1 The Periodic Table of Brilliant Women & To follow the Periodic Table model, we Girls is a poster collaboration by artist and have grouped the women into the above graphic designer, Sarah Dixon, and writer, Rob categories, colour coded as shown below. Clucas-Tomlinson. The table was inspired by We would encourage you to use this booklet a conversation Rob had with their seven year as a notebook or scrapbook - scribble old daughter, regarding famous women in comments, highlight favourite quotes, cut history. When the only women their daughter out the stories you want on your wall. was able to recall were Queens Elizabeth I and Victoria, Rob began a quest to compile a list And let us know if you have other ideas of inspirational female non-rulers who had because this is just a beginning... made a huge impact on the world. When their Thanks so much for being part of this. daughter was then given a Periodic Table of Sarah & Rob (with Bella) Elements book for her birthday, and Sarah got involved, the idea for the poster was formed! Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2020 Follow the Periodic Table: HOW TO CHOOSE 101? facebook.com/brilliantwomengirls

Rob made it his mission to curate a definitive collection of 101 women and girls, before Sarah took the project to a wider audience, asking members of online women’s groups for their recommendations. Through careful consideration, and with a determination to include women and girls from all over the world, and all walks of life, the collection has been edited in the search for an inspiring and diverse mix of Elements. (We know we can never make the perfect collection because there are so many amazing, inspirational women to choose from!) This was not an easy choice, and we particularly wanted to focus on changemakers for our daughter’s role models. There are hundreds more we could have added but we hope this list is rich enough to inspire, stimulate and cause you to rethink female contribution to society over the ages. Every one of these people have done extraordinary things, even when conditions have been very powerfully set against their chances of achievement. It’s worth thinking a bit about how this list was gathered, and who by. Who do you know and admire that you would have liked to see? “Every woman’s success Who is excluded, and why? The truth is, there are so many amazing stories, and many of should be an inspiration to them are those of the people we know - our mother, our , our gran, our friends another. We’re strongest or our colleagues. We hope you will enjoy when we cheer each other on” these stories and be inspired to celebrate all kinds of achievements, including your own! - Serena Williams

2 Maria Merian (1647- Wáng Zhēnyí (1768-97) 1717) was a German- was an 18th Century born naturalist and Chinese mathematician, explorer whose detailed astronomer and poet who illustrations of insects became one of China’s and plants remain popular greatest scholars despite 300 years after her death having to teach herself, in 1717. She was one of as women were forbidden the first illustrators to an education during that actually study the topic time. In her short life - they were drawing, and her observations on she died before reaching 30 - she was able to the metamorphosis of caterpillars did much calculate and explain the movement of equinoxes to advance the scientific field of entomology. and lunar eclipses and she wrote math books In 1699 she travelled with her daughter, in accessible language so that they could be Dorothea, to Suriname in Central America understood by more people. She was also an and illustrated the insects and plants which acclaimed poet and she excelled in archery, she saw there, and on her return published martial arts and equestrian skills. Remarkably, her work, Metamorphosis Insectorum her obvious brilliance allowed her the right Surinamensium, to great acclaim. to tutor male students, something which was otherwise unheard of in 18th Century China. “In my youth, I spent my time investigating insects.” In 2004, the International Astronomical Union named one of Venus’s craters after her. “It’s made to believe women are the same as men; Are you not convinced daughters can also be heroic?”

Laura Bassi (1711-78) was an 18th Century Ada Lovelace (1815-52) Italian physicist who, in was a British mathematician 1732, became the first who, as far back as the ever female university 1840s, became a pioneer lecturer. During her long of computing, having career at the University of worked closely with Bologna, she championed Charles Babbage on his the work of Isaac Newton concept for the world’s first and was instrumental digital and programmable in introducing his theories to the whole of computer. As well as having Italy. At her doctorate ceremony a silver coin a brilliant mind, Lovelace was also a skilled was created in her honor, acknowledging the writer and not only was she able to explain significance of the event and linking her to these difficult concepts in words to baffled Minerva, Goddess of Learning. She fought hard scientists, but her notes included a method of for equal pay and opportunities for women calculation that many historians now see as the scientists, and ran private lessons when male first ever computer program. For this, she is colleagues prevented her from teaching at the widely regarded as the world’s first computer University. A mother of 8 children, in 1776 programmer! In 1979, 127 years after her death, she was elected to the Chair of Experimental a computer programming language, ‘Ada’, was Physics by the Bologna Institute of Sciences. named in her honour. It is still used today in On marrying physician Giuseppe Veratti, Bassi aviation, healthcare and financial systems. Ada explained: “I have chosen a person who walks the died aged 36 and was buried next to her father, same path of learning, and who from long experience, the poet Lord Byron, despite him abandoning I was certain would not dissuade me from it.” her when she was just a few months old. “Your best and wisest refuge from all troubles is in your science.”

3 Florence Nightingale Marie Curie (1867- (1820-1910) was a British 1934) was a brilliant nurse and social reformer Polish/French chemist whose diligent care for and physicist who became wounded soldiers during the first woman to be the Crimean War brought awarded a Nobel Prize in about the birth of modern 1903. She went on to win nursing. At the time a second Nobel Prize in soldiers were 10 times 1911 after discovering two more likely to die from elements, Polonium and infection or disease caught while in hospital than Radium, and is still, to date, the only person they were from their actual wounds. Florence to have been awarded Nobel prizes in two set about implementing a strict practice of different scientific fields. In 1906, she became hand-washing and sanitation to combat this, the first ever female professor at the University and she encouraged the nurses in her charge of Paris and it was her who coined the phrase to be especially aware of their patients’ needs. ‘radioactivity’. Her achievements are seismic Because of her approach, nursing became and her work has profoundly changed our much more a professional vocation and in understanding of both Physics and Chemistry. 1860, Florence set up the first nursing training “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to programme, The Nightingale School for Nurses. be understood. Now is the time to understand Following her death in 1910 a statue of her more, so that we may fear less.” was erected in Waterloo Place, London. “It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm.”

Alice Ball (1892-1916) was an African American (1861-1912) was an chemist who, while American biologist and studying for her masters geneticist who, in 1905, degree, created a treatment became one of the first for leprosy known as ‘The scientists to discover sex Ball Method’. At this time chromosones. Despite leprosy was a disease being exceptionally bright, with no cure and most US opportunities for US people who contracted women in the late 1800s it were sent to a colony in Hawaii where were few and so she chose to train as a teacher. they eventually died. Alice, though, created a However, she persevered with her studies, technique for chaulmoogra oil to be injected and at 39 eventually found a position as a into, and absorbed by, the body, alleviating the research scientist. At first, her chromosome pain and paving the way for an eventual cure. discoveries were largely dismissed, but Nettie However, she died prematurely of chlorine was eventually proved right. A male scientist, poisoning before being able to hand her paper Edmund Wilson, was later credited with these in, and her brilliance was lost to the world. It’s discoveries, until recent historians deemed only very recently been uncovered properly. Nettie as being the far greater driving force.

“Ball’s discovery was very beneficial to alleviating “How could you think your questions would bother the pain that was sustained by patients…. And for me? They never will, so long as I keep my enthusiasm a black woman to be able to achieve what she did for biology; and that, I hope will be as long as I live.” and make advances in that area during that time is remarkable unto itself.”- James P. Harnisch

4 Joan Proctor (1897-1931) Dr. (1906- was a British zoologist 92) was an American naval who, in 1923, became officer and mathematician the first female curator of who rose to the rank reptiles at London Zoo. of Rear Admiral in In 1927, she designed the the US Navy whilst zoo’s now famous Reptile simultaneously helping House, which was so ahead to create the world’s first of its time that it was soon commercial electronic copied by many other computer. In 1952, she zoos. Joan was an expert at handling dangerous devised the first linker, which enabled computers reptiles like crocodiles and snakes, and she to be so much more than simple calculators, and was responsible for bringing the first komodo this led to the creation of COBOL, one of the dragons to Europe. One of them, Sumbawa, most important programming languages of the became a popular attraction among children, and 20th Century. In 1944, she coined the phrase Joan was often seen walking it around the zoo. ‘computer bug’ after a moth had accidentally She was celebrated across the world as a brilliant got trapped inside the circuit of a large-scale herpetologist and two species of reptiles, a calculator that she was working on. A Navy ship, snake ‘Buhoma procterae’ and a tortoise ‘Testudo the USS Hopper, is named after and, in 2016, procterae’ were named in her honour. She died she was posthumously awarded the Presidential aged just 34 following many years of ill-health. Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in “Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, the US, for her contribution to computer science. young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual “If it’s a good idea, go ahead and do it. It’s much party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned easier to apologise than it is to get permission.” over teacups and crawled past the crumpets.” Patricia Valdez - ‘Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor’

Rachel Carson (1907- 64) was a 20th Century Dr. Maria Telkes (1900- American biologist and 95) was an Hungarian-born writer whose 1962 book, chemist and biophysicist Silent Spring, played a who became known as ‘The major role in galvanising Sun Queen’ after inventing the environmental activism the world’s first solar- movement. In the book, powered heating system Carson brought to light for residences during the damaging effects of World War II. In 1953, she pesticides on the environment. In 1972, she helped invent a solar oven that could be used by successfully campaigned for the pesticide DDT people all over the world and in 1980 she helped to be banned in the US and around the world build the world’s first fully solar-powered home. and her work eventually led to the creation of She also worked closely on creating materials the US Environmental Protection Agency. She that could stand the extreme temperatures of has been referred to as the mother of modern outer space. In 1952, she was the first recipient environmentalism and is considered to be of the Society of Women Engineers Award. one of greatest conservationists in history.

