6 Women Who Badly Challenged Stereotypes In History
Fearsome souls who broke gender barrier.
Women have come a long way from traditional gender roles, which existed in human societies for thousands of years.
Culturally women’s main role was to focus on children and take care of the household.
For centuries it was believed there was no need to educate women or get involved in public life.
However, thankfully this changed because of brave women throughout history who defied gender norms and left an impressive legacy and history behind for us to admire and learn from.
1. Wu Zetian, The Only Female Emperor In Chinese History
Wu Zetian was not the only female emperor in Chinese history; she was all that and much more during the time of Confucius, which on its own was nothing less than a miracle.
Wu used all her wisdom, her political skill, and devious actions to gain and stay in power.
The fact that Wu came into power during a time when a famous misogynist philosopher ruled every mind in China.
A philosopher who believed: even a group of women is not worth one testi of a man and deemed women unfit to rule over MANkind.
Nevertheless, Wu rose through the Chinese ranks of power until she reached the seat that anyone in China could only dream of.
Throughout this time, her cunning maneuvers and solid planning helped her be the most powerful rank in all of China.
2. Fatima Al-Fihri, A Muslim Lady Who Laid The Foundation Of The Oldest University In The World
Fatima Al-Fihri, a Muslim Lady, was born in Kairouan, Tunisia, to an extremely wealthy North African Muslim merchant.
Not much is known about this iron lady of the south, and a lot of mysteries surround her famous character.
However, there is one thing that is for certain — Fatima is the person who established the world’s oldest university in 859 AD at a time when women’s role in society was of a caretaker and nothing more.
The famous Al-Qarawiyyin university was built in Fez, Morocco — a mosque and an institute where people who seek knowledge would come and spend years.
Being built by a woman and on that a Muslim woman, the university is shocking on its own because women in Islam are often considered to be subjugated. The building serves both purposes as a university and a mosque.
Al-Fihri inherited her wealth from her father and her husband after he passed away.
Instead of spending her wealth in a way most of us would do, Al-Fihri invested in others’ futures, and as a result — some of the most famous historians and philosophers came out of this university.
People like Abdur-Rahman Ibn Khaldun, famous Andalusian doctor Musa Ibn Maimonou, Abu Walid Ibn Rushd and Gerbert of Aurillac (Pope Sylvester II).
3. Sybil Ludington, The Unsung Hero Of American Freedom
America, the land of the free, is known for liberating people not only behind their borders but abroad too.
However, it was not always the same, and before they could liberate anyone else, they needed to free themselves from the British empire.
While we have chores of praise for an American revolutionary Paul Revere, we never hear about the lady who rode the furthest at night in the name of American freedom.
Sybil Ludington, a young teenage girl, born to a military family, took it upon herself to warn the people of Danbury, Connecticut, about the marching British troops.
The 16-year-old rode the back of her horse for 40 miles while the sky was full of thundering and pouring clouds on a pitch black night to warn about the British invasion.
Sybil’s ride proves successful because upon returning from a tiring trip, Sybil found troops gathered in front of her house.
Sybil continued to serve as a messenger after her successful ride, which saved hundreds of families and homes.
For her valiant efforts, George Washington (sitting president) thanked Sybil himself; however, it all faded away soon enough into obscurity.
Sybil is now known as the midnight rider — a rider who played a vital role in the American freedom fight.
4. Andrée De Jongh, Saved Hundreds Of Men From Nazis
Andrée De Jongh, also known as Dédée, a very young woman, formed the Comet line, which helped Allied forces get safely above the occupied regions of France and Belgium, over the Pyrenees into Spain.
Dédée was captured by the Nazis at the age of 24 after she had saved more than 700 men in over 24 missions conducted.
After being captured, she didn’t change the way her thoughts about the Nazis, and because she confessed she worked with the resistance, she was sent to a concentration camp.
To mock the Nazis, Dédée famously uttered the words; I’m as strong as any man, and because of her bravery and service, she was named the Belgian Countess. She was also awarded the George Medal.
5. Amelia Bloomer A Woman Who Revolutionized Women’s Clothing And Also Fought For Women’s Many Other Rights
What we all know is it was Coco Chanel who completely changed a woman’s dress.
However, long before her, there was another lady who made some lasting changes in the way women dressed and looked fashioned.
Amelia Bloomer made these changes through her work, promotions and a women’s rights activist role.
Amelia worked for her husband’s newspaper, but she quit and opened up her own because she thought her husband was just like any other man out there who didn’t bother about women who were suffering because of absurd laws or society’s norms.
Amelia was a legit business woman but still wanted to help with women’s empowerment.
Not only she used her newspaper to highlight women’s temperance and the suffrage movement, but it also gave the women of that time a wider perspective of undergarments and clothing.
Even when bloomers are named after her, she is not the one who invented it. Rather, she gave women something much more comfortable, like skirts with the pants type of dressing.
She liberated women from the petticoat and corset, which was not only uncomfortable but it was bad for their health too.
6. Some other Women From With An Amazing Legacy
Sacagawea; most Americans know about Sacagawea; however, what is not known is.
If Sacagawea didn’t help Clark and Lewis with their Westward expedition with her clever tactics, both would have been killed as soon as they showed up on the beach.
The craziest part is she did all that while being pregnant.
Jeannette Pickering Rankin; the first ever female member of Congress long before women across America could even vote.
Rankin was elected twice, first in 1916 and the second time in 1940. She was also the only one who voted in favor of women’s right to vote. If that is not defying gender roles, I don’t know what is.
Boudica; killed tens of thousands of Romans and burned Londonium to avenge her daughters, who were raped and publically abused.
Furthermore, for her husband’s lands which the Romans captured. Until she was captured by the Roman force, where she claimed her own life.
Final Words
Women have come a long way since the early days of civilization, and in every period of time we see a woman who have done something for the females of the future.
Their commitment to the cause was peerless and if these women didn’t do what they did we wouldn’t have been to a place where we are now.
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