"To call women the weaker sex is a libel: it is man's injustice to women.
If by strength is meant brute strength, then indeed, is woman less brute than man.
If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior.
Has she not got greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage?
Without her man would not be. If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women."

-- Mohandes Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)

There are some truly outstanding role models for girls and women, if only you know where to look. When faced with the question, who are your heroes, do you come up with women's names as well as men's? March is Women's History Month, but when was the last time you saw something on the news about it?

This page is a celebration of great women, all colors and creeds, contemporary and historical (although there is a strong Western bias, I'll admit). I'll also give you some great books to look at and websites to visit. Find a heroine of your own, and celebrate being a Woman!

These great women are in order of their birth. Only brief descriptions are given. I hope you will do further reading on your own. This section will be constantly revised as I find more worth adding (and time to add them). The words in bold are quotations from these heroines.

Sappho was not well-liked by her male counterparts. Her critics sunk so low as to call her ugly, as if that had anything to do with anything. Much of her poetry only exists as fragments, because the tablets they were inscribed upon were destroyed by men jealous of her talent.

When men hear voices, God has spoken to them; when women hear voices, they're witches... Huh? Joan believed in her convictions, and died for them. "When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and ultimately canonized in 1920." (from http://www.catholic.org/saints/) Legend has it that her heart would not burn.

This remarkable woman saved England from ruin, defeated the Spanish Armada, and built the foundation of a mighty empire. "Good Queen Bess" wasn't a good queen, she was a great queen!

Wollstoncraft is widely considered to be the mother of the feminist movement. Her work A Vindication of the Rights of Women was only one of her revolutionary works. She believed that women should be educated, and that their creative potential should be nurtured. There was more to being a woman than a womb.

She was also the mother of Mary Shelley (1797-1851). Just to illustrate that the rights of women were largely ignored, when Mary Shelley first wrote Frankenstein at 19, it was published under Percy's (her husband, the poet) name, because publishers would not have accepted it from her.

At the age of 10, this Shoshoni girl was captured and sold to a French-Canadian trader. She bore her abusive "husband" (were they actually married?) a son. When her husband Charbonneau was hired to guide the expedition, Lewis and Clark insisted on taking Sacajawea as well, to assure the native populations that the expedition was peaceful, and also for her knowledge of the language. What happened to her after the expedition ended is a bit murky. One account says she died in St. Louis, another that she live to old age in Wyoming. It seems likeliest that the Wyoming story is the true one; perhaps the "murk" was merely a smokescreen erected to allow her to escape Charbonneau.

Mrs. Pinkham saved her family after her husband drove the family to bankruptcy. Her sons convinced her to market her patent medicine, which she was already selling with some success. She did, and so became one of the first female entrepreneurs in the US. "Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound" was for "female complaints," and as part of the marketing, she used her own image, also a first. A woman was selling medicine for women at a time when gynecology was essentially nonexistent. There is some debate over whether or not her medicine was actually effective. The ingredients: Unicorn Root Aletris farinosa, Life Root Senecio aureus, Black Cohosh Cimicifuga racemosa, Pleurisy Root Asclepias tuberosa, Fenugreek Seed Trigonella foenum-graecum, in 18% alcohol (9 "proof") may well have had medicinal value; black cohosh is used today for menstrual regularity. At any rate, she was certainly a pioneer for women in business, even if her claims were exaggerated. Read more about her at the Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health, or read the book Female Troubles: Lydia Pinkham and the Business of Women's Medicine, ©1979 by Sarah Stage, which is unfortunately out of print.

Stanton and Anthony were a relentless team against the suppression of women's right to vote, and later the rights of African-Americans, in the United States. Stanton became more and more interested in broader reforms for women, even as Anthony became more single-minded in her pursuit of the vote.

With Stanton, Anthony led the suffragist movement in America. Later, during the Civil War, they also were involved in the abolitionist movement. Unfortunately, neither woman lived to see women given the vote, although the did witness the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, giving African-Americans equal rights and the right for all citizens to vote. She, Stanton and 11 other women were actually arrested for voting in a presidential election in 1872! (If all citizens could vote, and women were citizens, why shouldn't women have the vote? they argued.)

A former slave, Tubman was an engineer on the Underground Railroad, which led thousands of slaves to freedom. She was a heroic woman who fought for what she believed in, even though the risk was enormous.

This "little old lady" fought for and won safer conditions for workers. "Mother" Mary Harris Jones was the first "union boss." Jailed several times for "inciting violence," she continued to rally for laborers well into her nineties, and is buried in a miners cemetery in Illinois. "The militant, not the meek, shall inherit the earth."