“Sunlight will be used as a source of energy sooner or “The more clearly we can focus our attention on later. Why wait? ” the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

5 Chien Shiung Wu Rosalind Franklin (1920- (1912-97) was a Chinese 58) was a British chemist American scientist, known who, along with James as ‘The First Lady of Watson, Francis Crick and Physics’ for her work on Maurice Wilkins, helped separating uranium metal discover the structure of into 2 different isotopes DNA in 1953, although she by gaseous diffusion. received little recognition She was the first woman for it at the time while they to serve as president of were awarded with a Nobel the American Physical Society and her book, Prize. Her later work on the molecular structures Beta Decay, published in 1965, is still the of viruses led to the discovery of the structure go-to manual for budding nuclear scientists. of the polio virus in 1959, a year after her death In 1957 her experiments on the law of parity at just 37. Her one-time apprentice, Aaron resulted in 2 male physicists receiving Nobel Klug, continued her research and was, himself, prizes while her efforts were ignored. awarded a Nobel Prize for it in 1982. Thus, her “So few women in science...There is a misconception in brilliance helped 4 men to find fame while her America that women scientists are all dowdy spinsters. efforts went, until recently, largely ignored. This is the fault of men.” Teacher: “Who can tell me what Watson and Crick discovered? Student: “Rosalind Franklin’s notes, sir!”

Katherine G. Johnson (1918-2020) was an African American Helen Bamber (1925- mathematician who 2014) was a British was pivotal in the US’ psychotherapist and first manned spacecraft human rights activist and subsequent moon- who dedicated her life to landing successes. She helping sufferers of abuse also worked closely on all over the world. Born the first Space Shuttle, of Jewish origin, she first which went into space in worked with holocaust 1981, and she was a member of the team who survivors after World brought the crew of Apollo 13 safely back to War II and, in 1961, helped set up the charity, earth after their failed mission in 1973. Her Amnesty International. She went on to co-found calculations were so trusted, in fact, that as John The Medical Foundation for Care of Victims Glenn prepared to become the first astronaut of Torture and, in 2005, The Helen Bamber to orbit the earth, he specifically asked for her Foundation, which helps survivors of abuse and to go over the final checks, stating if“ she says torture around the world rehabilitate and start they’re good, I’m ready to go!” She received the again (close to 1000 people are referred to the US’ highest civilian award, the Presidential Foundation every year). Helen died in 2014 aged Medal of Freedom, presented to her by Barack 89. Former hostage, Terry Waite, called her one Obama, in 2015, and died in 2020 aged 101! of the greatest humanitarians who has ever lived.

“I don’t have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. “People wanted to tell their story and I was able to I’m as good as anybody, but no better.” receive it. They would rock back and forth and I would say to them - I will tell your story. Your story will not die.”

6 Vera Rubin (1928- Maggie Aderin-Pocock 2016) was an American (1968-) is a British astronomer who, in the space scientist and late 1970s, discovered educator who is well- that galaxies are made known as a presenter up mostly of dark matter. on BBC’s long-running This revolutionised our astronomy programme, understanding of the The Sky At Night. She universe, meaning that we is also a passionate can now understand both advocate for bringing its shape and longevity. To put her discovery the wonders of the universe to the attention into perspective, dark matter makes up about of the young and she has, to date, inspired 85% of the universe’s material! But Rubin over 25,000 school children with her talks. wasn’t just a brilliant astronomer, she was also Maggie is British-born to Nigerian parents and a passionate advocate for better opportunities is always happy and willing to help break the for women and girls to become scientists. stereotype that scientists are white and male. The first observatory that she worked in after graduating from university didn’t even have a female toilet and this experience fuelled her “I’m really lucky because I get to speak to four- fight for equality. “Look, now you have a ladies year-olds and sometimes the prime minister, and I room!” she remarked, in mock admiration, sometimes use the same demonstrations for both.” after swiftly fixing the problem herself. “There is no problem in science that can be solved by a man that cannot be solved by a woman.” Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017) was an Iranian mathematician whose work in the field Jane Goodall (1934-) is of geometry won her a British primatologist the prestigious Fields who has been studying Medal in 2014 for “her chimpanzees for over 60 outstanding contributions to years, predominantly in the dynamics and geometry the Gombe National Park of Riemann surfaces and in Tanzania. In 1977 she their moduli spaces.” Her work was so important, set up the Jane Goodall in fact, that it has since pushed physicists to Institute for Wildlife re-evaluate their understanding of how the and Environmental universe came into existence and it could also Conservation, which has, to date, helped benefit their understanding of quantum theory. protect over 1.5 million acres of habitat across Maryam was known to work very slowly on the world. She has long been an advocate of her mathematical equations, so much so that ending medical testing on animals and, in 2002, her daughter said of her, “it was like she was was named a UN Messenger of Peace, before creating a painting.” She became a professor becoming a Dame in 2004. She has had over of mathematics aged just 31 but tragically 25 books published and is largely considered also died young, of breast cancer, aged 40. the greatest living expert on chimpanzees.

“There are times when I feel like I’m in a big forest “The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot and don’t know where I’m going. But then somehow speak for themselves.” I come to the top of a hill and can see everything more clearly. When that happens it’s really exciting.”

7 Emmanuelle (1940-94) Charpentier (1968- ) was an African American a French professor and athlete who, despite geneticist and Jennifer suffering from polio as a A. Doudna (1964-) an child, recovered to win American biochemist, 3 gold medals at the shared the Nobel Peace 1960 Olympic Games in Prize for Chemistry in Rome. Her achievements 2020 for their work in made her an icon for developing a method black and female athletes for genome editing. Even before this, in 2015, during a time when many black Americans Time Magazine had included both scientists were still treated as second class citizens. in their list of the 100 most influential women Wilma retired from athletics aged just 22 and for their work. They met in 2011 and worked went on to become a teacher and a goodwill closely together until recently, when they ambassador for the US Government. decided to pursue different projects. Between them, they have won many major science awards for their skill and dedication. “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you.” “We met at a conference in San Juan…..she was passionate, her excitement was very infectious...it was this kind of electrifying moment. Even then I just had this gut feeling that this was something really interesting.” - Jennifer A. Doudna (1947-) is a German- born American marathon runner and commentator (1905- who, in 1967, became 2003) was an American the first woman to Olympic swimmer who, run in, and complete, in 1926, became the first the Boston Marathon, female to swim the English despite women being Channel, achieving it two excluded from entering hours faster than any of on account of them being ‘too fragile’ to run the five men who swam long distances. Her achievement angered the before her! Prior to this, American Athletics Union who went on to ban she had competed for all women from competing in marathons and the USA at the 1924 Summer Olympic Games, in races with males! She was even attacked winning one gold and two bronze medals, and during the race by an enraged male organiser had also broken the record, set by a man, for who tried, in vain, to drag her from the course. swimming the length of New York Bay. Just 20 However, Switzer’s act of defiance became world years old when she swam the Channel, Ederle, news and ultimately led to a change in the rules whose hearing was damaged, both by contracting when, in 1972, an official women’s Boston measles as a child and as a result of her Channel Marathon was created and women all over the swim, went on to teach deaf children for many US started to take up the sport. Switzer went years. She died in 2003 at the ripe old age of 98. on to win the 1974 New York Marathon and in “I knew it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it!” 1977 was voted Female Runner of the Decade.

