Women Who Made History

Agnodice is a legendary figure from ancient Greece, presented as the first female physician and gynecologist in Athens in the 4th century BCE. According to the account of the Latin author Hyginus, she disguised herself as a man in order to study medicine under Herophilus in Alexandria, and then to practice in Athens.

Greek princess, daughter of Electryon king of Mycenae and wife of Amphitryon. Zeus seduced her by taking on her husband's appearance, and she thus conceived Heracles, the most famous of all Greek heroes.

Ammit is a hybrid Egyptian deity, part lion, part hippopotamus, part crocodile. She presides over the Weighing of the Heart in the Hall of Judgment of the Dead. Souls deemed unworthy are devoured by her, condemned to the second death.

Princess of Thebe in Mysia and wife of Hector in the Greek epic tradition, Andromache is the figure of the woman and mother struck by the Trojan War. Immortalized by Homer in the Iliad and by Racine in his eponymous tragedy (1667), she embodies conjugal fidelity and grief.

Greek philosopher of the 5th century BCE, daughter of Aristippus of Cyrene, founder of the Cyrenaic school. She is said to have taught philosophy and led the school after her father, personally educating her own son Aristippus the Younger.

Cretan princess of Greek mythology, daughter of King Minos and Pasiphae. She helps the Athenian hero Theseus defeat the Minotaur by giving him a thread to navigate the labyrinth. Abandoned on the island of Naxos, she becomes the wife of the god Dionysus.

A Macedonian princess born around 316 BCE, daughter of Ptolemy I, she became queen of Ptolemaic Egypt. Co-regent alongside her brother and husband Ptolemy II, she wielded considerable political influence and was deified during her own lifetime.

Born in Miletus around 470 BC, Aspasia was the companion of Pericles and a major intellectual figure in Athens. Renowned for her eloquence and mastery of rhetoric, she hosted a philosophical salon attended by Socrates, Plato, and the greatest minds of her era.

Cat goddess of ancient Egyptian mythology, Bastet is the daughter of the sun god Ra and the protector of the home, women, and children. Venerated by the Egyptian people since the Old Kingdom, she embodies both maternal gentleness and protective power. Her cult, centered in Bubastis (Lower Egypt), reached its peak during the 1st millennium BCE.

Bathsheba is a figure from the Old Testament, wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of King David after Uriah's death. As the mother of Solomon, she played a decisive role in the royal succession by interceding with David to ensure her son would inherit the throne of Israel.

Macedonian queen who became the wife of Ptolemy I, founder of the Lagid dynasty in Egypt. Mother of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, she was deified after her death and played a foundational role in establishing the dynastic legitimacy of the Ptolemies.

A major goddess of Irish Celtic mythology, Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda and patroness of fire, poetry, and healing. Venerated by Celtic peoples, her cult survived Christianization by merging with that of Saint Brigid of Kildare.

Callisto is a nymph from Greek mythology and a companion of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Seduced by Zeus, she was transformed into a bear by the jealous Hera, then placed in the sky as the constellation Ursa Major.

An Oceanid nymph of Greek mythology, Calypso rules over the island of Ogygia. In Homer's Odyssey, she holds Odysseus captive through her love for seven years, offering him immortality in exchange for his company. Forced by Zeus to release him, she embodies the figure of impossible love set against the longing to return home.

Trojan prophetess and daughter of King Priam, Cassandra was granted the gift of prophecy by Apollo, then cursed so that no one would ever believe her. A tragic figure of Greek mythology, she foretold the fall of Troy but could not prevent it.

An enchantress and goddess of Welsh Celtic mythology, Ceridwen is the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration (Awen). A figure of wisdom, transformation, and magic, she appears in medieval Welsh tales passed down orally before being recorded in the Mabinogion and other bardic texts.

Charybdis is a sea monster from Greek mythology, daughter of Poseidon and Gaia, transformed into a devastating whirlpool by Zeus. She swallows the waters three times a day in the Strait of Messina, threatening any ship that draws near. Odysseus encounters her during his long journey home to Ithaca.

Monster from Greek mythology, born of Typhon and Echidna. A flame-breathing hybrid creature, she was slain by the hero Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus.

Circe is an enchantress from Greek mythology, daughter of the sun god Helios, known for her magical powers. In Homer's Odyssey, she transforms Odysseus's companions into pigs before becoming the hero's ally.

The last queen of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra VII ruled from 51 to 30 BC. A woman of power and learning, she allied herself with Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony in an effort to preserve her kingdom's independence against Rome.

A major figure in Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is the wife of King Agamemnon of Mycenae. She murders him upon his return from the Trojan War to avenge the sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia. She is the central character of Aeschylus's Oresteia (458 BCE).

Mother goddess of Aztec mythology, Coatlicue is the mother of the sun god Huitzilopochtli. Venerated by the Mexica people (Aztecs), she embodies life, death, and regeneration all at once. Her depiction — wearing a necklace of skulls and a skirt of serpents — symbolizes the perpetual cycle of creation and destruction.

Daughter of Scipio Africanus and wife of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, Cornelia (c. 190–100 BC) is the model of the virtuous Roman matron. She raised her twelve children alone after being widowed, refusing a royal remarriage. She is famous for pointing to her sons Tiberius and Gaius as "her most precious jewels."

A nine-tailed fox spirit who transformed herself into the concubine of King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty (11th century BCE). A demonic figure in Chinese mythology, she embodies seductive evil and tyranny. Her legendary cruelty helped bring about the fall of the Shang dynasty, which was defeated by King Wu of Zhou.

Mother goddess of Irish Celtic mythology, Dana is the ancestral figure of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the divine people of Ireland. Known only through oral tradition and medieval Irish texts, she embodies the nurturing earth and the primordial forces of nature.

Wife of Heracles and princess of Calydon, Deianira is a tragic figure in Greek mythology. Deceived by the centaur Nessus, she gives her husband a tunic soaked in poison, believing it to be a love potion, thereby causing his death.

Greek goddess of agriculture and the harvest, venerated in ancient Greek religion. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, she is the mother of Persephone. Her myth, passed down through oral tradition and later codified by the Greeks, explains the cycle of the seasons.

A Phoenician princess from Tyre, Dido is the legendary founder of Carthage (in present-day Tunisia), according to Greek and Latin tradition. Made famous by Virgil's Aeneid, she embodies the figure of the queen-builder and the tragic woman abandoned by Aeneas.

Central heroine of the Mahābhārata, the Sanskrit epic of the Hindu tradition. Shared wife of the five Pandava brothers, she symbolizes justice, dignity, and resistance to humiliation. Her story was passed down through a long oral tradition before being written down around the 4th century BCE.

A warrior goddess of Hinduism, Durga embodies Shakti, the divine feminine energy and protective force of the universe. Venerated in the Hindu tradition since the Vedic era, she is the great goddess (Mahadevi) who vanquishes the forces of evil.

