It’s no secret that women have often been overlooked throughout history. Most of what we learn in school and in life has to do with all of the great triumphs of men. It’s pretty absurd when you think about all the crazy accomplishments of women over the years. Cleopatra ruled over Egypt. Joan of Arc fought in the French army. Jane Austen wrote some of the most influential books of all time. Coco Chanel redefined fashion. Anne Frank showed us what it means to be brave. So many other, less recognizable, women have altered the course of history through their actions. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are 10 badass women that you should know about.
1. Raden Ajeng Kartini
Kartini is most known for her work in promoting higher education for women specifically in Java, an island near Indonesia. Since she was born into an upper-class family, Kartini had access to primary school. But once it came time to further her education, she wasn’t allowed. She used her position in society to voice her opinion on the need for gender equality through a series of letters. She left a lasting impact with a holiday on her birthday as well as Kartini schools which were opened to educate indigenous girls in Indonesia.
2. Ida B. Wells
What didn’t Ida B. Wells do? She was an investigative journalist, a teacher, a civil rights activist as well as a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As a reporter, she worked to show that lynching in the south wasn’t used as a punishment for crimes, but actually as a way to control African Americans. She used her writing to further the civil rights message all over the nation. As if she wasn’t amazing enough, Ida B. Wells was also prolific in the women’s suffrage movement.
3. Khutulun
Born to the most powerful ruler in central Asia, Kaidu, Khutulun kicked butt. She would often accompany her father in war because she was an extremely skilled warrior. Khutulun was so tough that she insisted that if any suitor wished to marry her, that he would have to beat her in a wrestling match. If he was unable to beat her, he must pay her in horses. It is said that she eventually won ten-thousand horses from these matches. Furthermore, Khutulun was by far the favorite child of Kaidu. When it came time for one of his children to take power, he attempted to name Khutulun. However, she was denied that power by the other men in her family.
4. Ching Shih
A female pirate?? Where is this Disney movie?! Ching Shih wasn’t just any pirate, she was one of the most powerful pirates of all time. She had a fleet of over 300 ships with about 40,000 crew members. For many years she remained undefeated by massive armies like the British Empire, the Portuguese Empire, and the Qing dynasty.
5. Rosalind Franklin
Here’s a great example from history where a woman was behind the work and the men took all the glory. Rosalind Franklin an English chemist who’s best known for her work in discovering the double helix shape of DNA. This scientific breakthrough was mostly credited to James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins who won the Nobel Prize in 1962. Watson later suggested that Franklin should be awarded for this discovery, but the Nobel Committee doesn’t make nominations after someone dies.
6. Mary Edwards Walker
Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor. At the beginning of the Civil War, she volunteered as a surgeon in a hospital for the Union Army. Walker was one of the only women surgeons because women were seen as unfit to be doctors. At one point, she crossed enemy lines to treat wounded soldiers, was captured and became a prisoner of war. Eventually, she was released in a prisoner exchange and after the war she was awarded the Medal of Honor for her bravery. She spent the rest of her life as a supporter of the women’s suffrage movement.
7. Althea Gibson
Not so long ago, it was unheard of to have professional athletes of color. Althea Gibson helped break that stereotype by becoming the first black woman to play international tennis. Not only was she a groundbreaking as far as civil rights, but she was a phenomenal tennis player. She won 11 grand slam tournaments and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Later in her career, she proved her athletic capabilities and switched over to the women’s professional golf tour as the first African American player.
8. Margaret Sanger
Believe it or not, women’s health was once way, way, way worse than it is now. Margaret Sanger was a writer and a nurse who is most known for her work in safe sex activism. She is credited with popularizing the term “birth control” and even opened the first contraceptive clinic in the United States. That clinic actually led to her arrest for distributing information on contraception. Her trial and eventual appeal led to her message being spread across the nation. She eventually started what would eventually become Planned Parenthood. She believed that in order for women to hold an equal standing in society, they should have the ability to choose when they have kids.
9. Danuta Danielsson
Danuta Danielsson proves that anyone can be brave and set an example for others. Danielsson is famous for being the woman photographed in this famous picture where she’s hitting a neo-nazi with her purse.
10. Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle proves than anything men can do women can do better. She was the first woman to swim across the English Channel. At the time, people didn’t think women could make it to the other side. Yet, she did it faster than any man before her.