“When I go to the Boston Marathon now, I have wet shoulders - women fall into my arms crying. They’re weeping for joy because running has changed their lives. They feel they can do anything.”

8 Alexandra Kosteniuk Venus Williams (1980-) (1984-) is a Russian and Serena Williams chess grandmaster who (1981-) are African became Russian Women’s American tennis players Champion aged just 12 who have won an in 1996. She reached astonishing 62 Grand Slam grandmaster status 2 titles between them. Venus years later and, in 2008, still holds the record for won the Women’s World the fastest female serve Title aged just 24. at Wimbledon, which Alexandra is a wholly modern chess she set in 2008. Serena famously won the 2017 grandmaster, having appeared in films, adverts Australian Open while 8 weeks pregnant, and and modelling campaigns. She currently the sisters’ breathless athleticism has helped lift produces a popular chess podcast series and women’s tennis to a whole new level of speed tweets regularly under her Twitter name and power. Serena, in particular, has hit the @chessqueen. She is also a member of highest heights and is considered by many to be Champions for Peace, a group of elite athletes the greatest female tennis player of all time. In who campaign for world peace through sport. 2007, Venus took on the Wimbledon authorities, arguing that the female players deserved equal prize money to that of their male counterparts. “If people will be interested in me, they She was successful in her challenge and women will be interested in chess too.” have earned the same amount as men ever since. She responded to the ruling by saying: “Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of Megan Rapinoe (1985-) holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed is an American footballer as an equal to boys who have similar dreams.” who captained the USA to World Cup glory in 2019. She is also a passionate campaigner for LGBT rights and has used her Mary Wollstonecraft fame and standing to (1759-97) was an English speak out on issues of writer of the late 18th homophobia, especially in Century, most famous for sport. “Being a gay American, I know what it means her work A Vindication to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your of the Rights of Women, liberties” she said in 2015 after refusing to sing in which she argued the national anthem before a match. She is an that the lack of equal ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organisation that rights and opportunities, works to end homophobia in sport, and is heavily especially in education, involved in a current lawsuit filed against the US were holding women and girls back in society. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. She is often referred to as ‘the first feminist’ and her writings have inspired two centuries of women to take up the fight for equality. She “This is my charge to everyone: We have to be better. died aged 38 a few days after giving birth to her We have to love more. Hate less. We got to listen more second daughter. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, and talk less.” survived and went on to write Frankenstein. “I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.”

9 Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) Susan B. Anthony was a British social (1820-1906) was a reformer who, after visiting 19th Century American female prisoners in women’s rights activist Newgate Prison in 1812, whose tireless crusade for was so shocked by their women’s suffrage paved conditions that she the way for US women dedicated the rest of her to finally be given the life to prison reform. She right to vote. During funded a school for her lifetime, and often children who had been imprisoned with their in partnership with , mothers, encouraged rehabilitation over Anthony was instrumental in creating many punishment and successfully fought to important women’s organisations including abolish transportation ships. She also established the Women’s Loyal National League, the a night shelter in London to help the homeless, American Equal Rights Association and the and set up a training school for nurses in 1840, National Woman Suffrage Association. She many of whom later joined Florence Nightingale was also heavily involved in the formation of in the Crimea. During her years of dedication the International Council of Women, which to her causes, Elizabeth earned the respect and is still going strong to this day, and she was a friendship of luminaries such as Queen Victoria, passionate anti-slavery campaigner who even King Frederick William IV of Prussia and hid runaway slaves in her house to protect them British Prime Minister, Robert Peel. She was from re-capture. The 19th Amendment to the aided in much of her work by fellow reformer, US Constitution, which makes it illegal to bar Lydia Irving. anyone from voting based on their sex, is widely “It is an honour to appear on the side of the afflicted.” known as the Susan B. Anthony amendment. “Organise, agitate, educate, must be our war cry.” Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906) was a (1821- British heiress and great 1912) was an American philanthropist. Denied an nurse, teacher and opportunity to become involved in her family’s activist who founded the banking business because American Red Cross in of her gender, she instead 1881. She was a staunch used her fortune to help critic of slavery and fund a plethora of causes. She was a pioneer of supported the Union social housing and schooling for poor children during the American Civil in London, a fierce advocate for better treatment War, during which time of indigenous Africans in the British colonies she helped to nurse soldiers on the battlefield and, in 1884, a founding member of the London as well as keep them in essential supplies. After Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the war she led a team that set about locating which later became the NSPCC. She funded the bodies of over 22,000 missing troops, and institutes for the poor, provided large sums of she oversaw the marking of thousands of graves. money to help those starving in Ireland after She helped prepare former slaves for their new the great potato famine, and even served as lives as free people and, in later life, became President for both the British Goat Society and a powerful advocate for women’s suffrage. the National Association of Beekeepers! Her Clara never received, or asked for, payment philosophy was always to help empower people during her 23 years as head of the American to help themselves and in today’s money, it Red Cross. She even used her own funds on is estimated that she gave away in the region occasions to help with various causes. She is of £350m, pretty much her entire fortune. one of the most decorated people in US history. For these acts, she was often looked down “The door that nobody else will go in at, seems upon by members of her high class. She defied convention and was, for her time, a true radical. always to swing open widely for me.” 10 (1822- Adela Speratti (1865- 1913) was a 19th Century 1902) and Celsa Speratti African American activist (1868-1938) were who helped free over 100 Paraguayan sisters and slaves despite beginning educators who, after life as one herself. In 1849, training to be teachers aged 36, she escaped her in Argentina, where shackles, and the following they had fled to as child year, as a member of the refugees, returned to Underground Railroad, their native country began the first of 13 daring missions to free and set about developing its first education family members and other slaves, always system. In 1890 Adela established a training at great risk to her own life and to those school for teachers while Celsa helped organise who were helping her. After the American a school for girls. The first normal school Civil War and the subsequent abolition of was founded by Adela in 1897 and following slavery, she became a national icon, respected her death, in 1902, Celsa took over as the by all sides of the political world, and she school’s director. The 2 sisters were pioneers later campaigned for women’s suffrage. of teaching and were especially instrumental in “I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, providing opportunities for women to study. having no experience of it.”

Anna Filosofova (1837- Mary McLeod Bethune 1912) was a 19th Century (1875-1955) was an Russian feminist who African American civil co-founded the Charity rights activist and educator Association of Russian who, in 1904, opened a Women Movement in boarding school to teach 1895. Born into a wealthy black girls. The school family, Anna dedicated later became a college and her life to charitable eventually began awarding causes and social reform, degrees. Throughout especially for women. her life, Mary was a fervent campaigner for She founded several other charities for women, gender and racial equality and, inspired by including The Society for the Organisation of her parents who had both been born slaves, Work for Women, The Women’s Publishing Artel worked as an advisor to US presidents F.D. and The Society for Cheap Lodging and Other Roosevelt and Harry. S. Truman to bring about Aid to the Residents of St. Petersburg, which social reform. She was president of both the provided low-cost housing for poor women. National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs In 1867, she approached Tsar Alexander II and and The National Council of Negro Women asked him to grant permission for women to be and, in 1945, was the only black woman to able to access higher education at St. Petersburg attend the opening of the United Nations. University. In later life, Anna became chairperson “The true worth of a race must be measured by the of the International Council of Women. When character of its womanhood.” she died, over 1000 people attended her funeral. “A woman, who deep in her heart and in her clear, enlightened mind, realised that humanity would never be free until women had full rights.” Ariadna Tyrkova