Echidna is a creature from Greek mythology, half-woman and half-serpent, known as the "Mother of All Monsters." Mate of the giant Typhon, she gave birth to the most terrifying creatures of the ancient Greek world.

Enheduanna, grande prêtresse de la lune à Ur et fille de Sargon d'Akkad, est la première auteure connue de l'histoire. Vers 2300 av. J.-C., elle compose des hymnes à la déesse Inanna d'une rare puissance poétique, posant les bases de la littérature religieuse mondiale.

Sumerian queen of the Underworld in Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal rules the kingdom of the dead known as Kur or Irkalla. Sister of the goddess Inanna, she embodies the relentless power of death and the underworld, as described in Sumerian cuneiform texts.

The Erinyes are three chthonic deities of Greek mythology tasked with punishing crimes against the natural order, especially perjury and the murder of kin. Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone relentlessly pursue the guilty, driving them to madness and torment.

Esimirin is an aquatic deity from the Ijaw (Ijo) mythology, a people of the Niger Delta in Nigeria. A spiritual figure associated with water and prosperity, she holds a central place in the beliefs and traditional rituals of this community.

The Harpies are creatures from Greek mythology, half-woman and half-bird, personifying violent and destructive winds. Sent by the gods to torment the blind prophet Phineus, they would defile or steal his food. They were driven away by the Argonauts Zetes and Calais, sons of the wind god Boreas.

An Egyptian goddess venerated since the Old Kingdom (c. 2700 BCE), Hathor is associated with love, music, joy, femininity, and the sky. Depicted as a cow or as a woman with bovine horns bearing the solar disk, she is one of the most popular deities in the Egyptian pantheon.

Hatchepsout est l'une des rares femmes à avoir régné en tant que pharaon d'Égypte. Après avoir assuré la régence pour son beau-fils Thoutmôsis III, elle prit le pouvoir vers 1478 av. J.-C. et gouverna pendant plus de vingt ans. Son règne fut marqué par la prospérité, de grands chantiers architecturaux et une expédition commerciale célèbre vers le pays de Pount.

Greek goddess of magic, crossroads, and the underworld, daughter of Perses and Asteria. Often depicted with three faces, holding torches and accompanied by dogs. A chthonic deity associated with the moon, nocturnal rites, and witchcraft.

Queen of Troy in Greek mythology, wife of King Priam and mother of Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. A central figure in the Iliad and Greek tragedies, she embodies maternal grief and the fall of an entire civilization.

Hestia is the Greek goddess of the hearth, domestic fire, and family in ancient Greek mythology. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, sister of Zeus, she is one of the twelve Olympian deities. An eternal virgin, she embodies stability, purity, and the sacred heart of the home.

Hina is a major goddess of the Polynesian pantheon, venerated across many Pacific cultures (Tahiti, Hawaii, Māori, Samoa). The quintessential lunar figure, she embodies femininity, natural cycles, and the arts of tapa cloth-making. Her tradition is exclusively oral, passed down through myths and sacred chants since the pre-colonial era.

Māori goddess of death and guardian of the underworld (Te Pō), according to Polynesian oral traditions. Daughter of Tāne, she rules over the realm of the dead and receives the souls of the departed. Her myth illustrates the fundamental life-death cycle in Māori cosmology.

Hineahuone is the first woman in Māori cosmogony, fashioned by the god Tāne from the red earth (one) of Kurawaka. A founding figure of Māori oral tradition, she embodies the sacred bond between humanity and the earth.

Sumerian goddess of love, war, and fertility, venerated in Mesopotamia since the 4th millennium BCE. She is the best-documented female deity of the ancient world, celebrated in cuneiform hymns among the oldest known literary texts. Her cult, centered on the city of Uruk, influenced the religious traditions of the ancient Near East.

Ix Chel is a goddess of Maya mythology, venerated as a figure of the moon, medicine, weaving, and fertility. According to oral traditions and colonial written sources (Maya codices), she embodied both the creative power and the destruction associated with water and lunar cycles.

Japanese goddess of creation and death, wife of Izanagi, from the Shinto tradition. According to the Kojiki (c. 8th century), she and Izanagi gave birth to the islands of Japan and the primordial deities. Her death during the birth of the fire god led her to reign over the land of the dead, Yomi.

Queen of Thebes in Greek mythology, Jocasta is the mother and wife of Oedipus. Unaware of the true identity of the man she had married, she took her own life upon the revelation of the incest. Her story is at the heart of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Rex.

Juno is the queen of the gods in Roman mythology, wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and motherhood. Identified with the Greek Hera, she belongs to the Capitoline Triad and plays a central role in Virgil's epic, the *Aeneid*.

A Hindu goddess rooted in Vedic and Tantric tradition, Kali is the fierce and destructive aspect of the goddess Durga. Venerated by the people of India since antiquity, she embodies both the destruction of evil and cosmic renewal. Her complex figure symbolizes the cycle of death and rebirth.

Warrior queen of the Kingdom of Meroë (Nubia, present-day Sudan), Amanirenas led Kushite armies against the Roman legions of Augustus around 27–21 BCE. According to Roman sources and Sudanese oral tradition, she lost an eye in battle yet never surrendered, ultimately securing a peace treaty favorable to her kingdom.

A secondary wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Kiya held a singular place at the court of Amarna in the 14th century BCE. Her identity and origins remain partly mysterious, though her name and likeness appear on several monuments from the Amarna period.

A divine princess of Japanese Shinto mythology, Kushinadahime is known through the Kojiki (712 AD) and the Nihon Shoki (720 AD), two imperial Japanese chronicles recording oral traditions that are far older. According to these sacred texts, she was rescued from the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi by the god Susanoo, who then took her as his wife.

Hindu goddess of prosperity, fortune, and beauty, venerated in the Vedic tradition since antiquity. Consort of the god Vishnu, she symbolizes abundance, grace, and good fortune in the mythology of Indian civilization.

An aquatic monster from Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a multi-headed serpent whose heads would grow back two-fold whenever they were cut off. It was slain by Heracles during his second labor, with the help of his nephew Iolaus.

A Titaness of Greek mythology, Leto is the mother of Apollo and Artemis, born of her union with Zeus. Pursued by a jealous Hera, she gave birth on the island of Delos after a long wandering.

A demonic figure rooted in Mesopotamian mythology (Lilitu), Lilith was incorporated into Jewish tradition as Adam's first wife, before Eve. Refusing to submit, she leaves the Garden of Eden and becomes a nocturnal demon threatening newborns and sleeping men.

Wife of Emperor Augustus, Livia was one of the most powerful women in ancient Rome. For more than fifty years, she wielded considerable influence over imperial politics. Mother of Emperor Tiberius, she was granted the title of "Augusta" after her death.

Egyptian goddess of justice, truth, and cosmic order, Maat is a central figure in the religion and moral thought of ancient Egypt. Depicted with an ostrich feather on her head, she embodies the universal principle of balance and harmony that governs the cosmos, society, and the afterlife.

