I'm a complete history nerd on every level, but I've noticed that a lot of incredible women tend to fly under the radar. There's an unfortunate amount of sexism that comes with secondary accounts of their deeds, which leads to their roles in history being minimized or even outright ignored. And that's really unfortunate, because there have been a lot, and I mean a lot, of awesome women whose accomplishments definitely deserve more recognition. So today, I'm putting some of these women front and center to give them the attention they deserve!
1. Lakshmi Bai
Artist's depiction of Lakshmi Bai
Lakshmi Bai starts off her life different from most noblewomen, in that she was trained in combat and excelled at it from a young age. Later, she married the maharajah (ruler) of Jhansi, who would die without an heir. The British, seeing an opportunity to grab more of India for themselves, demanded control of the territory. However, Lakshmi Bai refused to yield and led an insurgency against them. She died a few months later on the battlefield but would become a powerful symbol of resistance to the British in India for decades to come.
2. Sayidda al Hurra
Artist's rendering of Sayidda al Hurra
Sayidda al Hurra - whose name literally translates to 'free and independent lady' - was a Moroccan pirate queen in the early 1500s; do I even need to say anything else, or does she already scream 'badass'? Avenging the conquest of Granada, her home, by the Spanish in 1492, Sayidda worked alongside the infamous Barbarossa of Algiers to dominate the entire Mediterranean Sea and become one of the most feared pirates in history.
3. 588th Soviet Night Bomber Regiment
Night Witches: Soviet Female Aviators in World War IIIt may feel like a cop out to put an entire regiment here, but every woman in the 588th deserves to be here for their insane flying skills. The "Night Witches" as the 588th came to be called, consisted of an incredible group of daring Soviet women who, in spite of their obsolete gear, grew famous in both Russia and Germany. Their moniker comes from their undetected approaches that left complete destruction behind - the pilots would cut their engines mid-flight to fall with style and with silence before pulling up at the last second. Bravery? They invented it!
4. Ching Shih (or Cheng I Sao)
How does someone go from being a poor prostitute to the most successful pirate in human history? Be badass #4, Ching Shih! After the death of her husband, who led an alliance of pirate gangs in the South China Sea, Ching Shih gained leadership of the group. While she did the usual pirate things of pillaging and fighting the navy with her hundreds of ships, her the laws she enacted are even more awesome. She mandated the only women be kept on board her ships were the wives of her pirates, who had to be monogamous. Additionally, violence towards women was prohibited; breaking either law was punishable by death. The Chinese navy simply could not beat her, as she outmaneuvered them in every battle. She and all her crew would retire with full pardons and all their riches in tow.
5. Empress Theodora
Byzantine mosaic of Empress Theodora
From her beginnings as a prostitute in Constantinople, Theodora married the emperor of Byzantium, Justinian I. She was his tireless advisor and spymaster, and he relied on her to offer wisdom, encouragement, and advice. During a major rebellion, when Justinian wished to flee the capital, Theodora urged him to stay and maintain order; later, when plague put the emperor into a coma, Theodora took the reins of the empire and ensured peace through sheer willpower when civil war seemed inevitable. Not only was she an incredible politician, but an early fighter for women's rights, breaking up illegal prostitution rings, providing resources to disempowered women to start anew, and ensuring that women's rights were enshrined in Byzantium's legal code. 100% pure badassery!
6. Marie Curie
Curie in her lab
You probably already know Marie Curie, and that's because she's probably the coolest scientist of the 20th century (you heard me, Einstein stans). Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to ever win a Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields! And she deserved every accolade, pioneering research in radioactivity and discovering two brand new elements.
7. Eva Peron
Eva Perón, Political Leader, Feminist, First Lady of Argentinayearofwomenshistory.blogspot.com
A persisting symbol of Argentina, Eva Perón (often called 'Evita') became the First Lady of Argentina in 1946, when her husband Juan was elected president. She pushed forward a progressive agenda, championing labor rights and women's suffrage, as well as founding the Eva Perón Foundation. Her charity work included everything from donating shoes and pots to providing housing and healthcare for thousands of Argentinians, vastly improving their quality of life for so many.
8. Yennega
For more details on Yennega, check this out
rediscoveringafricaheritage.files.wordpress.com
Yennega is a legendary figure in the West African country of Burkina Faso. As a teenager, she served her father as a warrior. The young princess proved to be an amazing asset - so much so, that her father prevented her from ever being married or falling in love. In an act of defiance, she rode off away from home and met a young man who had also struck out alone, Riale. They fell in love and together began a legendary line of Mossi chieftains. Today, she is regarded as the personification of feminine independence and a strong spirit.
9. Cleopatra
Last Power of the Ptolemaic DynastyThe last pharaoh of Egypt does not get enough credit for being the embodiment of badass enough. Cleopatra was arguably the most intelligent person on the planet during her lifetime, being a master rhetorician and brilliant politician, in addition to having read Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, and knowing at least ten languages. However, her most awesome attribute comes not from her genius, but rather the fact that she truly cared for her people. She mended civil divides in her multicultural kingdom, dismantled corrupt bureaucratic systems, and established legal equality for all her subjects. While we often remember her for her beauty, Cleopatra deserves to be immortalized for being one of the most formidable rulers in world history. Or in other words, slay, queen.
10. Tru'ng Sisters
If you want to learn more about the Tru'ng sisters, check this out
The national heroines of Vietnam, the Trưng sisters led a Vietnamese rebellion against Chinese invaders after a Chinese governor murdered the older sister's husband. The sisters formed an army mostly made up of women that seized control of dozens of Chinese strongholds in Vietnam. Although they were defeated in battle and killed a few years later, their legendary victories and resistance to their oppressors deeply resonates in Vietnamese culture to this day.
11. Sophie Scholl
The ultimate badass of this list, Sophie Scholl deserves your attention. A founding member of the White Rose resistance in Nazi Germany, Sophie sacrificed her life in her attempts to undermine the government. Sophie and her brothers distributed pamphlets that informed their fellow university students of the war crimes occurring on the Eastern Front. Her work was crucial to the resistance, as Nazi power was built off of falsified information. While Sophie would be captured and executed by the Nazis, she is remembered as a hero for standing up for justice and liberty when few others would; she is someone all people ought to aspire to imitate.
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