Curie boldly went where few women had gone before: the laboratory. She is the only woman with two Nobel prizes: one for physics, one for chemistry. When her husband was killed, she took his chair at Sorbonne, becoming the first woman professor at that university.

Bly (née Elizabeth Cochrane) was an investigative reporter who once committed herself to a mental institution to expose how the mentally ill were being treated. The result of this exposé led to reforms in those institutions. This intrepid "girl reporter" tough, and exposed injustice when she found it.

Lawrence of Arabia got a movie deal; Gertrude got swept away in the sands of time. Desert Queen by Janet Wallach is the story of her life. She was an Oxford-educated writer and archaeologist, worked for the British Intelligence during WWI and was primarily responsible for choosing the king of the new state of Iraq. Her passion for the desert peoples led her to learn their languages and become more familiar with the land than anyone else. For more information about her, visit the Gertrude Bell Project at the University of Newcastle.

Laura Ingalls Wilder
United States, 1867-1957

There's not a lot I need to say to introduce Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can't imagine that there's anyone who's not at least heard of the Little House books or the television series that aired from 1974-1983. This was a wonderful and courageous family. We owe Wilder a lot, as well as her daughter Rose for prodding her into writing her experiences down. There are lots of websites about her life; here's my favorite: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl.

When just a baby, scarlet fever left Keller blind and deaf. With the help of Anne Sullivan, she left her "no world" and went on to learn braille, write, use a typewriter, speak and read lips. She graduated from Radcliffe College cum laude in 1904, and wrote several books. "Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind."

A First Lady with class and influence. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" is a statement of hers that all women can and should take to heart. "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." We need more women like Eleanor!

Edith Ammons Kohl
United States, 1884-1959

Edith and her sister Ida Mary were born in Illinois, but moved to South Dakota in 1907 to homestead there. Two young women, on their own, facing the dangers and the loneliness of the open prairie. Not only did they succeed, but they thrived. Sadly, Ida Mary died in childbirth in 1910, not long after she married. Edith married Aaron Wesley Kohl and they moved to Denver, CO. To read more about their homesteading experience, read Edith's fascinating book, Land of the Burnt Thigh.

This trailblazing dancer and choreographer stunned critics with her modern style, that was far removed from the graceful ballet people seemed to expect of women. Some of her pieces were angry or wrenchingly sad, raw instead of polished.

One of the more fascinating and tragic things about Earhart is that no one knows what happened to her. This aviatrix is still a pioneer; there aren't that many women pilots now. She was the founding member and president of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization for women pilots. She broke many records for flight, and was the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic (the second person to do it at all). She earned the first Distinguished Flying Cross given to a woman. The likeliest explanation of her disappearance is that her plane went down in the vast Pacific Ocean. No sign of her or her plane was ever spotted.

A black jazz singer, who was also quite scandalous, Baker was not well-accepted in the US. She moved to France, who welcomed her with open arms. She was active during the Civil Rights movement in America in the 1960s, but went back to Paris when she realized little had changed. At her death, Baker became the only non-French citizen to have a state funeral.

Her major work Silent Spring continues to be an incredibly important book for environmentally conscious people everywhere. Because of her, DDT was banned, and springs are not as silent as they once were. Conservationists owe her a debt; had it not been for her writings in the late 1950s and early '60s, there might not be anything left to conserve now. As a child, I recall that the redwinged blackbirds in east central Illinois were scarce. They made a noticible comeback by the time I entered hugh school -- all because of Carson's efforts and the ban on the use of DDT.

Rosa Parks
United States, 1913-2005

Considered by many to be the Mother of the Civil Rights movement, Parks' refusal to move to the back of the bus led to the the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. "Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it. I kept thinking about my mother and my grandparents, and how strong they were. I knew there was a possibility of being mistreated, but an opportunity was being given to me to do what I had asked of others." (from her book, Quiet Strength)

There was no sport Babe couldn't master. Basketball, track and field, golf, baseball, tennis and swimming were all sports she excelled at. She is considered by many to be the greatest athlete of all time... man or woman. If cancer hadn't claimed her life at such a young age, who knows what she might have accomplished!

She was India's first female Prime Minister. She led an infant democracy with the hope of leading India out of poverty without success, and with occasional abuses of the power she held. She did lead India to defeat Pakistan in the 1971 war, but corruption and religious extremism resulted in her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards.

