Awesome Stuff Women Did

Because women have done more in the past 10,000 years than just pop out babies and make sandwiches.

DISCLAIMER: We make no claim that all women featured here are saints. They did awesome stuff; the women themselves might not have been. Keep that in mind before sending angry notes.

Wrote the foremost text on the Classical myths (Edith Hamilton)

Wrote the foremost text on the Classical myths (Edith Hamilton)

During months of British siege on the Indian state of Jhansi, personally inspected the defense of the city, and then during the battle for Gwalior, donned warrior’s clothes and rode into battle to save Gwalior Fort, and whose strategies won the first day of the battle. Was reported to have manipulated her horse’s reins with her teeth while shooting a pistol with each hand. Though ultimately killed in battle, was considered by the British general of the battle to be “the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders” and is to this day a national hero and icon of Indian independence. (Rani Lakshmibai a.k.a. Jhansi Ki Rani)

During months of British siege on the Indian state of Jhansi, personally inspected the defense of the city, and then during the battle for Gwalior, donned warrior’s clothes and rode into battle to save Gwalior Fort, and whose strategies won the first day of the battle. Was reported to have manipulated her horse’s reins with her teeth while shooting a pistol with each hand. Though ultimately killed in battle, was considered by the British general of the battle to be “the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders” and is to this day a national hero and icon of Indian independence. (Rani Lakshmibai a.k.a. Jhansi Ki Rani)

Walked 30km to warn British forces of an impending attack by American soldiers during the War of 1812, who were subsequently captured in the Battle of Beaver Dams. (Laura Secord)

Walked 30km to warn British forces of an impending attack by American soldiers during the War of 1812, who were subsequently captured in the Battle of Beaver Dams. (Laura Secord)

Founded the Green Belt Movement, an indigenous grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building, including empowerment for women, eco-tourism, and just economic development.  Organized women in rural Kenya to plant trees, combat deforestation, restore their main source of fuel for cooking, and stop soil erosion, while training them in forestry, food processing, bee-keeping, and other trades that help them earn income while preserving their lands and resource. Over 40 million trees have been planted due to their efforts.  Motivated and organized communities in Kenya to both prevent further environmental destruction and restore that which has been damaged.  Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004  (Professor Wangari Maathai)

Founded the Green Belt Movement, an indigenous grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building, including empowerment for women, eco-tourism, and just economic development.  Organized women in rural Kenya to plant trees, combat deforestation, restore their main source of fuel for cooking, and stop soil erosion, while training them in forestry, food processing, bee-keeping, and other trades that help them earn income while preserving their lands and resource. Over 40 million trees have been planted due to their efforts.  Motivated and organized communities in Kenya to both prevent further environmental destruction and restore that which has been damaged.  Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004  (Professor Wangari Maathai)

Racked up 309 kills against Axis forces as a sniper, including 36 enemy snipers, attained the rank of Major, and was awarded a Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (Lyudimila Pavlichenko)

Racked up 309 kills against Axis forces as a sniper, including 36 enemy snipers, attained the rank of Major, and was awarded a Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (Lyudimila Pavlichenko)

Oversaw the reformation of Constantinople, building or rebuilding aqueducts, bridges and more than twenty five churches including the Hagia Sophia, making it the most splendid city the world had seen for centuries; advised the creation of a constitution that included reforms meant to end corruption by public officials; protected religious minorities; prohibited forced prostitution and closed brothels; created a convent where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves; expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership; instituted the death penalty for rape; forbade exposure of unwanted infants; gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children; and forbade the killing of a wife who committed adultery. She (may have) been born to a prostitute, and (perhaps) was one herself. (Empress Theodora)

Oversaw the reformation of Constantinople, building or rebuilding aqueducts, bridges and more than twenty five churches including the Hagia Sophia, making it the most splendid city the world had seen for centuries; advised the creation of a constitution that included reforms meant to end corruption by public officials; protected religious minorities; prohibited forced prostitution and closed brothels; created a convent where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves; expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership; instituted the death penalty for rape; forbade exposure of unwanted infants; gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children; and forbade the killing of a wife who committed adultery. She (may have) been born to a prostitute, and (perhaps) was one herself. (Empress Theodora)

agentmlovestacos: My buddy Mallory wrote some rad comics about Women in Science for the Smithsonian Channel. Check ‘em out!

agentmlovestacos:

My buddy Mallory wrote some rad comics about Women in Science for the Smithsonian Channel. Check ‘em out!

A Note on the Nobel Prize

sayidjarrah:

awesomeshitwomendid:

Smuggled at least 2500 children and infants from the Warsaw Ghetto. (Irena Sendlerowa)

She was also nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Al Gore won. :|

I do want to address this because it often comes up with both her and Rosalind Franklin.

The fact is, the Nobel Prize is poorly named.  It is really more of a grant, though no conditions are placed on its use.  It is not awarded posthumously (which was the main reason why Franklin didn’t win, not sexism— Curie had won both of hers 50 years before Watson and Crick won theirs), and the prize money is supposed to help the winners continue their work.  Sendlerowa was nominated at age 97, and she died the next year.  She also hadn’t really done any humanitarian work since the war.  So her prize money would have likely just ended up being a really nice inheritance to her next-of-kin.

Meanwhile, Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (who also won with him) actually have the chance to continue their work on environmental issues, and an injection of $2 million into their projects could really do some future good, not just reward a past good.

Sendlerowa was named Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli government, awarded the Commander’s Cross by the Israeli Institute,the Order of the White Eagle (Poland’s highest civilian decoration), the Jan Karski Award “For Courage and Heart,” by the American Center of Polish Culture, and was posthumously honored by UNICEF.  She was well recognized for the good she did— and even if she wasn’t, it wouldn’t change the awesome good she did.

(Source: awesomestuffwomendid)

Smuggled at least 2500 children and infants from the Warsaw Ghetto. (Irena Sendlerowa)

Smuggled at least 2500 children and infants from the Warsaw Ghetto. (Irena Sendlerowa)

Pioneered comprehensive surveys of the night sky, carefully categorizing every visible object in the void.  Wrote an influential catalogue of nebulae, of which she discovered three.  Discovered eight comets and the dwarf galaxy Messier 110. (Caroline Lucretia Herschel)

Pioneered comprehensive surveys of the night sky, carefully categorizing every visible object in the void.  Wrote an influential catalogue of nebulae, of which she discovered three.  Discovered eight comets and the dwarf galaxy Messier 110. (Caroline Lucretia Herschel)