11 Eglantyne Jebb (1876- Saalumarada Thimmakka 1928) was a British social (1911-) is an Indian reformer who founded environmentalist who Save The Children in 1919 has, to date, planted over after seeing images of 8000 trees in and around starving children affected the village where she by the First World War. lives. She began planting When she was arrested trees with her husband at while distributing leaflets the age of 40 to help her in Trafalgar Square, she combat her grief in not gave such an impassioned speech in court that being able to conceive, but when her husband the judge paid the fine he had imposed on her! died in 1991, she continued with the project Within 2 years of being founded, Save The as it had become her life’s work. She dedicates Children helped save the lives of hundreds every planted tree to the state of Karnataka of thousands of children affected by the where her village resides, and she has never Russian famine of 1921 after Jebb organised once asked for anything in return. She was a shipment of over 600 tonnes of food and born in 1911 and is still going strong at 109, medicine to be sent to the country. In 1924, meaning that those first trees she planted are, she approached the League of Nations, now themselves, nearly 70 years old! In 2016 the the United Nations, with a Declaration of the BBC included her as one of the most influential Rights of the Child, which read, “the child that and inspirational women in the world. is hungry must be fed, the child that is sick must be “Green is my sword, make it yours!” nursed, the child that is backward must be helped, the delinquent child must be reclaimed, and the orphan and the waif must be sheltered and succored.” Her declaration was officially adopted in 1925. (1913-2005) “Every generation of children offers mankind the was an African American possibility of rebuilding his ruin of a world.” civil rights activist who became known as “the mother of the freedom Whina Cooper (1895- movement” after refusing 1994) was a Maori elder to give up her seat on a (Kuia) who dedicated bus to a white person in much of her life to December, 1955. She was improving the conditions arrested and convicted of her people. After of disorderly conduct and the injustice of refusing an arranged it resulted in a mass boycott as the entire marriage, Whina began black community of Montgomery, Alabama, her adult life as a teacher, refused to travel on any of the local buses for but she soon became over a year. The bus company lost a fortune involved in local issues and land disputes. She in revenue and were eventually forced to end moved to Auckland in 1949 and from then segregation. Rosa became an icon of the civil on her activism became national. She became rights movement, befriending both Martin president of the Moari Women’s Welfare League Luther King and Malcolm X, and went on to and, in 1975, led a coalition of Maori groups dedicate much of her life to political activism. on a long march of protest to the government Upon her death in 2005 at the age of 92, the office in Wellington. That same year she led a front seats of all the Montgomery buses were second march in protest at the taking of Maori reserved in black ribbons in her honour. land. She was made a Dame in 1981 and in 1993 was awarded New Zealand’s highest civilian honour, The Order of New Zealand. “I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, “Not one more acre of Maori land!” grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”

12 Claudia Jones (1915-64) was a political activist (1826-98) was an and journalist who American suffragist, moved from her native abolitionist and writer Trinidad to the US as a who helped draft the child. But after 30 years Declaration of Rights of political activism in of the Women of the America, she was tried as United States in 1876. a communist and deported Considered too radical to England. In London, by mainstream suffragist she remained a passionate campaigner for groups, she founded The Women’s National racial equality and political reform and in Liberal Union in 1890 with the purpose to “assert response to race riots which took place in 1958, woman’s natural right to self-government; to show created the now world-famous Notting Hill the cause of delay in the recognition of her demand; to Carnival to showcase the talents of London’s preserve the principles of civil and religious liberty; to Caribbean community, under the banner, “a arouse public opinion to the danger of a union of church people’s art is the genesis of their freedom.” She and state through an amendment to the constitution, died on Christmas Eve, 1964, and is buried and to denounce the doctrine of woman’s inferiority” in Highgate Cemetery, North London. She wrote many books, including Is Woman “The Lady with the Lamp, the Statue of Liberty, stands her own?, All The Rights I Want and Woman in New York harbour. Her back is squarely turned on the as Inventor. She is also known for The Matilda USA. It’s no wonder, considering what she would have Effect, which exposes the bias in refusing to to look upon. She would weep, if she had to face this acknowledge the work of women scientists. way.” “There is a word sweeter than mother, home or heaven. That word is liberty.”

Grace Lee Boggs (1915- 2015) was an Asian American writer and Joyce Clague (1938-) is philosopher whose books an Australian activist who, were filled with ideas for as an elder of the Yaegl a revolutionary America people, has dedicated her that was free of racial life to campaigning for and class inequality. the rights of Indigenous She campaigned, Australians. In 1967, marched, rallied and she played a major role lectured for racial, social and gender inclusion in instigating the and she championed the cohesion of local Constitutional Referendum communities as a means of political change. whereby 90.77% of Australians voted in favour In her hometown, Detroit, she organised of allowing the government power to make groups to support the elderly, the unemployed, laws for indigenous people as well as including and even a group to help combat local drug them in national population counts. Joyce later gangs. In all, she wrote 9 books on socialist fought for the right of indigenous Australians philosophy, including The Invading Socialist to be able to vote and in 2015, she finally won Society, The Next American Revolution a court case, which had begun in 1996, to have and Women and the Movement to Build a a large stretch of the Clarence River officially New America. Grace died in 2015 aged 100. classed as Yaegl territory. She accepted an MBE in 1977 on behalf of all indigenous Australians.

“You cannot change any society unless you take “When I look back I see that slowly Aboriginal people responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as are taking their place in this society. Even organisations belonging to it and responsible for changing it.” have changed, so that where once they were dominated by white people, Aboriginal people are in control.” 13 Dr. Wangari Maathai Rigoberta Menchu (1959-) (1940-2011) was an is a Guatemalan human African environmental rights activist who received activist who, in 1977, the Nobel Peace Prize started the Greenbelt in 1992 for her work on Movement in her native advocating social rights Kenya, a campaign which for indigenous people. mobilised poor women In 1982, a year after to plant trees in areas she had been exiled to affected by deforestation. Mexico by the Guatemalan The movement spread to other African countries government, she wrote the book, My Name and in 2004, Wangari received the Nobel Peace is Rigoberta Menchú, and this is how my Prize for her work, becoming the first African Awareness was Born, which brought her woman to win the award. She died in 2011, cause to a world audience. In 2009, she helped but her movement continues and has so far create the indigenous political party, Winaq, planted over 45 million trees in Kenya alone and and was also a founder member of The Nobel helped change the lives of countless women. Women’s Initiative with, among others, Wangari The movement’s motto is “When we plant trees, Maathai. She belongs to the K’iche’ indigenous we plant the seeds of peace and hope.” Wangari people who are 100 million strong and make was also a Doctor of Philosophy, the first East up about 11% of the Guatemalan population. and Central African woman to become so. “Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot “It’s the little things that citizens do, that’s what will exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.” development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and people.”

Ruby Bridges (1954-) is an African American Valdecir Nascimento civil rights activist who, (1960-) is a Brazilian in 1960, at the age of women’s rights campaigner just 6, became the first who, in 2015, helped black child to attend organise the Black Women’s the previously all-white March, when 70,000 women William Frantz Elementary brought the capital city, School in New Orleans. Brasilia, to a standstill. Despite daily verbal abuse and threats of Women, especially black physical violence from white parents at the women, are still seen as second class citizens in school gates, Ruby persevered, going on to see many areas of Brazil and Valdecir is determined out her primary years there, and her bravery to keep her movement at the forefront of helped inspire Martin Luther King and the civil Brazilian politics. “Women came by buses and by rights movement. In adult life she became a boats…they cooked, they danced, and they marched travel agent before forming The Ruby Bridges together. It was beautiful!” she said. “Some 70,000 Foundation in 1999, which encourages people women came to Brasilia for the march. We stopped the from all walks of life to work together as one. capital.” She is the executive coordinator of the In 2005, when hurricane Katrina decimated Black Women’s Institute in her home city of large parts of New Orleans, The William Salvador. She is also an historian and educator, Frantz Elementary School was badly damaged. and she has spoken at UN conferences. Ruby, despite having her own life turned “It’s necessary for young black women to take on this upside down by the floods, was instrumental fight...We are the solution in Brazil, not the problem.” in ensuring that the school remained open. “Racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it.”

14 Polly Higgins (1968- Sônia Guajajara (1974-) 2019) was a British is an indigenous Brazilian barrister and environmental activist who is currently campaigner who dedicated the head of the Articulation a major part of her life of the Indigenous Peoples to trying to persuade of Brazil, which represents the United Nations to and supports over 300 make ecocide - unlawful indigenous ethnic groups human activity that in her country. In 2018, violates the principles of she became the first environmental justice - an international crime. indigenous person to run for Brazilian federal “The earth is in need of a good lawyer,” she said office and, although she was unsuccessful, in 2009, before taking on that very role. She she has since stepped up her campaigning wrote four books, including I Dare You To Be for environmental change, stating, “When you Great in 2014, but died in 2019 following a destroy nature and foreclose the indigenous peoples’ short illness. Other environmental campaigners way of life, preventing them from exercising their have since taken on her crusade and hope culture, you are killing them. If we do not follow our remains that her law will eventually be passed. culture, our tradition, we are no longer people.”