A philosopher and poet of the Indian Vedic tradition, Maitreyi is celebrated in the Upanishads for her dialogue with the sage Yajnavalkya on the nature of the absolute and the atman. An exceptional female figure passed down through oral tradition, she embodies the spiritual quest at the heart of ancient Brahminic thought.

Makeda is the central figure of the Ethiopian tradition (Kebra Nagast), venerated as the legendary queen of the Kingdom of Sheba. Rooted in Ethiopian and Eritrean oral tradition, she is known for her encounter with King Solomon of Jerusalem, from which Menelik I would be born — the founding ancestor of the Ethiopian imperial lineage.

Demigod and trickster hero of Māori and Polynesian mythology. Born prematurely and abandoned in the ocean by his mother Taranga, he accomplished extraordinary feats: fishing up the islands, slowing the sun, and stealing fire from the gods.

Legendary queen of Connacht in Irish mythology. A central figure of the Ulster Cycle, she leads the great cattle raid of the Táin Bó Cúailnge to seize the Brown Bull of Cooley. She embodies sovereignty, war, and fertility in the Celtic tradition.

A tragic figure of Greek mythology, Medea is a sorceress from Colchis, daughter of King Aeëtes and granddaughter of Helios. Driven by love for Jason, she helps him seize the Golden Fleece, but when he betrays her, she exacts a terrible revenge by killing her own children.

Eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, Meritaten lived during the Amarna religious revolution in the 14th century BCE. She became Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Smenkhkare and was abundantly depicted in the art of the Amarna period.

Irish Celtic goddess of war, fate, and death, belonging to the mythical people of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Present in medieval Irish texts that preserve much older oral traditions, she embodies sovereignty and the violence of the battlefield. She appears notably in the Ulster Cycle epic, in confrontation with the hero Cú Chulainn.

The nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne in Greek mythology. Goddesses of the arts and sciences, they inspire poets, musicians, and scholars. Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania each preside over an artistic or intellectual domain.

Neferneferuaten was a queen of Egypt from the 18th Dynasty, probably co-regent or direct successor to Akhenaten around 1335 BCE. Her exact identity remains debated: she may be Nefertiti under a new name, or a daughter of Akhenaten.

Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari is one of the most celebrated queens of ancient Egypt. Her tomb in the Valley of the Queens, with its exceptionally well-preserved paintings, reflects her extraordinary status. Ramesses II dedicated the smaller temple at Abu Simbel to her, where she was depicted at the same scale as the pharaoh himself.

Daughter of pharaoh Hatshepsut and Thutmose II, Neferure was raised at the Egyptian court in the 18th century BC. Educated by the renowned royal steward Senenmut, she held the title of God's Wife of Amun.

An ancient Egyptian goddess, Nephthys is the protector of the dead and the deceased. Sister of Isis, Osiris, and Set, she plays a fundamental role in Egyptian funerary rites. Her tradition is passed down through the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts.

Goddess of the sky in ancient Egyptian mythology, Nut is depicted as a woman arched over the earth, covering the world with her star-studded body. Daughter of Shu and Tefnut, wife of Geb, she is the mother of Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.

Nut is the Egyptian goddess of the sky in ancient Egyptian mythology. Her arched body, scattered with stars, forms the celestial vault that protects the earth. She swallows the sun each evening and gives birth to it again each morning.

Princess of Epirus and Queen of Macedon, Olympias was the wife of Philip II and the mother of Alexander the Great. A formidable wielder of power, she played a major political role during the Wars of the Diadochi following her son's death.

A major deity of the Andean peoples, particularly the Inca, Pachamama is the Earth Mother — goddess of fertility, agriculture, and the cycle of seasons. Venerated since pre-colonial times, she embodies the nourishing earth and is the subject of ritual offerings still practiced today in the Andes.

Greek goddess of universal healing, daughter of Asclepius and Epione. She personified the remedy capable of curing all ailments. Her name, meaning “she who heals all” in Greek, is the origin of the word “panacea” in modern languages.

Papatuanuku is the Earth Mother of Māori cosmogony, a central figure passed down through oral tradition in Polynesia. Wife of Ranginui (Sky Father), her separation from him by their children gave birth to the world as the Māori conceive it.

Pārvatī is a major goddess of the Hindu tradition, daughter of the mountain god Himavat and consort of Shiva. Venerated as the goddess of fertility, maternal love, and devotion, she embodies the divine feminine energy (Shakti). Her figure appears in the great Sanskrit epics and the Purāṇas, texts composed between the 4th and 12th centuries CE.

Pasiphae is a figure from Greek mythology, daughter of Helios and wife of Minos, king of Crete. Struck by an unnatural passion for a bull sent by Poseidon, she gave birth to the Minotaur — half man, half bull — who was imprisoned in the Labyrinth built by Daedalus.

Goddess of fire, volcanoes, and creation in Hawaiian mythology, Pele is a central figure in Polynesian oral tradition. She is said to dwell in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater of the Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi. Her myth, passed down orally by the Hawaiian people, explains the formation of the volcanic islands of the Pacific.

A figure from Greek mythology, wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. During her husband's twenty-year absence, she fends off her suitors with a famous trick: each night she unravels the shroud she weaves by day. She embodies faithfulness, patience, and female intelligence in the Homeric epic.

Queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology, daughter of Ares and Otrera. According to the epic tradition, she led her warrior women to the aid of Troy after Hector's death and faced Achilles in single combat, who killed her even as he fell in love with her.

Legendary ruler mentioned in the Bible, the Quran, and Ethiopian tradition. She is said to have visited King Solomon in Jerusalem, drawn by his wisdom. An iconic figure of exchange between ancient Arabia, Africa, and the Near East.

A central figure in Hindu tradition, Radha is the divine companion of Krishna and the embodiment of pure, absolute love (bhakti). Rooted in Vedic culture and popularized through medieval Sanskrit texts, she symbolizes the human soul seeking union with the divine. Her legend, passed down primarily through oral tradition before being set in writing in texts such as the Gita Govinda (12th century), lies at the heart of Vaishnava spirituality.

Titaness of Greek mythology, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, wife of Cronus. Mother of the six great Olympian gods, she saved Zeus by substituting a swaddled stone for the infant to deceive Cronus. Identified with Cybele, she is venerated as the Great Mother of all the gods.

A Welsh goddess from Celtic mythology, Rhiannon appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh prose tales compiled around the 11th–12th centuries from older oral traditions. A figure of the Otherworld (Annwn), she is associated with white horses, magic, and sovereignty.

Roxana was a Bactrian princess, the first wife of Alexander the Great, whom he married in 327 BC following the conquest of Bactria. She was the mother of Alexander IV, the posthumous heir to the empire.

Daughter of Emperor Ashoka, she was a Buddhist nun who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka around 246 BCE. She founded the first order of Buddhist nuns (bhikkhunis) on the island and brought a cutting from the sacred fig tree of Bodh Gaya.

Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and speech, Sarasvati is one of the three great goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Consort of Brahmā, she embodies learning, the arts and wisdom. She is depicted playing the *vînâ*, a stringed instrument symbolizing universal harmony.

A major goddess of the Hindu tradition, Saraswati is venerated as the deity of knowledge, speech, the arts, and music. Rooted in the Vedic civilization of ancient India, she is mentioned as early as the hymns of the Rig-Veda (c. 1500–1200 BCE). She embodies the ideal of pure knowledge and spiritual creativity.

A sea monster of Greek mythology, Scylla was a nymph transformed into a six-headed creature by the sorceress Circe. She devours sailors from her rock in the Strait of Messina, forcing Odysseus to choose between her and the whirlpool Charybdis.

Sedna is the Inuit goddess of the sea and marine animals, drawn from the oral traditions of Arctic peoples (Inuit, Yupik). A central figure in circumpolar cosmology, she rules the ocean depths and determines the abundance or scarcity of sea game.

A lioness goddess of ancient Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet embodies both warlike destruction and healing power. Daughter of Ra, she is the protector of the pharaoh on the battlefield and the patron of physicians. Her cult, attested as far back as the Old Kingdom, was especially vibrant in Memphis.

Shanakdakhete is the earliest known reigning queen of Meroë, capital of the Kingdom of Kush (Nubia), in the 2nd century BCE. A product of Meroitic civilization, she ruled in her own right, with no attested male consort. Her memory has been passed down through inscriptions in the Meroitic script and through the oral traditions of Nubian peoples.

A legendary prophetess of Antiquity, she presided over Apollo's oracle at Cumae, in Campania. According to tradition, she lived for a thousand years and sold the Sibylline Books to King Tarquin. Virgil makes her the guide of Aeneas in the Underworld in the Aeneid.

Central heroine of the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic of the Hindu tradition, Sita is the wife of Rama and the adopted daughter of King Janaka. Born of the earth according to tradition (her name means "furrow"), she embodies purity, faithfulness, and virtue in Indian culture.

A monster from Greek mythology with the body of a lion and the head of a woman, the Sphinx guarded the gates of Thebes. It posed a deadly riddle to travelers and devoured those who failed to answer. Defeated by Oedipus, it threw itself off a cliff.

Tefnut is an Egyptian goddess with the head of a lioness, personification of moisture and dew. Daughter of Ra and sister-wife of Shu, she is part of the Ennead of Heliopolis. She embodies life-giving rain and plays a role in maintaining cosmic balance.

A Greek philosopher and mathematician of the 6th century BCE, Theano was a student and later the wife of Pythagoras. She contributed to the development of the Pythagorean school and carried on its teachings after her master's death.

Thetis is a Nereid, a sea deity of Greek mythology, daughter of Nereus and mother of the hero Achilles. She plays a central role in Homer's Iliad, interceding with the gods on behalf of her son. An embodiment of divine maternal power, she stands at the heart of Greece's great epic narratives.

Primordial Babylonian goddess personifying the salt ocean and original chaos. In the Enuma Elish, the Mesopotamian creation epic, she is defeated by the god Marduk, whose body is used to create the sky and the earth.

Granddaughter of Augustus and wife of Germanicus, Agrippina the Elder played a major political role during the principate of Tiberius. Her opposition to the emperor led to her exile and death in captivity in AD 33.

Agrippina the Younger (15–59 AD) was a Roman empress, sister of Caligula, and mother of Nero. She wielded considerable influence over imperial power, most notably by marrying her uncle, Emperor Claudius, and arranging for her son Nero to be adopted as his heir.

Goddess of the sun and major deity of Japanese Shinto, venerated as the legendary ancestor of the imperial family. According to Japanese mythology, she is the most important of the kami (spirits) in the Shinto pantheon.

Heroine of Greek mythology, daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, princess of Thebes. Antigone embodies the conflict between divine law and human law by daring to defy the decree of King Creon in order to give her brother Polynices a proper burial, which leads to her condemnation to death.

Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility in ancient mythology. Venerated throughout Greece and the Roman Empire under the name Venus. A central figure in mythological narratives and ancient art.

Greek goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the wilderness, Artemis is one of the twelve major deities of Olympus. Twin sister of Apollo, she embodies independence and remains a virgin according to Greek mythology. She is the protector of young girls and wild animals.

Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, military strategy, and the arts in ancient mythology. Patron of the city of Athens, she is depicted armed with an aegis and a spear, embodying intelligence and strategic thinking.

Ban Zhao (45-116) est la première grande femme lettrée de Chine, historienne et philosophe sous la dynastie Han orientaux. Elle achève les œuvres de son frère Ban Gu, notamment le Livre des Han. Son traité Leçons pour les femmes (Nüjie) influence profondément la pensée confucéenne sur le rôle féminin.

Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic people of Britain, she led a major revolt against Roman occupation around 60–61 AD. At the head of a coalition of British tribes, she destroyed Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium before being defeated by the governor Paulinus.

A legendary empress of Japan, Jingū is said to have reigned in the 3rd century according to Japanese chronicles. Tradition credits her with a military campaign against the Korean peninsula, carried out while she was pregnant. Her historical existence is unattested and she belongs to Japan's founding mythology.

A central figure in Greek mythology, Helen is the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Her abduction by the Trojan prince Paris triggers the Trojan War, one of the greatest conflicts in ancient mythology. She symbolizes both ideal beauty and the destructive consequences of passion.

Hera is the queen of the gods and goddess of marriage in ancient Greek mythology. Wife of Zeus, she is venerated as the protector of marriage and family. Her legends reflect the values and conflicts of the Greek pantheon.

Hygiea is the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness, and hygiene. Daughter of Asclepius, god of medicine, she personified the prevention of disease. Her name gave rise to the word “hygiene” in all Western languages.

Mathematician, astronomer, and Neoplatonist philosopher from Alexandria (c. 360–415). Considered the first known female scientist in history, she led the philosophical school of Alexandria and was murdered by a fanatical Christian mob.

Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher of the 4th–5th centuries, she taught in Alexandria and advanced the sciences of antiquity. An iconic figure of female scholarship, she was murdered in 415 during religious unrest.

Isis is a major goddess of Egyptian mythology, associated with magic, motherhood, and protection. She is best known for having resurrected her husband Osiris after his murder by his brother Set, embodying the power of life and regeneration.

Roman empress of Syrian origin and wife of Septimius Severus, she wielded considerable political influence and gathered around her a circle of philosophers and intellectuals. As the mother of Caracalla and Geta, she embodied female power at the very summit of the Roman Empire.

A Vietnamese warrior of the 3rd century, she led a revolt against Chinese Wu occupation at the age of 19. Known as 'Lady Triệu', she fought for six months before being defeated in 248 CE.

Lamia is a figure from Greek mythology, a queen of Libya loved by Zeus. Struck by Hera's jealousy, who stole her children from her, she became a devastating monster who devoured the children of others.

