WOMEN WHO DEFIED GENDER ROLES

SACAGAWEA

Most Americans know bits of the story of Sacagawea, a Lemhi Shoshone

Native American woman who helped Lewis & Clark in their westward

expedition. What’s especially amazing about this woman is her true

importance in American history – without a clever and tactile woman

like Sacagawea in their presence, Lewis and Clark would likely have been

seen as aggressive and attacked. (And when their boats overturned on

the Missouri River, Sacagawea rescued their journals and notes from the

waters, all while pregnant.)

ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful persons in Europe

during the High Middle Ages. Beyond being Queen of England (married

to King Henry II), she was previously Queen of France (married to

Louis VII) and had considerable influence on both countries during her

reigns. Eleanor was even the acting head of state while her son English

King Richard I went on the Third Crusade.

JEANNETTE PICKERING RANKIN

Jeannette Pickering Rankin was elected as the first female member of

Congress even before women across America could vote

(women could already vote in about 40 states). A Representative elected

both in 1916 and 1940, Rankin noticed she was “the only woman who ever

voted to give women the right to vote.”

Now that’s a way to defy gender roles!

GOLDA MEIR

Seen as the grandmother of the Israeli state, Golda Meir was referred

to by then-Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion as “the best man

in the government”. Later becoming Prime Minister, Meir was one of the

major contributors to the Jewish state’s foundation, even raising $50

million from American Jews and negotiating between the Jews and the

British Mandate in Palestine.

MARY SEACOLE

Voted the greatest black Briton in 2004, Mary Seacole cared for sick

British soldiers during the Crimean War. Though the British Army

refused to admit her to the war effort due to being a woman, Seacole

went to the battlefront anyways to help the sick and wounded. The soldiers

she cared for later raised money for her when she lacked funds.

ELSIE INGLIS

A leader in the development of Scottish/British medicine, Elsie Inglis was

both a doctor and philanthropist. She is best known for organizing

all-female, ready-to-go Medical Units during World War I. The French

called up her units after the British told her to “go home and sit still”.

Enraged at the state of healthcare in her country, Inglis became politically

active and was a constant voice for healthcare reform.

SYBIL LUDINGTON

Twice as impressive as Paul Revere but less than half as known,

Sybil Ludington was a Revolutionary War heroine. At only 16 years

of age, Ludington rode twice as far as Revere on a dark and rainy night

to alert the colonists of the British advance. George Washington even

commended her for bravery and valour.

SOR JUANA INES DE LA CRUZ

A prolific scholar and poet, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is considered

one of the earliest writers of Mexican literature. Ordained a nun, de la Cruz

was one of the earliest voices in the Americas calling for a woman’s right

to education. She stood up to high-ranking officials such as the

Archbishop of Mexico and called for more equality between the genders.

ÆTHELFLÆD

Æthelflæd, the lady of the Mercian’s, was a clever military strategist and

tactician who is largely responsible for kicking the Danes out of England.

Taking power after her husband Æthelred died, Æthelflæd led her home

area of Mercia and allied with her brother Edward the Elder

(of whom she was a great ally in all war efforts).