“My to do list for today: Count my blessings. Practice “For us, life is inseparable from nature.” kindness. Be productive yet calm. Let go of what I can’t control. Just breathe. Tell my family how much I love them. Make a difference in someone’s life.” Janet Mock (1983-) is an American transgender rights activist whose Tarana Burke (1973-) is autobiography, Defining an African American civil Realness, made her an rights campaigner who, in icon for the transgender 2006, started the ‘Me Too’ movement and brought movement to encourage their struggles to a women and girls who mainstream audience. have been abused by men She was speaker at the to speak up about their 2017 Women’s March on Washington where ordeals. The movement millions of people came to show their support gained widespread international support in for women’s rights, and she has also written 2017 following well-publicised Hollywood and directed several episodes of the US abuse scandals. However, Tarana has actually television series, Pose, which tells the story of been an activist for over 30 years and she New York’s LGBT community of the 1980s. is currently the director of Girls for Gender Equity, an organisation that empowers women and girls to live safe and successful lives. “I was born in what doctors proclaim is a boy’s body. I had no choice in the assignment of my sex at birth.... My genital reconstructive surgery “When one person says, ‘Yeah, me, too,’ it did not make me a girl. I was always a girl.” gives permission for others to open up.”

15 Vanessa Nakate (1996-) Malala Yousufzai (1997-) is a young Ugandan is a 23 year old Pakistani climate activist who activist who won the recently founded two Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 climate action groups, while still at school - the Youth for Africa and youngest person ever The Rise Up Movement, to win a Nobel award. after realising that Africa An advocate for the would be worst hit by schooling of Pakistani climate change, despite women and children, who it having the lowest carbon emissions of any have often been denied an education in her continent on earth. Vanessa has caused a big stir country, Malala survived an attempt on her life in a short amount of time, and she told world in 2012 (she was shot in the head by a Taliban leaders at the 2020 International Peace Lecture gunman) to rise to prominence and inspire a to “wake up!” to the impending African crisis. generation of girls. She went on to study at “Leave your comfort zones and see the danger we are Oxford University, graduating in 2020 with a in and do something about it.” She said. “This is degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a matter of life and death.” She has also started and helped set up a charity, The Malala Fund, up the Green Schools Project in her country, which aims to get 130 million girls from around an initiative to transform Ugandan schools so the world into education. To date, the charity that they may run entirely on solar energy. has invested £22m to this cause. She has “The global south is not on the front page, but it is on written two books, I Am Malala: The Story the front line.” of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban and We Are Displaced: True Stories of Refugee Lives. “I tell my story not because it is unique, but Heidy Quah (1994-) is a because it is the story of many girls.” young Malaysian human- rights campaigner who, in 2012, aged just 18, set up Greta Thunberg (2003-) Refuge For Refugees, a non is a 17 year old Swedish government organisation climate activist who rose that provides education to fame in 2018 after for refugee children. regularly skipping school There are currently to sit outside the Swedish an estimated 180,000 Parliament Building in refugees living in Malaysia, most of whom protest at the world’s lack have escaped persecution from neighbouring of action in combating the Myanmar. “Meeting them showed me how privileged threat of climate change. I was in having a roof over my head, not worrying Her actions inspired young students from about my next meal or being able to walk out of my around the world to do the same, peaking in house safely,” she said. “I carried so much shame September, 2019, when up to 4 million children and guilt at my own privilege. But then I reframed from 125 countries took part in simultaneous that and thought, what am I doing with my privilege? school strikes. She has since met with Prime Instead of stewing in guilt, how could I channel it Ministers and Presidents across the globe and positively?” To date, her organisation has helped in her speech at the 2019 UN Climate Action set up 35 schools and 2 halfway houses in Summit in New York, famously told them “This her country. In 2017, she received a Queen’s is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back Young Leader Award at Buckingham Palace. in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all “Then you come to a point where you say, I can’t be come to us young people for hope. How dare you!” frustrated with an unjust system if I’m not contributing Greta has twice been nominated for the Nobel in any way.” Peace Prize and was voted Time Magazine’s youngest ever Person of the Year in 2019.

16 (1860- Irena Sendler (1910- 1935) was an American 2008) was a Polish nurse social worker and reformer and social worker whose whose work helped bring bravery saved the lives of about social and economic over 2,500 Jewish children reform in the US and during World War II. As around the world. She a member of Zegota, the advocated research into secret Polish resistance, the social and economic she helped smuggle the causes of poverty and children from under the crime and she fought for better justice for noses of the Nazis and provide them with fake immigrants, children and women. Her work documents to hide their true identities. She was led, indirectly, to the creation of the Juvenile arrested in 1943 but, despite being tortured, Protective Association, the first Juvenile Court revealed nothing of the children’s whereabouts. and the United Nations. She wrote about, and She was later sentenced to death by firing lectured on, world peace, and received the Nobel squad but was reprieved at the last minute and Peace Prize in 1931, four years before her death. went on to become a politician after the war, dedicating the rest of her life to social causes. The hospital where she had worked as a nurse “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and un- later became the Warsaw Children’s Home. certain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.” “Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.”

Maria Teresa Ferrari Aleda Lutz (1915-44) was (1887-1956) was an the first American woman Argentinian physician to die during World War and activist who, despite II, but not before she had hostility from her male helped rescue over 3000 counterparts, became injured soldiers from South America’s first the battlefields. In 1942, female professor in 1939. 5 years after she had During her time as a qualified as a nurse, she physician she became a volunteered for duty as pioneer of women’s medical research, opening an Air Evacuation Nurse and in the following the first maternity and gynecological ward 2 years flew countless times into war zones at the hospital she worked at, instigating across North Africa, bringing in supplies and the country’s first incubators and inventing ferrying away the wounded. She rose quickly a vaginascope which eradicated any damage to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and during caused by doctors during investigations. She 196 flights and over 800 hours in the air, not founded the Argentina Federation of University one of the 3,500 injured soldiers in her care Women, and throughout her life pushed for died. She became a national hero, but was recognition of both civil and political rights sadly killed in 1944 when an aircraft she was for women. In a male-dominated, conservative travelling in came down in a storm. She was 28. society, Ferrari continued to advocate for equal rights and, although she did not see this in her lifetime, her work nonetheless made a huge “Aleda was the most wonderful person…the best nurse difference to women across Argentina and Brazil. I ever came into contact with, before or after the war.” - a fellow nurse

