1. Wangari Maathai

She's an environmental activist born in Kenya who founded the Green Belt Movement. This foundation campaigned for conservation, planting trees, and even for women's rights. She became the first woman with a doctorate degree in East and Central Africa. Maathai received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts in sustainability and peace.

2. Frida Kahlo

This bisexual Mexican artist branded herself with her unique paintings that infused identity and gender in a cohesive, vibrant manner. Kahlo's paintings weren't fully appreciated during her lifetime. Although, Kahlo soon became the highest-selling woman in art when her self portrait, "Roots," was auctioned off for $5.62 million.

3. Bessie Coleman

Coleman, an African American woman, became the first American woman to earn an international pilot's license and the first black woman to stage a public flight, which took place in 1922. She would refuse to fly in front of segregated audiences, and the money that was collected from her performances helped fund a school to train black aviators.

4. Junko Tabei

Tabei climbed Mount Everest, becoming the first woman to ever reach its summit in 1975. This Japanese woman made headlines for her strength, symbolizing women's empowerment and debunking female stereotypes.

5. Gabriela Mistral

This Chilean poet-diplomat, whose real name Lucila Godoy Alcoyaga, became the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945. Her work often talked about motherhood, love, and nature, and allowed readers to explore Latin American identity.