Queen of Sparta and figure from Greek mythology, Leda is seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan. From this union are born Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, Castor, and Pollux — central figures of the Greek epic tradition.

In Greek mythology, Medusa is one of the three Gorgons — fearsome female monsters with snakes for hair whose gaze turns anyone who looks at them to stone. She is slain by the hero Perseus, who uses his shield as a mirror to face her without being petrified.

Mother of Saint Augustine, Monica is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church for her unwavering faith. She prayed her entire life for her son's conversion. She died in Ostia in 387, shortly after witnessing his baptism by Saint Ambrose in Milan.

Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, in the 14th century BC. She played an important role in the monotheistic religious reform of her era, promoting the cult of Aten, the sun god. Her idealized face, known through the famous bust, makes her one of the most depicted queens of Egypt.

Pandora is the first female figure in Greek mythology, created by the gods to punish humanity. She receives a jar (or box) containing all the evils of the world, which she opens out of curiosity, releasing suffering among humankind. Her myth illustrates the consequences of disobedience and the human condition.

Persephone is a goddess of Greek mythology, daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Abducted by Hades, the god of the Underworld, she becomes queen of the dead and rules alongside her husband. Her myth explains the changing of the seasons: her annual return to her mother brings about spring and summer.

Phaedrus was a Latin fabulist of the 1st century AD, a freedman of Emperor Augustus. He was the first author to render Aesopian fables in Latin verse, leaving behind a collection in five books that had a lasting influence on European literature.

Greek lyric poet of the 7th century BCE, from the island of Lesbos. Recognized as one of the greatest poets of ancient Greece, she composed intimate lyric poems expressing personal emotions, particularly about love and friendship. Her work, largely lost, has profoundly influenced Western literature.

Legendary queen of the Tuareg people, Tin Hinan is considered by oral tradition to be the matriarchal ancestor of the Hoggar (Ahaggar) nobles. A founding figure said to have come from the Tafilalt region, according to stories passed down through generations, she is believed to have lived around the 4th–5th century CE.

Younger sister of Trưng Trắc, she co-led the great Vietnamese revolt against Han Chinese domination in 40 CE. A formidable warrior, she played a key role in the temporary liberation of the country before their defeat by Chinese forces in 43 CE.

Vietnamese national heroine who, alongside her sister Trưng Nhị, led a victorious revolt against Chinese Han rule in 40 CE. She briefly reigned over an independent kingdom before being defeated in 43 CE by the Chinese general Ma Yuan.

Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite. Daughter of Jupiter according to some traditions, she plays a central role in Roman mythology and has inspired countless works of art throughout the centuries.

Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in the 3rd century, Zenobia ruled as regent in her son's name and expanded her empire to Egypt and Asia Minor, openly defying Rome. Defeated by Emperor Aurelian in 272, she remains the enduring symbol of an indomitable Eastern queen.

Aisha (614–678) was the third wife of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Abu Bakr, the first caliph. After Muhammad's death, she played a major political and religious role in the transmission of hadiths.

An Irish noblewoman of the 14th century, Alice Kyteler was the first person officially condemned for witchcraft in Ireland in 1324. Accused of poisoning her husbands and practicing heretical rites, she managed to flee before her execution, leaving her servant Petronilla de Meath to be burned alive in her place.

A 13th-century Italian mystic, Angela of Foligno was a Franciscan tertiary whose visions were recorded in the Book of Visions and Instructions. A major figure in medieval spirituality, she was beatified in 1693 and canonized in 2013.

A giantess of Norse mythology, Angrboða is the consort of Loki and mother of three formidable beings: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the goddess Hel. She embodies the forces of chaos and the destruction to come at Ragnarök.

An iconic figure of Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is an ambivalent witch from the oral tradition of Slavic peoples. She lives in an izba perched on chicken legs deep in the forest, playing the role of initiator at times and flesh-eating ogress at others.

The Banshee is a female spirit from medieval Irish folklore whose nocturnal wailing announces the imminent death of a member of a native Irish family. Her Gaelic name, Bean Sídhe, means "woman of the fairy mounds".

Flemish Cistercian nun (c. 1200–1268), abbess of the monastery of Nazareth near Lier. Author of The Seven Manners of Love, one of the earliest mystical works written in the vernacular Dutch language.

A Japanese goddess of Buddhist and Shinto tradition, Benzaiten is associated with music, the arts, wisdom, and water. Derived from the Hindu goddess Sarasvati, she was introduced to Japan through Buddhism around the 6th century. She is the only female figure among the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin).

A mystic and Swedish saint of the 14th century, Bridget of Sweden was a wife, mother of eight children, then a pilgrim and founder of the Order of the Most Holy Savior. Her divine revelations, dictated and spread throughout Europe, gave her exceptional spiritual authority.

A Valkyrie from Norse mythology, Brynhildr is a central heroic figure in the Völsunga saga and the Nibelung cycle. An invincible warrior punished by Odin for disobeying his orders, she is imprisoned in a castle surrounded by flames until Sigurd frees her. Her tragic fate — woven from love, betrayal, and revenge — makes her one of the most complex heroines in the Germanic and Scandinavian traditions.

An Italian mystic and theologian of the 14th century, Catherine of Siena played a major political role by convincing Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon and return to Rome. A Doctor of the Church, she left behind a remarkable body of spiritual and epistolary work.

French philosopher and poet of Italian origin

Clare of Assisi (1194–1253) was an Italian Catholic saint and founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, known as the Poor Clares. Inspired by Francis of Assisi, she chose monastic life and absolute poverty. She was the first woman to write a religious rule approved by the papacy.

A Berber queen and prophetess of the Djerawa people, Dihya led the resistance against the Arab conquest of North Africa in the late 7th century. Known as the Kahina ("the seeress"), she is a central figure in Amazigh memory, preserved chiefly through oral tradition.

Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitou, Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124–1204) was Queen of France through her marriage to Louis VII, then Queen of England after her union with Henry II Plantagenet. A towering figure of the Middle Ages, she wielded considerable political influence and was the mother of several kings of England.

A Muslim scholar and patron from Kairouan (present-day Tunisia), Fatima al-Fihri founded the al-Qarawiyyin mosque-university in Fez in 859, considered the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Born into a Berber-Arab family that emigrated to Morocco, she devoted her entire fortune to this institution of learning.

Freyja is a major goddess in Norse mythology, associated with love, fertility, beauty, and seiðr magic. She belongs to the Vanir in the Norse pantheon and has been venerated across Scandinavian cultures from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

Norse goddess of marriage, motherhood, and wisdom, Frigg is the wife of Odin and queen of the Aesir in Scandinavian mythology. Known among Germanic and Nordic peoples, she is associated with the protection of the home and with foreknowledge. Her figure is conveyed primarily through medieval Icelandic written sources (the Eddas).

Christian saint born around 422, venerated for having protected Paris from Attila in 451 through her religious fervor. An advisor to Clovis I, she embodied the emerging alliance between the Church and Frankish royalty. Patron saint of Paris, her feast day is January 3.