17 Hazel Monteith (1917- Ina May Gaskin (1940-) 2012) was an Afro- is an American midwife Jamaican social worker and and writer whose consumer rights activist 1977 book, Spiritual who became her country’s , inspired a first ever Citizen’s Advice natural birth movement Bureau executive director, and empowered women to in 1973. Famous for give birth at home without hosting a long-running the need for drugs or radio show, where she clinical intervention. She offered advice on all manner of consumer issues, is famous for championing what has become Hazel was also a staunch campaigner for the known as The Gaskin Manoeuvre, a Guatemalan welfare of young Jamaican women and, in 1990, technique for giving birth where the woman founded the Hazel Monteith Skills Training crouches on all fours to change the shape of her Centre to help train unskilled women in order pelvis, thus reducing the risk of complication for them to find employment. She also served as which may lead to fetal death. Ina is also the a senator and justice of the peace from 1985-89. founder of the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, which commemorates women who have died during pregnancy, and at 80, she still tours, “The gusto with which Mrs. Monteith undertook giving lectures and inspiring across this task here at the CAB is something that no one America. Her other written works include, can imitate. She was a shoulder to lean on, she was a Babies, Breastfeeding and Bonding, Ina problem solver. She meant so much to so many people.” May’s Guide to and Birth Matters: Esther Pinnock, executive director of CAB A Midwife’s Manifesta. She was inducted into the US Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013. “We are the only species of mammal that doubts our ability to give birth.” Jane. C. Wright (1919- 2013) was an African American surgeon who Ameyo Adadevoh (1956- dedicated her career to 2014) was a Nigerian cancer treatment and physician whose quick research. Her studies thinking helped save on anti-cancer agents thousands of lives during and methods led her to an Ebola outbreak in 2014. develop new ways for Despite pressure from using chemotherapy to the Liberian government treat cancer patients. In 1951, she and her to discharge a patient in team showed the efficacy of methotrexate, her charge, she refused a drug which has been used to fight breast their demand, convinced that the patient cancer ever since, as well as combatting other had the Ebola virus. Instead she moved him cancers and even auto-immune diseases like into isolation and, with precious few medical rheumatoid arthritis. A founding member of the resources at her disposal, and with many American Society of Clinical Oncology, she was Nigerian doctors on strike, she was able to make a true pioneer and her discoveries have helped an official diagnosis of the virus. The Nigerian change the face of cancer medicine forever. government quickly declared a National Health Emergency and a catastrophic epidemic was averted. Sadly, Ameyo caught the virus herself “There’s no greater thrill than in having an experiment and died in October of that year aged 57. turn out in such a way that you make a positive contribution.” “Dr Adadevoh had been working with us for 21 years and was perhaps one of the most brilliant physicians. I worked with her. I know that she was sheer genius,” Dr Benjamin Ohiaeri 18 Eleanor Rathbone Ruth First (1925- (1872-1946) was a British 82) was a white South Member of Parliament and African journalist whose women’s rights champion investigations into the whose tireless campaigning mistreatment of black helped bring about the and white working Family Allowances Act class people in all walks in 1945, which is now of South African life more commonly known brought to light the as Child Benefit. Her brutality of the Anti- determination to have women involved more Apartheid government during the 1950s. Ruth in political life culminated in her becoming an was imprisoned along with Nelson Mandela and Independent MP in 1929, and she immediately other high-ranking ANC leaders in 1963 and used her position to bring to light the horrors was kept in solitary confinement for 90 days. of female genital mutilation in Kenya among She later fled to England with her family, but other gender inequality issues. She began her she continued to write about the injustices of adult life as a suffragette and, when Millicent apartheid, publishing several acclaimed books, Fawcett retired in 1919, became President of the including, South West Africa, 117 Days and National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. The Barrel of a Gun: Political Power in Today, the Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Africa and the Coup d’etat in Africa. Despite Foundation offers grants to charities who not having set foot in her birth country for are working to better the lives of women. 20 years, Ruth was assassinated by the South “Continually measuring women’s wants by men’s African government in 1982, a crime which led achievements seems out of date, ignominious, and a fellow activist to call “the last act of censorship”. intolerably boring. ... Now that we have secured possession of the tools of citizenship, we intend to use them not to copy men’s models but to produce our own.”

Ruth Bader Ginsberg Lilian Ngoyi (1911- (1933-2020) was an 80) was a South African associate justice of political activist who the Supreme Court of became the first woman the USA for 27 years, to be elected onto the until her death in 2020. executive committee She was also a legal of the African National revolutionary who, long Congress in 1954. Known before her Supreme by many as ‘the mother of Court position, had the black resistance’, she led an anti-apartheid fought for, and won, many battles for gender march of 20,000 women in 1956. When they equality. She was a fierce advocate for workers reached the government office in Pretoria, it was rights and a believer that the church should Lilian who approached the Prime Minister and not be involved in matters of the state. She handed him thousands of petitions. For this, was greatly respected by all sides of American she was arrested and tried for treason by the politics and when President Bill Clinton white government before finally being acquitted. put her forward for the Supreme Court in She continued her activism, nonetheless, 1993, the senate voted 96-3 in her favour. and twice spent several months in solitary confinement during the 1960s, after which she remained under close government surveillance “Today we mourn but with confidence that future for the rest of her life. Lilian was known as generations will remember as we an inspirational speaker and served for a time knew her, a tireless and resolute champion of justice.” as President of the ANC Women’s League. Chief Justice John Roberts

19 Unity Dow (1959-) Artemisia Gentileschi is a statesperson and (1593-1656) was an former High Court Judge Italian artist who is now from Botswana who considered to be one of has dedicated her life the greatest painters of the to fighting for human 17th Century. Although and women’s rights. it was rare for women Her list of achievements to become artists in the are many, they include 1600s, Artemisia not only helping to set up her succeeded in doing so, she country’s first AIDS organisation, The AIDS was celebrated for it too. She lost her mother at Action Trust, becoming Botswana’s first a young age, and learnt painting in her father’s female High Court Judge, and being involved atelier. She showed exceptional talent and stood in several UN missions, particularly to Sierra out among her brothers who also studied art. Leone where she observed how international Influenced particularly by Caravaggio, including women’s rights were being incorporated in his method of painting from life, many of her the country. She has also written 4 novels: Far paintings are dark, violent and brave depictions and Beyon’, The Screaming of the Innocent, of biblical allegory - widely considered to reflect Juggling Truths and The Heavens May Fall, the abuse that she suffered at the hands of a and is currently Minister for International fellow painter. He was later put on trial but Affairs in the Botswana government. escaped punishment after being protected by “The time that women were treated as the then Pope. The early roots of feminism chattels or were there to obey the whims can be seen in her works, of which almost all and wishes of males is long past.” place female figures as bold, strong and central, setting her apart from her male contemporaries. “As long as I live I will have control over my being.” Thuli Madonsela(1962-) is a South African law professor who, in 1996, helped write the Phyllis Pearsall (1906-96) Constitution of South was a British writer and Africa during Nelson artist who is credited with Mandela’s presidency. creating and designing From 2009-16, she served the iconic London A-Z as her country’s Public map, in 1935, although Prosecutor and came to the story that she walked prominence in 2014 after her report on her a combined 3,000 miles investigation into the mishandling of funds by around the city to gather president Jacob Zuma was published. Despite all her information has a huge backlash from many of Zuma’s high- now largely been declared a myth! But Phyliss’ ranking supporters, Thuli held firm and, in 2016, brilliance is undoubted and she later went on he was ordered to pay the money back. Over to found The Geographer’s A-Z Map Company, the years her investigations have brought to which now publishes A-Z maps all across the light corruption in high office and have exposed UK. She was a formidable businesswoman politicians and police chiefs. This has made her and the company even survived the war, even more resolute about upholding the values during which they weren’t allowed to sell of the very constitution that she helped create. maps. The objectives of the business stated: “a commitment to natural and sustainable growth... “Through life I have learned that the most important in the hope of bringing together a work team that critic whose judgement of my actions matters is my would appreciate and thrive (both in work and in conscience.” their private lives) in an atmosphere of stability, mutual trust, honesty and high endeavour”

20 Frida Kahlo (1907-54) Faith Ringgold (1930-) was a Mexican painter, is an African American famous for her colourful artist, famous for her self-portraits and use of politically-charged, magic realism. Despite colourful quilts which have being badly injured in made her a favourite of a bus crash at the age the feminist art movement of 18, she went on to in the US. She is also a paint many of her well- painter whose early works known works whilst lying concentrated on the civil horizontal in her bed. In 1939, her painting rights movement from a female perspective. The Frame became the first work by a Mexican She later became a professor of art at the artist to be featured at The Louvre in Paris. As University of California and she has written and well as being lyrical, her work is celebrated for illustrated several books for children, including depicting females in an honest form. As she Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad, herself once said, “I paint self-portraits because I am which tells the story of Harriet Tubman. so often alone, because I am the person I know best.” “You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who “Feet, what do I need you for, when I have wings to fly?” you are.”

Zaha Hadid (1950- 2016) was a British Iraqi architect who set out to (1911- “reinvestigate the aborted 2010) French-born Louise and untested experiments of Bourgeois was one of Modernism [...] to unveil new most important artists fields of building.” Named of the late 20th and early ‘Queen of the curve’ by 21st Centuries, most the Guardian for her famous for her giant non-Eucliden approach spider sculpture, Maman, to geometry, in 2004 she became the first which she created in woman to be awarded the Pritzker Architecture honour of her mother who Prize. She became famous for her futuristic, had died when she was just 18. The spider deconstructivist designs and her buildings can be depicts the strength and power of motherhood seen all over the world from London to Leipzig and many of Louise’s works centre on the and Beijing to Rome, and she was one of the first female form as more than just an object. She foreign architects to build large scale buildings in was also an advocate for LGBT rights and China. She made colourful paintings to describe created several works of art inspired by the her designs, many of which were not made, often movement. “Everyone should have the right to due to expense and ambition. She was made marry,” she once said. “To make a commitment to a Dame in 2012, following the building of the love someone forever is a beautiful thing.” As well Olympic Aquatics centre in London. She also as making sculptures, Louise was a prolific designed interiors, restaurants and theatre sets. painter and printmaker, and she was working right up until her death in 2010 aged 98. “Good education is so important. We do need to look at how the people are taught. It’s not just about qualifica- “She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a tions to get a job, it’s about being educated.” weaver...spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.”

