Women Who Changed The World, Part 2

The 2014 Women's Month Celebration is the best time to highlight the "drivers of change" who untiringly volunteered themselves in times of disaster, conflict and calamity. This celebration recognizes the role of women in the rehabilitation process and their over-all contributions to progress.

We started to feature those amazing women through out history in our last post. However, since there are just a very limited space to name a few of those women, we have to pause for awhile and reflect on the great deeds that they have done for us.

>As we continue to recognize women’s resiliency, strength and contributions to progress and maybe even discuss the gains, gaps and challenges in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), here are the second batch of great women in history:

1. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) - Harriet Beecher Stowe was a life long anti slavery campaigner. Her novel "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" was a best seller and helped to popularize the anti slavery campaign. Abraham Lincoln would later remark her books were a major factor behind the American civil war.
2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) - Elizabeth Stanton was a social activist and leading figure in the early women's rights movement. She was a key figure in helping create the early women's suffrage movements in the US. She was the principle author of 'Declaration of Sentiments' in 1848.
3. Queen Victoria (1819-1901) - Presiding over one of the largest empires ever seen, Queen Victoria was the head of state from 1837-1901.Queen Victoria sought to gain an influence in British politics whilst remaining aloof from party politics. She came to symbolize a whole era of Victorian values.
4. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) - By serving in the Crimean war, Florence Nightingale was instrumental in changing the role and perception of the nursing profession. Her dedicated service won widespread admiration and led to a significant improvement in the treatment of wounded soldiers.
5. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) - Susan Anthony campaigned against slavery and for the promotion of women’s and workers rights. She began campaigning within the temperance movement and this convinced her of the necessity for women to have the vote. She toured the US giving countless speeches on the subjects of human rights.
6. Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886) - One of America’s greatest poets Emily Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion. Her poems were published posthumously and received widespread literary praise for their bold and unconventional style. Her poetic style left a significant legacy on 20th Century poetry.
7. Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) - A British suffragette, Emily Pankhurst dedicated her life to the promotion of women’s rights. She explored all avenues of protest including violence, public demonstrations and hunger strikes. She died in 1928, 3 weeks before a law giving all women over 21 the right to vote.
8. Marie Curie (1867-1934) - Marie Curie was the first women to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win it for 2 separate categories. Her first award was for research into radioactivity (Physics 1903). Her second Nobel prize was for Chemistry in 1911. A few years later she also helped develop the first X ray machines.
9. Emily Murphy (1868-1933) - Emily Murphy was the first women magistrate in the British Empire. In 1927 she joined forces with 4 other Canadian women who sought to challenge an old Canadian law that said, "women should not be counted as persons".
10. Rosa Luxemburg (1870-1919) - A leading Marxist revolutionary, Rosa Luxemburg sought to bring Social revolution to Germany. She wrote fiercely against German imperialism and for international socialism. In 1919, she was murdered after a failed attempt to bring about a Communist revolution in Germany.
11. Helena Rubinstein (1870-1965) - Helena Rubinstein formed one of the world’s first cosmetic companies. Her business enterprise proved immensely successful and later in life she used her enormous wealth to support charitable enterprises in the field of education, art and health.
12. Helen Keller (1880-1968) - At the age of 19 months Helen became deaf and blind. Overcoming the frustration of losing both sight and hearing she campaigned tirelessly on behalf of deaf and blind people.
13. Coco Chanel (1883-1971) - One of the most innovative fashion designers, Coco Chanel was instrumental in defining feminine style and dress during the 20th Century. Her ideas were revolutionary; in particular she often took traditionally male clothes and redesigned them for the benefit of women.
14. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) - Wife and political aide of American president F.D.Roosevelt. In her own right Eleanor made a significant contribution to the field of human rights, a topic she campaigned upon throughout her life. As head of UN human rights commission she helped to draft the 1948 UN declaration of human rights.
15. Annie Besant (1847-1933) - Annie Besant was a campaigner for social justice, advocate of women's rights and later member of the Theosophist society. She also actively campaigned for Indian independence.