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WOMEN WHO DEFIED GENDER ROLES

Added on: 4th Jun 2016

 

BOUDICA

boudica

Boudica was an Icenian ruler during the 1st century A.D. in what is

now Great Britain. As Queen of the Iceni, Boudica fought back

after her recently-deceased husband’s lands were annexed,

her daughters raped, and she was publicly beaten. Boudica

and her armies rose up against the Romans, even burning the

city of Londonium, killing tens of thousands of Romans and

Roman sympathizers. The stronger Roman forces ultimately

prevailed and it’s claimed Boudica took her own life

rather than be captured.

 

 

OLIMPIA PAMPHILI

Alessandro_algardi,_ritratto_di_olimpio_pamphili

Sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X, Olimpia Pamphili in effect ran the

Catholic Church and Rome behind the scenes in the early

17th century. Speaking about succession, papal historian

Ludwig von Pastor said, “the misfortune of Pope [Innocent X]

was that the only person in his family who would have had

the qualities necessary to fill such a position was a woman.”

 

 

ANNE LISTER

anne lister

Sometimes called “the first modern lesbian”, Anne Lister was a

wealthy British woman and a savvy businesswoman, owning

multiple properties and industry shares. Along with her wife

Ann Walker (yes, they were married, but without legal

recognition), Lister was the first person to officially climb the

Vignemale (the highest mountain in the French Pyrenees)

and excelled at business.

 

 

CORRIE TEN BOOM

haarlem corrie ten boom museum

A Dutch Christian, Corrie ten Boom was a woman who didn’t

restrict herself based on gender roles but rather did what had

to be done when she saved the lives of many Jews during the

Nazi Holocaust. Extremely active in charitable pursuits,

ten Boom raised foster children and ran a church for mentally

disabled people. Arrested by the Nazis in 1944, ten Boom had

already helped many Jews escape the Holocaust, even

hiding many in her house’s secret room.

 

 

QUEEN LILI'UOKALANI

Liliuokalani_in_London

Bearing a full name of Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi

Kamakaʻeha-a-Kapaʻakea, Queen Lili’uokalani was the last

monarch of the Hawaiian Islands. A staunch opponent of the

United States’ annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen

Lili’uokalani was an accomplished poet and advocate

for orphaned and indigent children.

 

 

MOLLY PITCHER

Molly_Pitcher_currier_ives

A name likely attributed to more than one woman, Molly Pitcher

often refers to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. During the

American Revolutionary War, women, including Pitcher and

Martha Washington, cared for wounded soldiers and carried

water to the battlefield to cool down cannon barrels. Pitcher

was with her husband while he was fighting the British at the

Battle of Monmouth. When he was carried off the battlefield

after collapsing, Molly Pitcher defied all gender roles and

jumped up to take his place loading the cannon. It’s even

reported a British cannonball flew just between her legs,

not injuring her but tearing off her lower skirt.

Her epic response?

“Well, that could have been worse,”

before she went back to loading the cannon.

 

 

CORAZON AQUINO

Corazon_Aquino_at_IRRI_1986

Referring to herself as a “plain housewife”, Corazon Aquino was a

major contributor to the modern-day Filipino state. Aquino

launched her bid for the Presidency after her husband was

assassinated upon returning from exile in the United States.

She is especially well remembered for leading massive

peaceful protests after the electoral fraud of the 1986 elections.

Aquino was the first female President in Asia and restored

Filipino democracy after her predecessor’s 20-year rule.

 

 

ANNA NZINGA

by Achille DevÈria, printed by FranÁois Le Villain, published by Edward Bull, published by Edward Churton, after Unknown artist, hand-coloured lithograph, 1830s

One of Africa’s best-documented early-modern rulers, Queen

Anna Nzinga (also known as Nzinga Mbandi) ruled over the

Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms in 17th century Angola.

A famous and well-respected stateswoman even in Portugal

and Europe, Nzinga was a clever military tactician and an

experienced politician. She was also influential in resettling

former slaves and restricting European intrusion into Africa.

 


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