21 Josephine Baker (1906- 96 Miriam Makeba (1932- 75) was a world-famous 2008) was a South African French singer and actor singer/songwriter and who, in 1927, became human-rights activist the first black woman to Cm who helped put African appear in a major movie. 247 music on the world stage She was also a passionate during the 1960s after anti-fascist activist and Curium being exiled from her during World War II served native country by its white, as a member of the French Resistance. Despite apartheid government. She settled in the US and becoming a French National, Baker was born in recorded several successful albums, winning a the US and remained an outspoken civil rights Grammy award in 1965. Many of her songs were campaigner throughout her adult life. “I have politically charged, which further riled her native walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into country’s leaders, although she argued, “people the houses of presidents. And much more,” she once say I sing politics, but what I sing is not politics, it is the said, “But I could not walk into a hotel in America truth.” She also carried out humanitarian work and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad.” throughout her life and on her return to South When Martin Luther King was assassinated in Africa in 1990 following the release from prison 1968, Josephine was asked to take his place as of Nelson Mandela, campaigned both for the head of the US civil rights movement, but she support of abused girls and for greater awareness declined, fearing for the safety of her children. of AIDS. She became a goodwill ambassador “Beautiful? It’s all a question of luck. I was born with for the United Nations and formed the Zenzile good legs. As for the rest….beautiful, no. Amusing, Miriam Makeba Foundation. After her death yes.” in 2008, the foundation eulogised her as ‘A Mother, Songstress, Ambassador, Humanitarian, Activist, Patriot, Philanthropist symbolizing the Flame of Unity in Cultural Diversity’ “Be careful, think about the effect of what you Sister Rosetta Tharpe say. Your words should be constructive, bring (1915-73) was an African people together, not pull them apart.” American singer and Delia Derbyshire (1937- guitarist whose original 97 2001) was a British electric guitar playing composer of electronic helped herald the Blues era music who is best known and inspired a generation for her electronic of artists including Little Bk arrangement of the Richard, Johnny Cash and 247 Doctor Who theme tune. Elvis Presley. At just 6 years of age, she began Berkel-ium Her arrangement changed accompanying her mother on stage during the theme tune so much gospel concerts and she went on to record many that its original composer, gospel/pop albums before her untimely death Roy Grainer, remarked, “Did I really write this?” to in 1973. She was one of the first musicians to which Delia replied, candidly, “Most of it!” How- use heavy distortion in her guitar playing and ever, she received no credit for her role in the she was so ahead of her time that she is often tune. She joined the BBC’s Radiophonic Work- referred to as ‘the godmother of rock & roll’. shop in 1962 and, as well as Doctor Who, went on to create distinctive sounds for over 200 tele- vision programmes. Her work has influenced the “Can’t no man play like me. I play better than a man.” music of, among others, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers.

“Listening to her archives I got really humbled by how graceful the sound was…..She had to create tones and overtones without relying on advanced machinery. I think we’ve lost that grace in a lot of modern music.” 22 Caroline Churchill. Linda Perry (1965-) is an American singer/ (1811-96) was an 18th songwriter who was Century American writer once lead singer for the whose 1852 novel, group 4 Non-Blondes Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and wrote their 1994 brought to light the hit What’s Going On injustices of slavery in as well as Christina the south of the country Aguilera’s worldwide and galvanised those in hit Beautiful and Pink’s the north to take on the equally successful Get The Party Started. fight for abolition. She wrote over 30 major Linda is also a record producer and, as well works of literature in her long life, but none as founding two record labels, has gone as famous or as influential as that book. She on to write songs for many female artists even met with President Abraham Lincoln at including Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love, Kelly the beginning of the American Civil War, who Osbourne, Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, Ariana remarked, “so you are the little woman who wrote Grande and Miley Cyrus. She was inducted the book that started this great war.” But Beecher into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. Stowe was no ‘little woman’. Before the war had even begun, she and her husband had housed several fugitive slaves who had escaped and “All my life I’ve loved women, and that’s it. I’ve never were trying to reach the freedom of Canada, been any other way.” and throughout her life she campaigned for the financial rights of married women, claiming, “in the English common law a married woman is nothing at all. She passes out of legal existence.” But it is for Uncle Tom’s Cabin that she will forever be remembered - a book that has been Phillis Wheatley (1753- translated into 70 different languages and which 84) was an 18th Century continues to move those who read it today. African writer who, despite “Women are the real architects of society.” being taken to the US as a slave aged just 7, became the first African American to have a book Bertha von Suttner of poetry published. (1843-1914) was a 19th Her poetry was popular, Century Austrian writer both in the US and in and pacifist, best known England, and she was granted her freedom from for her anti-war novel, slavery as a result. Abolitionist sympathisers Lay Down Your Arms, used her talent as proof that black slaves were which was published “artistic and intelligent”, and the seeds of the in 1889. She dedicated movement were certainly watered by her poetry. her entire life to peace Sadly, she died in poverty in 1784, aged 31. activism and was instrumental in persuading Alfred Nobel to add a Peace Prize to his list of annual awards. She herself won the prize in “Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side. Thy every 1905, becoming the first woman to do so. She action let the goddess guide.” lobbied for the creation of an International Court of Justice long before it was finally formed in 1945 and her legacy lives on today in The Bertha von Suttner Peace Institute at The Hague. She died in 1914, ironically a few months before the outbreak of World War I.

23 Ichiyō Higuchi (1872- (1880- 96) was a 19th Century 1968) was an American Japanese writer whose writer and activist who, small body of work after losing both her still resonates through sight and her hearing at a Japanese literature 120 very early age, dedicated years after her death. She her entire life to helping began writing at an early others with similar age but her brilliance disabilities. Describing only took off after she, her condition as ‘living in her mother and sister were forced to move a dense fog’ Helen learned to read sign language to a poor area of Tokyo. Here, Higuchi wrote and braille and, in 1904, she became the first novels inspired by the poor women and deaf/blind person to graduate from University. people who she encountered there, such as She spent a great deal of her life touring the The Thirteenth Night, which told the story world giving lectures about her experiences of a young woman trying to escape from an and, in 1915, founded the American Foundation abusive husband. Tragically, she contracted for Overseas Blind to aid World War I soldiers tuberculosis in 1896 and died at just 24. who had been blinded in battle. It has since “On a moonlit night, one is happy to have a visitor— become Helen Keller International and continues maybe someone one has not been all that close to to educate people on the causes of blindness who is kind enough to drop by. A man is all right, and visual impairment. Helen was also a but one is happier if the visitor is a woman.” suffragist and pacifist, and she wrote several books, including an autobiography in 1903.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world Qiū Jǐn (1875-1907) was cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with a 19th Century Chinese the heart.” writer, poet and activist whose work, A Respectful Proclamation to China’s 200 Million Women Gabriela Mistral (1889- Comrades, helped fuel 1957) was a Chilean a revolution that would poet and humanist who ultimately bring down received the Nobel prize the Qing Dynasty and for literature in 1945 “for replace it with the Communist Republic. In her lyric poetry which, inspired her proclamation, Qiu Jin argued that women by powerful emotions, has should be free to marry who they wanted and made her name a symbol of the be allowed an education equal to men. She also idealistic aspirations of the argued that the traditional act of foot-binding entire Latin American world.” be abolished. After leaving her abusive husband, But Gabriela was also an activist who advocated she secretly trained revolutionaries to fight, but for the rights of women, children and the poor was arrested in 1907 and sentenced to death, in her community. She began her adult life as a aged just 31. She instantly became a martyr teacher and, after becoming famous, she went to the revolution’s cause and 5 years after her on to play a significant role in advancing the death, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. education system, both in Chile and Mexico.

“With all my heart I beseech and beg my two hundred “Many things can wait. Children cannot. Today million female compatriots to assume their responsibility their bones are being formed, their blood is being as citizens. Arise! Arise! Chinese women, arise!” made, their senses are being developed. To them we cannot say “tomorrow.” Their name is today.”

