Womanica

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) was an English singer-songwriter whose unique vocals and genre mixing made her a household name with just two albums in her career.

For Further Reading: 

• Amy Winehouse: Biography, Musician, Grammy Winner
• Growing up with my sister Amy Winehouse
• Amy Winehouse, British Soul Singer With a Troubled Life, Dies at 27
• Amy Winehou...

Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) was one of the greatest Marxist thinkers of the 20th century. She was an economist, a speaker, socialist party leader, and writer on Marxism, the working class, and freedom. She helped found many socialist newspapers, the Polish Social Democratic Party, and the Spartacus League.

Further Reading:

• Rosa Luxemburg 
• The Life of Rosa Luxemburg
• O...

Yayoi Kusama (1929 - present) is a contemporary Japanese artist working across painting, sculpture, film, and installation. She has produced a body of work formally unified by its use of repetitive dots, pumpkins, and mirrors. She has been acknowledged as one of the most important living artists to come out of Japan, the world's top-selling female artist, and the world's most successful living artist. Her work influenced that of he...

Joan Clarke (1917-1996) was a codebreaker for the British armed forces during World War II. Her work alongside famous computer scientist Alan Turing was pivotal in decoding Nazi communications and bringing the war to an end. 

For Further Reading:

• Joan Clarke (1917 - 1996) - Biography - MacTutor History of Mathematics
• 100 Years Ago: Joan Clarke
• Joan Clarke, woman who...

Hipparchia of Maroneia (c.300 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and one of the few women known to have actively participated in ancient philosophical discourse. A member of the Cynic school, she rejected wealth, societal expectations, and traditional gender roles to live a life of radical simplicity and public defiance alongside her husband, Crates of Thebes. 

For Further Reading:

• Hipparchia the Cynic: Devot...

Annie Hindle (c. 1840s - c. 1900s) was an actress, comic, and performer who was famous in American variety circuits in the late 1800s. Born in England, and making her name in the Music Hall scene there, she was known mainly as a male-impersonator, becoming the first to bring this performance style to American variety theaters. Annie was also much discussed in newspapers for her multiple marriages, both to men and women. Her marriag...

Ōtake Kōkichi (1893-1966) was a feminist writer, artist, and activist in early 20th century Japan. She was a member of the Japanese Bluestocking Society, which aimed to promote women’s rights through literature and education. She is regarded as a pioneer for queer feminism in Japan.

For Further Reading:

• Otake Kōkichi — Making Queer History
• Otake Kōkichi 尾竹紅吉 | U-M LSA Center fo...

Patti McGee (1945-2024) a pioneering American skateboarder who became the first female professional in the sport during the 1960s. She gained national fame after winning the 1964 National Skateboard Championship. In 1965, Patti appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine riding a skateboard in her signature move – a handstand – helping to popularize the sport.

For Further Reading:

• Skateboarding Hall of Fame Museum - Pat...

Toyen (1902-1980), born Marie Čermínová, was a gender-nonconforming Czech surrealist painter. They blurred boundaries not only of gender but of artistic form, producing erotically charged, dreamlike images that challenged both political oppression and societal taboos. 

For Further Reading:

• One of a kind
• Mythic Being
• Toyen - Surreal/Radical

Dolores Huerta (1930-present) is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement. She helped found the organization now known as United Farm Workers and helped organize the Delano grape strike in 1965. She is credited for coming up with the rallying cry “Sí, se puede,” which means “yes, we can” in Spanish.

For Further Reading: 

Jean Harlow (1911-1937) was an American actress known as the original “Blonde Bombshell.” She grew to stardom as an extra in silent films and early talkies, captivating audiences with her appearance. Her role as Lola in the 1933 film “Bombshell” popularized the term in Hollywood and the use of it to refer to a striking woman. This was a forerunner to the term "sex symbol,” specifically in Hollywood.

Fo...

Kerima Polotan-Tuvera (1925-2011) was a Filipino fictionist, essayist, and journalist who coined the term “mani-pedi.” Her influence is felt in the Philippines as a writer and award-winning author, and worldwide through her work in shaping Philippine English.

For Further Reading: 

• Kerima Polotan Tuvera: 85 Years of a life
• OED: mani-pedi
• Biggest-ever addi...

Kasturba Gandhi (1869-1944) was an Indian political activist and leader in the movement for Indian Independence during British Colonial rule. She was married to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi). During her life participated in many civil disobedience campaigns and marches and did work to support women’s welfare throughout her life. She is said to have been a key inspiration for Gandhi’s Satyagraha, a form of ...

Malak Hifni Nasif (1886-1918) was an Egyptian feminist, writer, and educator, known for her advocacy work for women's rights and education in the early 20th century. Often referred to as "The First Feminist of Egypt," she wrote about the importance of female education and the empowerment of women. 

For Further Reading: 

• What Freedom Means: The Story of Malak Hifni Nasif - Radical Tea Towel

Loretta Ross (1953 - present) is an activist who has dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights. She helped coin the terms “women of color” and “reproductive justice,” providing the language that has allowed women across racial and ethnic backgrounds to organize collectively for their human rights and reproductive freedoms.

For Further Reading:

• Biography: Loretta Ross Transcript of interv...

Enheduanna was a high priestess, poet, and princess of ancient Mesopotamia. She is widely considered the world’s first known author by name. Her deeply personal hymns and poems, many dedicated to the goddess Inanna, mark the first time an author writes using the pronoun I. 

For Further Reading:

• World History: Enheduanna
• The Earliest Known Author Was a Woman from Mesopotamia

Judith Butler (1956-present) is a renowned philosopher and gender theorist best known for their groundbreaking work on gender performativity, introduced in the influential 1990 book Gender Trouble. Their ideas have shaped the fields of queer theory, feminist thought, and critical theory, challenging traditional notions of identity, power, and the body. 

For Further Reading: 

• Judith Butler
• Judith Butler - Biography
• On...

Laura Mulvey (1941-present) is a British film theorist, professor, filmmaker, feminist thinker, and writer. She is best known for her 1975 piece, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, which coined the term “the male gaze.”

For Further Reading: 

• Laura Mulvey’s Late Style
• Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema 
• Film Theory 101 &ndash...

Elinor Glyn (1864-1943) was a British novelist, screenwriter, and filmmaker known for her romantic fiction and contributions to early Hollywood cinema. She popularized the concept of "It" (a magnetic, irresistible quality) and is credited with creating the modern romance novel. 

For Further Reading:

• Meet Elinor Glyn, “Shocker of Grandmothers” and Founder of the Modern Sex Novel
• Inventing the It Girl: How Elino...