14 Women Who Changed The World

Did you know that the USA has declared March as the Women’s History Month? This is to celebrate the often-overlooked achievements of women throughout history and the challenges they bravely faced. So we thought why not make use of the occasion to look back on exceptional Women who contributed so much towards the world we live and enjoy today. And here we are! With a list of women who stood up for their beliefs, kept moving forward no matter what the society said. Women who literally changed the world with how they fought, how they inspired millions, how they lived!

MARIE CURIE

We all know Marie Curie for her work in radioactivity but her achievements are much more than just this. Born in 1867 in Warsaw, the Polish scientist was the first woman to obtain a science doctorate and also the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, one in Physics in 1903 and another in 1911 in chemistry. Apart from her discoveries regarding radioactivity, she also discovered two new chemical elements Polonium and Radium. This further led to the development of X-rays and radiotherapy which is now used to treat a number of illnesses.

COCO CHANEL

Born in 1883 in France, Coco Chanel is the woman who changed the face of fashion forever. Yes, we are talking about the founder of the global brand Chanel that is a must for every fashionista’s wardrobe even after over a century of being launched. She opened her first shop in the early 1900s and is now one of the luxury brands that sell clothes, perfumes, watches, hats, and handbags. With a net worth of billions, it is one of the most famous brands ever and it all started with one woman who taught herself to sew!

ANNE FRANK

One of the most discussed victims of the Holocaust, Annelies Marie Frank recorded her life of living in hiding and then in German concentration camps. Her diary which was published after her death in 1945 changed the way people perceived war and presented a raw picture of the suffering and pain that it leaves in its wake. Now considered a literature classic, The Diary of Anne Frank is a moving account of self-expression and perseverance in the darkest of times.

BENAZIR BHUTTO

The first woman to serve as Prime Minister in an Islamic country- Benazir Bhutto took over the office of Prime Minister of Pakistan at the age of 35, making her one of the youngest chief executives in the world. One of the most progressive leaders ever, she completely changed the face of the country which previously suffered under military dictatorship. She built schools and took steps to provide food and housing to the less privileged and focused a great deal on healthcare. Though she was assassinated in 2007, her legacy still remains intact.

SHIRIN EBADI

First female judge in Iran, Shirin Ebadi never backed out of speaking about the government’s corruption, persecution of innocents and hierocracy. Though she even had to face imprisonment and persecution, she remained steadfast in her beliefs. In 2003 she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts for the human rights of women, children, and refugees, which made her the first Muslim and first Iranian woman to win the prize.

WANGARI MUTA MAATHAI

The founder of Green belt Movement, Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan scientist, professor, and environmental activist. Born in 1940, she was the first woman in East or Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree; she dedicated her life to women empowerment and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She was the first African woman and environmentalist to win the prize.

MARGARET THATCHER

The Iron Lady who became the first female British Prime Minister in 1979- Margaret Thatcher is one of the most influential leaders the world ever saw. The longest continuously serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, she made some pretty hardcore decisions in her active period.

ADA LOVELACE

Considered to be the first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace defied all expectations of her class and gender at the time. Her fascination with science and mathematics led her to become one of the most important figures in the history of computers and technology. The Daughter of famous 19th-century poet Lord Byron, Ada was already a gifted mathematician from a young age and encouraged by her mother, she went to break all the pre-conceived notions that bound the women of her time.

MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Her story is one of determination, hope and striving for your dreams even while facing life-threatening circumstances. The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winner 22 year old Malala Yousafzai became the voice of millions of girls in the Islamic countries deprived of their basic rights of equality and education. Her autobiography ‘I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban’ sheds much light on the issue at heart and in 2013, she founded Malala Foundation to champion every girl’s right to education.

ROSALIND FRANKLIN

A scientist whose contribution towards the world as we see now can never be described in words, Rosalind Franklin was the crystallographer who provided the crucial evidence which led to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. The very foundation of genetic engineering was laid because of a picture taken by a woman. The terms like heredity, human genome and test tube baby wouldn’t make much sense now if not for Rosalind Franklin.

MARIE STOPES

If we should thank someone for the advent of planned pregnancies for women worldwide, it’s Marie Stopes, sex educator and advocate of birth control. Born in 1880 in Edinburgh, she is the author of two books dealing with contraception, published in 1918. It was her efforts that led to the setting up of the first birth control clinic in London in 1921.

MARIE VAN BRITTAN BROWN

The inventor of the first CCTV, African-American nurse Marie Van Brittan Brown was born in 1922, when things were still tumultuous for African-Americans living in the USA. Amidst the wrongful persecution they faced, Marie invented the first CCTV, the patent for which she filed in 1966, to protect her friends and family. The movable camera could display images on a TV screen monitor from outside and this invention, without saying, changed the way security worked forever.

MURASAKI SHIKIBU

The author of the world’s first modern novel ‘The Tale of Genji’, Murasaki Shikibu, was a court lady in 11th century Japan. As expected of a patriarchal and polygamous system, the women of that time hardly had any freedom or rights. They didn’t even use their own names, known only by their family or son’s names. At such a time, Lady Murasaki refused to follow the norm and made her own place, coming to be known as one of the scholars at the court when it was dominated by men. Her book, which has withstood the test of time for over 1000 years already is considered to be a masterpiece and her other works such as poems are a part of numerous classical Japanese anthologies as well.

AMRIT KAUR

And to end the list of iconic women, we have our very own Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, independent India’s first Health Minister. Recently included in TIME’s list of 100 Women of the Year, she had dedicated her entire life to the Indian freedom struggle playing a key role in the growth of the country both prior to and after independence. She remained in the cabinet for a decade as the health Minister and founded Indian Council for Child Welfare. She also laid the foundation of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) and Lady Irwin College in Delhi.