24 (1921- Anne Frank (1929-45) 2006) was an American was a German/Dutch writer and activist whose Jewish girl whose teenage book, The Feminine diary of her family’s 2 Mystique, inspired a years spent hiding from feminist movement the Nazis in an attic in across the US. The Amsterdam during World popularity of her book War II has since become led her to co-found the one of the most famous National Organization of books ever written. Upon Women’s Principles in publication, after her 1966, and to organise The Women’s Strike For death, it received literary acclaim and moved Equality in 1970, which saw marches all over to claim it as, “one of the wisest the country. She went on to found several other and most moving commentaries on war and its impact women’s organisations, many of which helped on human beings that I have ever read.” Anne and change parenting and work laws to make them her family were eventually captured, and she fairer to women. Friedan has been criticised and her sisters were sent to a concentration for not being radical enough, but its principles camp where they sadly died of typhus 3 months have remained the same since she first wrote before the end of the War. Her diary, though, its mission statement “to bring women into full has since been translated into 70 languages participation in the mainstream of American society and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. now, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single thereof in truly equal partnership with men.” moment before starting to improve the world.” “Why should women accept this picture of a half-life, instead of a share in the whole of human destiny?”

Mariama Bâ (1929-81) (1928- was a Senegalese writer 2014) was an African whose 2 novels, So Long American writer and civil The Letter and Scarlet rights activist, most famous Song, brought to light the for her autobiography, I unfairness of society on Know Why The Caged African women, especially Bird Sings, which was those who find themselves published in 1969. During in polygamous marriages her lifetime, she wrote and are powerless to seven autobiographies find a way out of them. (Mariama, herself, was as well as a hefty body of poetry, returning married 3 times and on each occasion chose to time and again to the themes of black identity end the relationship!) She also wrote a work of and the prevalence of racism in her own nonfiction,The Political Function of African country. As a writer, she was happy to reveal Written Literatures, in which she makes a the darker aspects of her life and this inspired passionate plea for men to acknowledge how a generation of female writers to find their greatly women contribute to African society, own true voices and do the same. A friend and for women, themselves, to be proud of of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, their achievements. A teacher for most of her she was heavily involved in the Civil Rights adult life, Mariama wrote in her spare time Movement of the 1950s and 60s. She continued and was a pioneer of Senegalese literature. to write books right up until her death in She is widely considered a literary genius. 2014, also composing songs for the singer Roberta Flack and appearing as a supporting actress in the 1970s television show, Roots. “As women, we must work for our own future…Like “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens men, we must use literature as a non-violent but the future and renders the present inaccessible.” effective weapon.” 25 Jeanne Baret (1740- (1864-1922) 1807) was an 18th was an American journalist Century French botanist and adventurer who, after and adventurer who reading Jules Verne’s novel became the first woman to Around The World in circumnavigate the globe, Eighty Days, famously discovering several new travelled the world in just plants along the way. In all, 72 days, breaking the she spent 10 years at sea, actual record in doing so. most of it disguised as a man to avoid abuse by She also became one of other sailors, and she received little recognition the world’s first investigative journalists after for any of her findings at the time. However, in pretending to be mentally ill and spending 10 1785, at the age of 45, she was granted a pension days in a mental asylum just so that she could from the French Marine Ministry, who praised write an expose of the cruel treatment of women her highly for her efforts at sea. Only now, there. Following the publication of her article, though, are we beginning to understand more the asylum was forced to reform and Nellie about her significant contribution to botany. found instant fame. In later life, she became an “Jeanne Baret, by means of a disguise, circumnavigated inventor, before returning to journalism, where the globe on one of the vessels commanded by Mr de Bou- she was one of the few women to report from gainville. She devoted herself in particular to assisting the European battlefields during World War I. Mr de Commerson, doctor and botanist, and shared with “Nonsense! If you want to do it, you can do it. great courage the labours and dangers of this savant.” The question is, do you want to do it?” French Marine Ministry (1892- (1788-1812) 1926) was a US aviator was a member of the who became the first Lemhi Shoshone Native African American to pilot American tribe, who lived a plane. Being both black in Idaho in the early 1800s. and a woman, Bessie found At just 16, and with her it difficult to get into flying two-month old son in her school, but she persevered, arms, she aided the famous and, in 1921, at the age of Lewis-Clark Expedition 29, successfully obtained on their long fact-finding journey across the US her wings. She quickly gained a reputation from Dakota to the Pacific Ocean and back again. for death-defying aerial acrobatics and people Sacagawea was the only female on the trip and her from all over the US and Europe rushed to knowledge of the area and her understanding of see her perform. She flew the flag for racial other Shoshone tribes ensured that many positive equality and inspired a generation of African relationships with their white counterparts were Americans to do the same. She died in a plane forged. Her knowledge of edible plants kept the crash in 1926, and since 1931, the Challenger expedition in food and she was instrumental in Pilots Association of has held a negotiating from the Shoshone the purchase of tradition of flying over her grave every year. horses in order to cross the Rocky Mountains. Early into the journey a storm almost sank one “The air is the only place free from prejudice.” of the expedition boats, but it was Sacagawea Odette Sansom (1912- who, as well as having to protect her child, 95) was a French-born gathered up all of the important papers, maps, British secret agent whose books and other navigational equipment so unbelievable bravery they didn’t end up at the bottom of the river. during World War II Her exploits inspired the National American saved the lives of many Woman Suffrage Association of the early 20th of her fellow agents. Century, who adopted her as their symbol of While serving in France, female strength and courage. She died in 1812 Odette and another agent aged just 24. “Everything I do is for my people.” were betrayed in 1943 26 and arrested by the German Gestapo. Odette climbers up Mt. Fuji in her native Japan.. An lied that her accomplice was not a member of asteroid, 6897 Tabei, is named in her honour. her group and he was spared arrest. But she “(Women), let’s go on an overseas expedition by was mercilessly tortured and then sent to a ourselves.” concentration camp, spending much of her time Neerja Bhanot (1963-86) in pitch-black solitary confinement. However, was an Indian senior flight throughout her 3 year ordeal, she revealed attendant who was killed nothing to her captors and so her fellow agents trying to save the lives of were able to continue with their secret work. 380 passengers after the For this, she was awarded the George Cross plane she was working Medal as well as the French Legion d’honneur. on was hijacked by “By accepting death, they would not win anything. members of a Palestinian They’ll have a dead body, useless to them. They terrorist organisation won’t have me. I won’t let them have me.” in 1986. The terrorists demanded that they Valentina Tereshkova be given the passports of everyone on the (1937-) is a Russian plane so that they could shoot dead any engineer and former American passengers, but Neerja was able cosmonaut who, in 1963, to hide their passports so they couldn’t be became the first woman discovered. When the hijackers began setting to travel into space, off explosives several hours later, Neerja was spending 3 days in her able to open a door and, instead of jumping out capsule and orbiting the and escaping, remained and helped as many earth 48 times. On her passengers off the plane as she could. She was return, she was awarded eventually shot dead at point blank range while The United Nations Gold Medal of Peace trying to protect 3 children. She was 23. and became a hero of her country, touring “Neerja was absolutely calm and efficient the world and giving speeches. She went on through the horrific episode. She was the first to be a member of The World Peace Council one to alert the captain, the co-pilot and first and now, at the age of 83, is still active as a officers about a possible hijack and it was on her politician in the Federal Assembly of Russia. instruction they made their way out of the cockpit, “It doesn’t matter what country or what political ensuring that the plane could not take off.” system you are from. Space brings you together.” Dr. Kishore Murthy Junko Tabei (1939- Alyssa Azar (1997-) is 2016) was a Japanese a 23 year old Australian mountaineer who mountaineer who, in 2016, became the first woman reached the summit of Mt. to reach the summit Everest while still a of Mt. Everest in 1975 teenager and 2 years later as part of an all-female became the youngest wom- climbing party. Just 6 years an to climb the mountain before, in 1969, she had from both the north and set up the Joshi-Tohan south sides. By the age of Women’s Mountaineering Club after several just 12, Alyssa had climbed all 10 of Australia’s male mountaineers refused to climb with her highest peaks and she scaled the heights of Mt. because she was female. She went on to climb Kilimanjaro while still a minor. Her plan is to the highest peak in all seven continents, again climb the highest peak in all 7 continents and to the first woman to achieve the feat, and later reach the summit of every mountain in the world became a director of an organisation that worked over 8000 metres. to preserve mountain environments around the world. In all, she climbed the highest peak “My dad always believed in me and told me and my in over 70 countries and, 3 months before her sisters that our size or the fact we were girls never death in 2016, aged 77 and terminally ill, she mattered: we could achieve anything we set our minds was still able to lead an expedition of young and hearts to.” 27 Funded through Kickstarter in 2020 with big thanks to all our backers. Thank you so much for being part of this. Sarah & Rob (with Bella) - Stroud, Gloucestershire

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