Thatcher was England's first female Prime Minister, and though she may not have been popular, she certainly got people's attention. She is also the first woman to lead a major Western world power, and she did it quiet well. "I didn't notice I was a woman. I regard[ed] myself as the prime minister."

Cooney is the cofounder of the Children's Television Workshop. Her goal was to put something on children's television worth watching. She did. Because of Cooney and the CTW, we have enjoyed more than 30 wonderful years of Sesame Street, which I enjoyed as a child, and watch now with my own child. Sesame Street reaches into millions of homes, and preschoolers (including the disadvantaged ones she wanted to reach most) learn something every day.

Anne's diary of her time hidden in an attic to escape the Nazis is a poignant and courageous work. Important not only to Jews as a reminder of what shall never be allowed to happen again, it is also important to us all. In one of her diary entries, she writes "in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." That we could all have her faith...

The United States' first female Supreme Court Justice is fairly conservative in her politics, which is likely why she was approved at all. She was appointed in 1981, and stepping down in 2005. Only two women have served in the US Supreme Court: O'Connor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (appointed in 1993). For an allegedly free and equal society, America as a long way to go before the glass ceiling shatters.

A woman of perseverance and compassion, Goodall is one of my personal heroines. I saw her speak once when I was in high school, and I will never forget it. Not only did this woman single-handedly reeducate the world about chimpanzees, she also fights to save them. I hope you'll visit her website.

A woman drag racer? YES! Check out the movie Heart Like a Wheel, or go to her website. Who says girls can't be gearheads? She's inspired many girls to follow in her skidmarks.

In 1973, King defeated Bobby Riggs in three straight sets of tennis. This "battle of the sexes" was brought on by Riggs' own hubris; he stated that a woman player (no matter her skill) could defeat a man (no matter how far past his prime he was). King accepted his challenge, and made him eat his ridiculous words.

This is the first First Lady to ever go on to hold a political office of her own. Senator Clinton may just be our first female president.

Another pioneer, Butler is a black science fiction author. There aren't many black authors in the sci fi/fantasy genre, let alone black women. Even more outstanding is, she's been doing this for years. She's the author of 11 novels, numerous short stories, has won Hugo and Nebula awards and was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Grant in 1995.

Pam Reed
United States, 1961-

I'm not sure how many people would consider this extraordinary woman a heroine. Many would call her insane. However, she did something truly remarkable: she finished first in the 2002 Badwater Ultramarathon, July 23-25. This 135 mile marathon runs from Death Valley (the lowest elevation in the United States) to halfway up Mt. Whitney (the highest point in the lower 48). When I say that she finished first, I don't mean that she was the first woman to cross, I mean she WON THE RACE. Her time was a staggering 27:56:47, breaking the course record for women. She outran second place (a man) by more than four hours. While other entrants stopped to change shoes, or take a catnap, she said that she never stopped, running nearly 28 hours nonstop. I, for one, am in total awe of her accomplishment. You go, Girl!!!

Books

Cool Women: The Thinking Girl's Guide to the Hippest Women in History, edited by Pam Nelson. ©1998
This is a funky, brightly colored history lesson for young women. LIght on dates, but broad in scope, you can find ladies from Babe Didrikson to Maria Callas to Harriet Tubman here, with an awful lot in between.

First Ladies: An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives, by Margaret Truman. ©1995
History, biography and anecdotes make up this book of presidential wives, written by Harry Truman's daughter, who has known several First Ladies personally.

Heroines: Great Women Through the Ages, written and illustrated by Rebecca Hazell. ©1996
This is a terrific book for a young woman interested in women's history. From Agnodice to Frida Kahlo, these biographies go further to tell what life was like in the place and time the women lived.

The 100 Most Influential Women of All Time, by Deborah G. Felder. ©1996.
Felder ranks whom she considers the most influential women in history, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Lucille Ball, and more than 50 honorable mentions. This is a great book to have.

Uppity Women of Ancient Times and of Medieval Times, by Vicki Léon. ©1995 and 1997, respectively
These may be the women Mama warned you about. These are not quiet ladies, these are women with guts and sometimes glory. Entertaining and quick thumbnail biographies, each book contains well over 100 women to read about.

Websites

Women's Internet Information Network A labor of love, and a wealth of information.

National Women's Hall of Fame "Come stand among great women."

National Women's History Project "Recognizing and celebrating women's accomplishments."

Congresswomen's Biographies This site is maintained by our government.

Feminist Majority Foundation Online A place for women to be politically active. Stand up and be counted!

National Organization for Women (NOW) More information on feminist issues and government.

National Abortion Rights and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) Don't let government govern your body.

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