Women have played a vital role throughout the course of human civilization, but their voices have often been left out of standard historical narratives. However, if we carefully examine history, we will find many extraordinary women who did impressive things and became an inspiration for humanity.
Women’s role in society has varied throughout history and within each culture. They were often considered naturally weaker and inferior to men and in many civilizations were deemed as a primary source of evil.
While in Ancient Egypt, women were often seen as heroes, it was much different in Ancient Greece where they had no role in politics and had very few rights. The role of women was no different in Ancient Rome where they also had a very limited role in public life.
In medieval times they were taught to be obedient to their husbands and were primarily confined to their home and family life. However, during this period many women engaged in outdoor jobs and achieved a high level of equality with men.
Women’s role in society didn’t change drastically throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Women were provided with a minimal education and were still seen as second-class citizens.
Things started changing slowly at the beginning of the 19th century when women were provided with proper education, and many of them started teaching and even managing some institutions. During the period of industrialization, more and more women began working in factories but society remained patriarchic, and they were still oppressed and confined to family life.
Many notable women who lived during this period weren’t afraid to step out of the box and try to change the society that oppressed them. Among these women were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who created the National Woman Suffrage Association and sought to provide women the right to vote in the United States.
Another notable person and a leader of the American woman’s suffrage movement was Victoria Woodhull. On May 10th, 1872, she was nominated for President of the United States by the newly formed Equal Rights Party. Woodhull was the first women to run for President of the United States.
Among these fearless women were also Alice Freeman Palmer, an advocate for college education for women and the first ever women college president in America, and Helen Keller who managed to graduate from college besides the fact that she was blind and deaf.
During the 20th century women finally succeeded to progress and gain some equal rights with men. This was due to the tireless work of many brave women throughout the past years. The 19th amendment, which was ratified on August 26th, 1920, enabled women in the United States to have full voting rights.
However, women didn’t stop here, and as years were passing by, women became able to get the same jobs that men had. Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and Amelia Earhart became the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The sky was no longer a limit, and Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman that has flown into space.
These fearless women revolutionized people’s view of society and helped change the world we live in. Watch the video below and learn more about some of the most fascinating and inspirational women in history.