African American computer scientists before being transferred to other areas to work on the equations for launching astronaut John Glenn in orbit. She retired from NASA in 1971.

 

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MARIA ELENA WALSH

1930 – Ramos Mejía, Argentina | 2011 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Maria Elena Walsh was an Argentine poet, writer, singer-songwriter, playwright, and composer, considered a "living myth, cultural hero, and emblem of almost all childhoods". Walsh was a prominent Argentine intellectual of the 20th century who dedicated her life to advocating for women's rights and their role in society and feminism. In her works, she addressed various topics such as art, education, games, happiness, nature, and life. However, her most important messages were about children's rights, women's rights, and access to tolerant and quality childhood education.

 

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CLARA WOODS

2006 - Florence, Italy

Clara Woods is a 15-year-old stroke survivor and Italian artist living in California. This prenatal stroke severely affected her communication system and according to her doctors, would have left her unable to speak, walk, run, understand. For them, Clara was a lost cause. Although she has impressively surpassed these predictions of a vegetative state, she does walk and run, but she cannot speak, read, or write, yet she understands three languages. She can paint, and she does so all the time. Painting has given this young artist the power to communicate with the outside world and to take control of her body. In her works, Clara combines the perfect combination of colors with the brushstrokes of a young artist and a profound emotion beyond the canvas. "To be beautiful is to be yourself. You don't have to be accepted by others. You have to accept yourself!”. Clara is an artist and model. Her paintings are exhibited and sold worldwide.

 

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VIRGINIA WOOLF

1882 - London, England | 1941 - Sussex, England

British writer, author of novels, stories, plays, and other literary works; considered one of the most prominent figures of 20th-century Anglo-Saxon avant-garde modernism and international feminism. During the interwar period, Woolf was a prominent figure in London's literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. In her essay "A Room of One's Own", she discussed the challenges faced by women writers in the 20th century, an arena dominated by men.

 

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MALALA YOUSAFZAI

1997 - Mingora, Pakistan

Malala is a Pakistani activist who has lived in England since she was shot in an assassination attempt at the age of 15. In 2014, she received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, becoming the youngest person to receive the award in any of its categories. She is known for her activism in support of civil rights, particularly women's rights, in the Swat River Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwestern Pakistan, where the Taliban regime banned girls from attending school.