Reigning empress of Japan from 707 to 715, Genmei is one of the few women to have held supreme power in Japan. She is notably responsible for commissioning the Kojiki, Japan's first historical chronicle.

Tragic heroine of Germanic and Norse mythology, Gudrun/Kriemhild is the wife of the hero Sigurd/Siegfried. A figure of vengeance and grief, she embodies conjugal loyalty taken to the point of total destruction.

Legendary queen of Britain and wife of King Arthur in the Arthurian cycle. A central figure of medieval literature, she is also known for her tragic affair with the knight Lancelot of the Lake, which contributes to the fall of Camelot.

Thirteenth-century Brabantine poet and mystic, a towering figure of medieval female spirituality. She was most likely a beguine and left an exceptional literary and mystical body of work written in Middle Dutch.

A legendary figure from Ethiopian oral tradition, Hagere is portrayed as a founding queen whose name means "land" or "homeland" in Ge'ez and Amharic. Associated with the mythic origins of the Solomonic dynasty, she embodies in Ethiopian oral narratives the idea of the mother-land and sacred sovereignty.

In Norse mythology, Hel is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Goddess of the dead, she rules over Niflheim (or Helheim), the underworld realm where those who died of illness or old age dwell. Her very name refers both to the deity and to the realm she governs.

A French intellectual of the 12th century, Héloïse is celebrated for her passionate correspondence with the philosopher Peter Abelard, whose student and secret wife she became. Later abbess of the Paraclete, she was one of the most learned women of her time.

A twelfth-century German Benedictine nun, Hildegard of Bingen was at once a mystic, composer, naturalist, and theologian. She founded her own monastery and corresponded with the most powerful figures of her time, including popes and emperors.

First known composer, visionary, Doctor of the Church

Hinemoa is a heroine of Māori oral tradition, from the Arawa tribe, whose legend has been passed down since pre-colonial times in New Zealand. According to tradition, she swam across Lake Rotorua to reach her lover Tūtānekai on Mokoia Island, defying her family's prohibition. Her story symbolizes the power of love and the courage to challenge social conventions.

A goddess of Norse mythology, Idunn is the keeper of the golden apples that preserve the eternal youth of the Aesir gods. Her abduction by the giant Thiazi causes the gods to age, illustrating her central role in the Viking cosmic order.

Joan of Arc (1412–1431) was a French heroine who played a decisive role during the Hundred Years' War. Inspired by religious visions, she led the French armies to several victories against the English. Captured, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake in Rouen, she became an iconic figure of France.

Legendary ruler of the Kingdom of Semien, Gudit led a revolt around 960 CE that overthrew the Aksumite dynasty of Ethiopia. This warrior queen is said to have reigned for several decades over the Ethiopian highlands, leaving a lasting mark on the collective memory of the region.

A fourteenth-century English mystic, Julian of Norwich is the first known woman to write in the English language. Following a divine vision received in 1373, she composed Revelations of Divine Love, a foundational work of medieval Christian spirituality. Living as an anchoress in Norwich, she developed a theology centered on divine love and mercy.

A German Benedictine recluse and mystic of the 12th century, Jutta of Sponheim founded a community of women at the monastery of Disibodenberg. She is best known as the spiritual teacher and educator of Hildegard von Bingen.

Legendary princess from Japanese folklore and heroine of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori monogatari), one of the oldest works in Japanese literature. Found as a child inside a glowing bamboo stalk and raised by a peasant couple, she grows into a woman of extraordinary beauty before returning to the Moon, her true home.

Mongol princess of the 13th century, great-niece of Kublai Khan and daughter of Khan Kaidu. A legendary warrior and wrestler, she challenged her suitors to wrestling matches and remained undefeated, winning horses with each victory.

Empress of Japan who reigned twice (749–758 then 764–770), she is one of the very few women to have occupied the Japanese imperial throne. A devout Buddhist, she actively promoted the spread of Buddhism throughout the country and commissioned the construction of numerous temples.

An enchanting figure from medieval Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake is a fairy who presents the sword Excalibur to King Arthur and raises Lancelot. She embodies magic and the bond between the mortal world and the fairy realm.

Title held by the queen mother in the Kanem-Bornu Empire (present-day Chad and Nigeria), a figure of female political authority in the Kanuri tradition. According to Kanuri oral traditions, the Magira served as advisor and regent to the mai (king), embodying an institutionalized form of female power within one of the largest political structures of medieval sub-Saharan Africa.

Founding goddess of Inca civilization, according to Quechua oral tradition. Wife of Manco Cápac, she is said to have emerged from Lake Titicaca and taught women the art of weaving and domestic skills, thereby establishing the Inca social order.

Goddess of the Moon in Inca mythology, Mama Quilla is the protector of women, marriage, and the lunar calendar. Wife of Inti, the Sun god, she held a central place in Inca religion and society during the pre-colonial era.

An aquatic deity venerated in West and Central Africa and throughout the African diaspora in the Americas. A water spirit associated with fertility, healing, and prosperity, Mami Wata is a central figure in vodoun worship and many oral traditions. Her origins are pre-colonial, but her iconography was enriched through contact with Atlantic exchange.

A 14th-century Beguine mystic, Marguerite Porete is the author of The Mirror of Simple Souls, a mystical treatise written in the vernacular. Condemned for heresy by the Inquisition, she was burned alive in Paris in 1310, refusing to recant.

An Anglo-Norman poet of the 12th century, Marie de France is the first known woman writer in the French language. She is celebrated for her Lais, her Fables, and her Saint Patrick's Purgatory.

A Rhenish mystic and German beguine, Mechthild of Magdeburg is the author of The Flowing Light of the Godhead, one of the first great mystical texts written in the vernacular. A major spiritual figure of the 13th century, she describes the union of the soul with God in poetic language of rare intensity.

A legendary figure of the Middle Ages, Melusine is a fairy or supernatural creature of dual nature: part woman, part water serpent. According to legend, she founded the Lusignan dynasty after her marriage to the knight Raymond. Her story weaves together medieval wonder, a curse, and dynastic origins.

Slavic goddess of winter, death, and night, Morana is a central figure in the mythology of Slavic peoples. Known under various forms (Marzanna in Polish, Morena in Czech and Slovak), she personifies the cycle of nature: her symbolic death in spring marks renewal. Her cult, passed down through oral tradition, is attested from the early Middle Ages to the present day.

Legendary heroine of the Yoruba people of Ilé-Ifè (present-day Nigeria), a figure of African oral tradition. According to legend, she sacrificed herself to infiltrate the ranks of Ifè's enemies and liberate her people through cunning and courage.

Morgan le Fay is a major figure in Arthurian legend, portrayed as an enchantress and half-sister of King Arthur. She embodies magic and moral ambiguity in medieval narratives, shifting between adversary and protector depending on the version of the story.

Mulan is a legendary figure from Chinese literature — a young woman said to have disguised herself as a man to take her father's place in the army. Her story, popularized by the Disney animated film, embodies the values of filial piety and courage.

