Queen Manduhai the Wise (1449–1510), also known as Mandukhai Sechen Khatun, was a legendary Mongolian Empress who single-handedly reunited the fractured Mongol Empire. At a time when female leadership was extraordinarily rare on the Eurasian steppe, Manduhai proved that brilliant military strategy and political resolve knew no gender. The title “Khatun” served as the female […]
Anna May Wong, Internationally Acclaimed Actress
Anna May Wong was the first Chinese-American movie star and the first Asian-American actress to gain international fame. She used her fame and influence to talk about and protest the racist practices in Hollywood, protesting against racist depictions of Chinese characters, and opening up more significant and starring roles for herself and many actors of […]
The Japanese Women’s Suffrage Movement (Real Facts)
As Japan’s contact with the Western world increased beginning in the 1850s, the new Meiji era government worried about Japan’s image in the eyes of Westerners. It began regulating the behavior of citizens in an effort to appear more modern and civilized in the eyes of Westerners, and be seen as an equal nation. As […]
Lin Siniang: Marshalling Spear and Sword
Lin Siniang was a Ming Dynasty warrior who trained up an army of women and sacrificed her life to save her king, dying at the young age of 15.
Qiu Jin, Chinese feminist & revolutionary martyr
Qiu Jin (1875–1907) was a Chinese writer & poet, a strong-willed feminist who is considered a national hero in China. Also called “Jianhu Nüxia” (Woman Knight of Mirror Lake”), she was executed after participating in a failed uprising against the Qing Dynasty. Qiu Jin was born in 1875 to a family of the gentry, and […]
Trieu Thi Trinh, the Vietnamese Joan of Arc
In the year 43, Vietnam came under the rule of the Chinese Han dynasty. This foreign domination was to last for hundreds of years, with the Chinese campaigning to “civilize” and assimilate the native people. Though the Chinese ruled Vietnam for hundreds of years, their rule was not accepted by the Vietnamese and there were […]
Corazon Aquino, revolutionary president of the Philippines
Corazon Aquino was the first female president of the Phillipines, and is known for leading the People Power Revolution in 1986 which restored democracy to the country.