Many women throughout history have molded and changed the world with their leadership skills, strength, resilience, and intelligence. Because International Women’s Day is coming up, here are 10 women who have had a huge impact on the world.
1. Hannah Kudjoe (1918-1986)
Born in Busua, Hannah Kudjoe was an activist for independence in Ghana in the 1940s and 1950s. Kudjoe founded the All-African Women’s League after Ghana won its independence. The All-African Women’s League comprised of creating schools and nurseries in the country as well as spreading hygiene practices and teaching women how to farm.
2. Sojourner Truth (1897-1883)
Sojourner Truth was an Africa American abolitionist and an activist for women’s rights. In 1826, Truth gained freedom and became a Christian and at a women’s convention in Ohio in 1851, she presented a speech called “Ain’t I A Woman?” which advocated for equal rights for everyone.
Photo by Jessica Podraza on Unsplash
3. Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Marie Curie was a Polish and French physicist who was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in two different areas. The first Nobel Prize she won was for her work in radioactivity in 1903 and her second was for chemistry in 1911. In addition, her and her daughter worked together to make the first x-radiography machine.
4. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)
Elizabeth Blackwell attended Geneva Medical College in New York and was the first woman in America to receive a medical degree. She paved the way for other women in the medical field and was one of the people who founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.
5. Empress Wu Zetian (624-705)
Empress Wu Zetian was raised by her father who encouraged equality between men and women. Around 660 CE Wu became the emperor in China under the Tang Dynasty and she’s known as the only female emperor to rule in Chinese history. In 666 CE she took a group of women to a ceremonial center in Mount Tai where they performed rituals which were performed only by men.
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash
6. Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
Ada Lovelace was a mathematician who studied advanced mathematics with professor Charles Babbage at University of London. Lovelace was also considered to be the first computer programmer and was incredibly interested in Professor Babbage’s the difference engine.
7. Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)
Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 which is an environmental organization that empowers and encourages women to improve the environment. In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for helping with sustainable development. Additionally, Maathai advocated for AIDS and human rights.
Photo by Lindsey LaMont on Unsplash
8. Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000)
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960 as well as the first woman in the world who held a head of government position. She can be seen to be an important figure for females in politics for breaking the gender norms.
9. Sarah Breedlove (1867-1919)
Sarah Breedlove was an entrepreneur who is known to be one of the first American females to become a self-made millionaire. In 1905, she moved to Denver and worked as a cook for a pharmacist where she learned a bit of chemistry. This knowledge allowed her to create an ointment that was able to heal dandruff and other hygiene-related illnesses that were prevalent during that time. It wasn’t until 1906 after she married Charles Joseph Walker that she slowly became well known for the Walker Method and became known as Madam C.J. Walker. She has helped and provided many African American women with job opportunities and is seen as one of the most influential women in history.
10. Mary Seacole (1805-1881)
Mary Seacole was a business woman and nurse. She would travel to the Bahamas, Haiti, and Cuba to buy spices which she would sell in Jamaica, which was where she was born. After getting rejected from the opportunity to accompany Florence Nightingale and other nurses to help those who were wounded and sick in the Crimean War, she set off to the Crimea on Thomas Day in 1866. She was a brave woman who helped men who were hurt from both sides and was given the name “Mother Seacole.”