How many historical female figures can you remember? Who were they? And how did you know about them?
If you google “women in history” or “women that changed the world” you will likely come across the names like Marie Curie, Margaret Thatcher, Cleopatra, Marylyn Monroe, Frida Kahlo, and Diana, the Princess of Wales among others. Most of us are likely to recognize their images and tell how each of those women marked places for themselves in the history books. What about others? What about women who were no less talented than those mentioned above, but eventually less promoted?
When I googled “women in history,” I came across a lot of names I haven’t heard of before. Among them there are the following:
- Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) “a British nurse, social reformer and statistician best known as the founder of modern nursing”
- Marie Stopes (1880–1958) “advocate of birth control and sex educator”
- Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) “philanthropist and one of the chief promoters of prison reform in Europe”
…and many others.
As I read about them, I realized how little I knew about female figures in history. It is strange to think that everything we know about women might be just the tip of the iceberg, imagining how many talented women were muted throughout the years of history. Nevertheless, I am glad to know the times are changing, and we can at least unfold the history of the pages that once were hidden.
Sources:
“100 Women Who Changed the World.” HistoryExtra, 18 June 2020, www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/.
History.com Editors. “Florence Nightingale.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/florence-nightingale-1.
“Elizabeth Fry.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 8 Oct. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Fry
“Florence Nightingale.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale.
Falcon-Lang, Howard. “The Secret Life of Dr Marie Stopes.” BBC News, BBC, 23 Aug. 2010, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11040319.