Nana Asma’u (1793-1863) was a princess, poet, and teacher, and is considered the precursor to modern feminism in Africa. She had such an impact of the education of women, that in Nigeria today, many Islamic women’s organisations, schools, and meeting halls are named after her. Nana was a member of the Fodio clan who ruled […]
Eugenia Charles, Dominica’s first female prime minister
Eugenia Charles (1919-2005) was the Prime Minister of Dominica from 1980 to 1995. She was Dominica’s first and only female prime minister, and Dominica’s longest-serving prime minister. She became interested in law while working at the colonial magistrate’s court. After studying law at the University College of the University of Toronto and the London School […]
Fannie Sperry Steele, award-winning rodeo performer
Fannie Sperry Steele (1887-1983), born Fannie Sperry, was an award-winning bronc rider and rodeo performer from Montana, one of the first women inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the first Montana native in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Born Fannie Sperry to Rachel and Datus Sperry, Fannie was a first-generation Montanan. She […]
Enheduanna, ancient high priestess
Enheduanna (2285-2250 BCE) was an Akkadian princess as well as High Priestess of the Moon god Nanna. She was one of the earliest women in history whose name is known. She is regarded by literary and historical scholars as possibly the earliest known author and poet in the world. Her works were written in cuneiform […]
Lady Anne Clifford, patron of the arts
Lady Anne Clifford, (1590–1676) was the only surviving child of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland and his wife Lady Margaret Russell, daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford. In 1605, she became the 14th Baroness de Clifford in her own right, and hereditary High Sheriff of Westmorland. When her father died in 1605, […]
Alice Austen, photographer
Alice Austen (March 17, 1866 – June 9, 1952) was a self-taught photographer born on Staten Island. She used her mother’s surname, Austen, because her father had left her mother before Alice was born. Alice started her interest in photography when her uncle gave her a camera when she was 10 years old. After she […]
Ella Baker, civil & human rights activist
Ella Josephine Baker (1903–1986) was an African American civil rights and human rights activist whose career spanned over five decades. Ella worked with some of the most famous civil rights leaders of her time, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, and Martin Luther King Jr. She also had an influence on the future […]
Lakshmi Shankar, Hindustani classical vocalist
Lakshmi Shankar (born 1926) is a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana, and is one of the foremost and well-known vocalists of India. She is known for her performances of khyal, thumri, and bhajans. She’s also recorded Tamil folk songs, Hindu devotional songs of all sorts, film work (including the soundtrack to Gandhi) and […]
Randy’L He-dow Teton: the face of Sacagawea
Randy’L He-dow Teton is a Shoshone woman who posed for the image of Sacagawea on the Sacagawea dollar coin, first issued in 2000. She’s the only woman besides Martha Washington to appear on US currency, the only Native-American woman to pose for an American coin, and the only living person whose image appears on American […]
Anna Essinger: Avant-Garde Educator
Anna Essinger (September 15, 1879 – May 30, 1960) was a German-Jewish teacher. She founded a boarding school in Germany with her sister in 1926 and acted as headmistress. Anna was a pioneer of progressive education. Her school used a program similar to a Montessori program, placing high value on communal living, mutual respect and […]