Women Pioneers 4e

women

pioneers

next incredible woman

Woodhull

Victoria

Victoria Claflin Woodhull was born on September 23, 1838 and died on June 9, 1927. She was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement who ran for president of the United States in the 1872 election. She was the first woman to run for presidency. She was a politician. She was an activist for women's rights and labor reforms, Woodhull was also an advocate of "free love". Her definition of "free love" is: the freedom to marry, divorce and have children without being forced by men and the government. "They cannot roll back the rising tide of reform," she often said. "The world moves."Victoria went "from rags to riches". Before being a candidate for presidency, she had a spiritual business, which became successful.

next incredible woman

Shikibu

Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu was born around 973 and died between 1014 and 1025. She was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady at the Imperial court in Japan. She wrote: "The Tale of Genji", widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is not her real name, her real name is still unknown.Women at that time were forbidden to learn Chinese, the written language. But Murasaki lived in a cultured family and learned Chinese. She married a man when she was in her twenties and had a daughter. Her husband died after two years of marriage. In about 1005, she was invited to serve as a lady for Empress Shōshi at the Imperial court, probably because of her reputation as a writer. She continued to write during her service, adding scenes from court life to her work. After five or six years, she left court.

next incredible woman

Bissell

Anna

Anna Bissell was born on December 2, 1846 in Canada and died on November 8, 1934 in Michigan, USA. Her and her husband had a business in carpet sweepers. Her husband, Melville R. Bissell created the carpet sweeper. Her husband died in 1889, and with 5 children, Anna decided to become the CEO (chief executive officer) of her husband's business. Therefore, Anna Bissell became the first CEO woman in the United States. Anna was the one who made the carpet sweepers popular with her marketing. She traveled around the country to sell sweepers and making deals with major supermarkets. The business became international. She was also one of the first company CEO to give workers pension plans and workers’ compensation.

next incredible woman

Yousafzai

Malala

We all know the story of Malala. She started to criticize the Taliban (a terrorist group) at 11 years old. When the group began to control her city in Pakistan and attack girls’ schools, she defended her and all women’s right to an education. She used a fake name to write articles for the BBC in 2009, talking about living under the Taliban’s oppression. In 2012, when she was 15, she was on her way home from school when a masked man shot her in the head. She survived, and after a coma and surgeries, she studied in England, addressed the United Nations, she published her first book: "I Am Malala", and she created the Malala Fund 1 year later. In 2014, she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.Today, she is an activist.

next incredible woman

Zetian

Wu

Wu Zetian, the only female emperor, the only empress to rule China, was born in 624 and was the ruler of the Tang Dynasty from 665 to 705.Wu Zetian’s rise to power was complex. When she was a child, she received a good education so when she was selected to be a concubine of Emperor Taizong at the age of 14, she was able to use her intelligence to become the secretary of the Emperor. When Emperor Taizong died, she became the wife of Emperor Taizong's son: Emperor Gaozong. When Emperor Gaozong died, she took the throne and became Empress.When she was Empress, China was a happy and thriving country.

next incredible woman

Lamarr

Hedy

Hedy Lamarr was born on November 9, 1914 in Austria and died on January 19, 2000 in Florida, US. She was an actress and inventor. Hedy was a famous actress in Hollywood: she played in a lot of famous movies at the time and even got in 1960 her star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Little by little, she abandoned her career as an actress to focus on engineering. She thought people were more interested in her beauty than her intelligence.During World War 2, she invented a "hopping frequency" used by submarines. Today, this frequency is used for WiFi.Hedy Lamarr is, therefore, the inventor of WiFi !

of Arc

Joan

Joan of Arc was born around 1412 in a peasant family and died on May, 30 1431. She is a patron saint of France. She was a defender of the French nation and participated to the Hundred Years' War. She said she was guided by God to be a soldier. She became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France. She was captured by the Burgundian army in May 1430. After trying to escape, she was given to the English in November. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy (because she dressed as a man). She was declared guilty and burned in 1431, at 19 years old.She is considered to be a pioneer in feminism. Today, she is an inspiration in literature, music, paintings, sculptures, and theater.