For centuries, women have stood at the forefront of protecting the natural world, uncovering fundamental scientific truths, and leading movements to preserve ecosystems across the globe. Yet, throughout history, women in science and environmental advocacy faced formidable systemic barriers. Excluded from male-dominated scientific institutions, denied formal recognition, and often dismissed by commercial interests, these trailblazers […]
Anna Maria Garthwaite: Successful Silk Designer
Anna Maria Garthwaite was a silk designer in 18th century England. A silk designers’ purpose was to create designs that showed weavers what colours and decoration they should weave on their loom. Anna specialised in designs representing flowers and plants which were created on ruled paper in watercolour and pencil. Many women in the 18th […]
Dixy Lee Ray: A Scientist in the Governor’s Chair
Dixy Lee Ray was not an obvious candidate for governor. In an era when Washington politics still rewarded the practiced politician, she arrived from another world. She was a marine biologist, university professor, museum director, and federal science administrator who had spent most of her adult life studying the natural world rather than cultivating political […]
5 Famous Female Scientists in History
Throughout history, women have made groundbreaking contributions to science, often overcoming significant barriers and discrimination. Despite facing exclusion from universities, research institutions, and professional recognition, these remarkable women persevered and made discoveries that changed our understanding of the world. Their dedication to scientific inquiry paved the way for future generations of female scientists and left […]
Juanita Jackson Mitchell: Breaking Barriers in Law and Civil Rights
Juanita Jackson Mitchell was a trailblazing civil rights lawyer who broke through racial and gender barriers to become the first African American woman to practice law in Maryland. Born into a family synonymous with civil rights activism, she carried forward a legacy of fighting for justice while forging her own remarkable path in the legal […]
The Spy Who Wore Red: Josephine Baker
When the marvelous Josephine Baker stepped onto the stage of Paris’s Folies Bergere in the 1920s, her sequined costumes and electric performances hypnotized all of Europe, leaving her audiences in an unbreakable trance. But behind the glitz and glamour was a fearless woman who would soon wield her fame not just for entertainment, but for […]
When Did Marital Rape Become a Crime?
Marital rape is committed when a person forces their spouse to take part in sexual acts without their consent. It is still rape if consent is obtained by coercion or out of fear. Though opinion polls reveal that many people consider marital rape to be less harmful than rape by a stranger, research shows the […]
Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Marie Antoinette’s favorite portraitist
A few years ago, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art held a retrospective of Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s oeuvre. Reviewers gave the exhibit so much praise that, despite never having heard of the artist, I went to see it. Vigée Le Brun’s paintings were riveting, her brief introductory biography intriguing. This unusual woman, I vowed […]
Shaping Space: Women Who Redefined Geography
Geography has long been shaped by the contributions of pioneering women who have overcome barriers and reshaped the field through groundbreaking research and scholarship. These women have played key roles in mapping uncharted territories, redefining spatial theory, and influencing environmental and social policies. Their work has not only expanded our understanding of the world but […]
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger: The Woman Behind Van Gogh
The following is an excerpt from “Saving Vincent” (She Writes Press, April 15, 2025), which tells the untold story of the woman who saved Vincent van Gogh’s art after his death, thoughtfully marketing his works and turning his once-failed career into one of art history’s biggest successes. “Saving Vincent” has been hailed as “intense, vibrant, […]