Japanese noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period

A warrior goddess of Samoan mythology, Nafanua is a central figure of feminine power in Polynesia. According to the oral traditions of the Samoan people, she led armies to victory and contributed to the unification of the Samoan islands in the pre-colonial era.

Sister of Sundiata Keita, a figure from the 13th-century Mande epic. According to griot oral tradition, she accompanied her brother into exile and played a decisive diplomatic role in the reconquest of the Mande against Soumaoro Kante.

Oshun is an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of West Africa, venerated as the goddess of love, rivers, and fertility. Passed down through oral tradition, she embodies gentleness, beauty, and healing. Her cult, alive since pre-colonial times, spread to the Americas with the African diaspora.

Oya is an orisha of the Yoruba tradition, deity of wind, storms, lightning, and transformation. Venerated by the Yoruba people of West Africa (present-day Nigeria, Benin, Togo), she is associated with the Niger River and the forces of change. Her figure crossed the Atlantic with the African diaspora, becoming integrated into the Candomblé and Santería traditions.

Rangda is the demon queen of Balinese mythology, embodiment of evil and the dark forces. She leads an army of witches called Leyaks and is locked in eternal opposition with Barong, the protective spirit of good. This cosmic battle lies at the heart of Balinese spirituality and ritual theater.

Razia Sultana was the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate (1236–1240). Daughter of Sultan Iltutmish, she governed unveiled and on horseback, defying the conventions of her time. A revolt by Turkish nobles led to her downfall and death in 1240.

First wife of King Naré Maghann Konaté in the Sundiata epic, Sassuma Bérété is a figure of political ambition in the Mandinka griot tradition (13th century). A fierce rival of Sogolon, mother of Sundiata, she seeks to place her son Dankaran Touman on the throne of Mande.

Japanese author

Skadi is a giantess (jötunn) from Norse mythology, goddess of winter, hunting, and mountains. Daughter of the giant Þjazi, she is known for negotiating her place among the Aesir gods after her father's death. Her figure illustrates the boundary between the world of the gods and that of the giants in Viking cosmology.

A central figure in the Mande epic tradition preserved by griots, Sogolon Kondé is the mother of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire in the 13th century. Said to be ugly yet endowed with supernatural powers, she embodies hidden strength and maternal dignity in the oral tradition of the Mande peoples.

The succubus is a female demon from medieval demonology, believed to visit men in their sleep to unite with them and drain their vital energy. Ubiquitous in the theological and demonological treatises of the Middle Ages, it embodies religious anxieties about sexuality and evil.

Tamamo-no-Mae is a figure from Japanese mythology, a nine-tailed fox (kitsune) who transformed herself into a court lady of incomparable beauty and intelligence. She bewitched Emperor Toba in the 12th century before being unmasked and slain, at which point she became the Killing Stone (Sessho-seki), said to poison anyone who approaches it.

Mandinka princess of the 13th century, daughter of Sundiata Keita according to the oral traditions of the Kouyaté griots. She is celebrated as a guardian figure of the Manden Charter, the first proclamation of rights in the Mali Empire.

A legendary figure of Arthurian mythology, Viviane is a fairy and sorceress presented as the Lady of the Lake in medieval tales. She plays a crucial role in the story of King Arthur as his protector, advisor, and keeper of the sword Excalibur.

Theodora, empress of Byzantium alongside Justinian I, is one of the most powerful women of late antiquity. Born into humble origins, she became co-regent and played a decisive role in Byzantine imperial politics, most notably during the suppression of the Nika revolt in 532.

Tomoe Gozen is one of the rare female samurai (onna-musha) in Japanese history. An exceptional warrior in the service of Minamoto no Yoshinaka, she distinguished herself during the Genpei War (1180–1185) through her mastery of the bow, the sword, and horsemanship.

Female physician of the 11th century associated with the School of Medicine of Salerno, Europe's first organized medical institution. She is linked to foundational treatises on gynecology and obstetrics, though her exact biography remains a matter of debate.

Count of Poitiers and Duke of Aquitaine, nicknamed "the Great," he was one of the most powerful lords in the feudal West around the year 1000. He consolidated the Duchy of Aquitaine, protected the Church, and distinguished himself as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela.

Wu Zetian (624–705) is the only woman ever to have ruled as reigning empress of China. A concubine of Emperor Taizong and later wife of Emperor Gaozong, she gradually seized power before founding her own Zhou dynasty in 690. An ambitious reformer, she modernized the imperial administration and championed merit-based examinations.

A warrior princess of the Dagomba people (present-day Ghana/northern Burkina Faso), Yennenga is venerated in Mossi oral tradition as the founding mother of the Moogo kingdom. Daughter of King Nedega, she united with a hunter named Riale, and their son Ouédraogo became the eponymous ancestor of the Mossi.

An 8th-century Tibetan princess, disciple and spiritual companion of Padmasambhava, she is venerated in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition as one of Tibet's first enlightened female masters. A semi-mythical figure of the Tibetan people, she embodies feminine wisdom in Tantric Buddhism.

Semi-legendary warrior queen of Ethiopia (10th century), whose name means "Judith." She is said to have overthrown the Kingdom of Aksum, burned its churches, and ruled for several decades over the Ethiopian highlands.

Yuki-onna is a supernatural figure from Japanese folklore, appearing as a woman of glacial and terrifying beauty. She emerges during blizzards and condemns lost travelers to death by freezing cold. Her character embodies both the beauty and the cruelty of winter nature.

Agnes Waterhouse was the first woman executed for witchcraft in England, hanged in 1566 in Chelmsford. Her trial, one of the earliest documented witchcraft trials in England, illustrates the rise of persecution driven by fear of black magic during the Tudor period.

A Hausa warrior queen of the kingdom of Zazzau (present-day Zaria, Nigeria), Amina reigned around the 16th century according to Hausa oral traditions. She greatly expanded her kingdom's territory through military conquest and is celebrated as a symbol of female power in Hausa collective memory.

Taíno queen and poet of Hispaniola (c. 1474–1503), Anacaona was renowned for her areítos — ceremonial songs and poems passed down through oral tradition. A fierce resister of Spanish colonization, she was captured and executed by Nicolás de Ovando.

Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII. Her marriage required England's break with Rome, giving rise to the Church of England. Mother of Elizabeth I, she was accused of adultery and beheaded at the Tower of London.

Queen consort of France (1547–1559) and regent of the kingdom during the Wars of Religion. Born in Florence in 1519, she played a major political role by attempting to maintain the balance between Catholics and Protestants in France.

Coya Pacsa was an Inca queen (coya), wife of the Inca Huayna Cápac, who ruled the Tawantinsuyu at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century. A figure of the highest Inca nobility, she embodies the power and political role of the great royal wives in Inca civilization on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Information about her comes primarily from Quechua oral tradition and Spanish colonial chronicles.

Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I reigned over England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. Her reign, known as the "Elizabethan Era", was marked by the rise of English power and a remarkable cultural flourishing.

Élisabeth Ire (1533-1603) fut reine d'Angleterre et d'Irlande pendant 45 ans. Fille d'Henri VIII et d'Anne Boleyn, elle consolida le protestantisme en Angleterre et porta son royaume à un rayonnement européen exceptionnel. Son règne, dit « ère élisabéthaine », est marqué par la défaite de l'Invincible Armada espagnole et l'essor des arts et des lettres.

Isabelle Ire de Castille (1451-1504) unifia l'Espagne en épousant Ferdinand II d'Aragon, formant ainsi les Rois Catholiques. Elle finança le voyage de Christophe Colomb en 1492, ouvrant l'ère des conquêtes américaines. Son règne fut marqué par l'établissement de l'Inquisition espagnole et l'expulsion des Juifs d'Espagne.

Kassa is the mother of Askia Mohammed I, founder of the Askia dynasty in the Songhai Empire in the 15th century. Her memory is preserved through oral traditions and mentioned in the Tarikh al-Fattash, an Arabic chronicle written in the 16th century. Her role in legitimizing her son's succession illustrates the place of women in medieval Sahelian societies.

Born around 1500 into a noble Nahuatl family, sold into slavery and later given to Hernán Cortés, she became his interpreter, advisor, and companion. A central figure in the Conquest of Mexico, she remains an ambiguous symbol of betrayal and survival in Mexican historical memory.

Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) was a Bolognese painter considered the first professional female artist in the history of Western art. The daughter of painter Prospero Fontana, she excelled in portraiture and mythological scenes, working for the papal court in Rome.

Louise de Savoie (1476–1531), Duchess of Angoulême, was the mother of Francis I and Margaret of Navarre. She served twice as regent of France and played a major diplomatic role by negotiating the Peace of Cambrai in 1529.

A 16th-century Lyonnaise poet nicknamed 'la Belle Cordière' (the Beautiful Ropemaker), Louise Labé is celebrated for her passionate love sonnets. An iconic figure of the French Renaissance, she championed women's access to education and literary creation.

Elder sister of Francis I, Margaret of Navarre was one of the most educated women of the French Renaissance. A patron of humanists and religious reformers, she authored the Heptameron, a collection of tales inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron.

Queen consort of Navarre and later of France, nicknamed 'Queen Margot', she was a central figure in the Wars of Religion. A learned woman of letters, she left behind her Memoirs and was the first wife of Henry IV.

Venetian painter of the late Renaissance (1554–1590), daughter and pupil of Tintoretto. Known as "la Tintoretta," she was celebrated for her portraits of remarkable psychological depth. Highly sought after at court, she turned down invitations from Philip II of Spain and Emperor Maximilian II in order to remain in Venice.

Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1558, Mary I Tudor was the first woman to reign in her own right over England. The daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, she restored Catholicism and persecuted Protestants, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary".

Mirabaï est une princesse rajpoute du XVIe siècle, mystique et poète dévote de Krishna. Refusant les conventions de sa caste, elle consacra sa vie à la dévotion et composa des centaines de bhajans (chants dévotionnels) qui traversèrent les siècles. Figure majeure du mouvement Bhakti, elle incarne la quête spirituelle affranchie des hiérarchies sociales.

Legendary English prophetess and seer of the 16th century, born around 1488 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. Famous for her prophecies in verse, she became a major folk figure of Tudor England. Her actual historical existence remains uncertain, as legend has far outgrown the facts.

Daughter of Chief Powhatan, leader of the Algonquian confederacy of Virginia, Pocahontas (c. 1596–1617) is a central figure in the encounter between the Powhatan peoples and the English settlers of Jamestown. Her story, passed down through colonial written sources and her people's oral tradition, symbolizes both the dialogue and the tensions between two worlds.

A Bolognese sculptor of the Renaissance (c. 1490–1530), Properzia de' Rossi is considered the first professional female sculptor in Europe. She is celebrated for her marble bas-reliefs and miniature sculptures carved on apricot pits.

An Italian Renaissance painter (1532–1625), she was one of the first women artists to achieve international renown. Official portraitist at the court of King Philip II of Spain, she influenced many artists, including Caravaggio and Van Dyck.

A Danish astronomer and horticulturist of the 16th century, she actively collaborated with her brother Tycho Brahe in his astronomical observations. A passionate self-taught scholar, she also mastered chemistry, medicine, and genealogy.

Reformer of the Carmelite Order, mystic, Doctor of the Church

Legendary queen of the Baoulé people in the 18th century, she led her people from the Ashanti kingdom to present-day Ivory Coast. Oral tradition holds that she sacrificed her only son to allow her people to cross the Comoé River, a founding act of Baoulé identity.

Queen of the Malwa kingdom (Indore) from 1767 to 1795, she ruled with wisdom and justice. Widowed at 29, she refused sati and took charge of the state, personally leading her armies. She had hundreds of temples, wells, and roads built across India.

Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1702 to 1707, then first Queen of Great Britain following the Acts of Union of 1707. Her reign saw the rise of parliamentary government and the War of the Spanish Succession.

Anne Ponsarde is a female figure of the early modern period, associated with the world of natural sciences and practical knowledge in France. Her story reflects the role of women in the transmission of knowledge during the early modern era.

A Parisian writer and salon hostess (1647–1733), she presided over one of the most influential literary salons of the Regency period, frequented by Fontenelle, Montesquieu, and Marivaux. A pioneer in thinking about women's education, she championed their access to intellectual life.

Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was the first English woman to earn her living by the pen. A prolific playwright, novelist, and spy in the service of Charles II, she defied the conventions of her time by making her mark in the male-dominated literary world.

Italian painter

Founding queen of the Baoulé people (Côte d'Ivoire) in the 18th century, according to Akan oral tradition. To allow her people to cross the Comoé River during a forced exile, she is said to have sacrificed her only son. Her name means "the child who does not return."

Queen of the kingdom of Zazzau (present-day Zaria, Nigeria) in the 16th century, Bakwa Turunku founded the city of Zaria around 1536. She is the mother of the famous warrior queen Amina of Zaria, a symbol of female power in West Africa.

Bartolina Sisa is a heroic figure of the Aymara people and wife of Túpac Katari. Around 1781–1782, she co-led the siege of La Paz against Spanish colonial forces. Captured, she was executed by the Spanish in 1782 and is today revered as a symbol of indigenous resistance in Bolivia.

Astronome pionnière originaire de Hanovre, Caroline Herschel découvrit huit comètes et contribua à cartographier le ciel aux côtés de son frère William. Elle fut la première femme à recevoir la médaille d'or de la Royal Astronomical Society, en 1828.

Catherine II, dite Catherine la Grande, est impératrice de Russie de 1762 à 1796. D'origine allemande, elle renverse son époux Pierre III et modernise l'Empire russe en s'inspirant des philosophes des Lumières, tout en renforçant le pouvoir autocratique.

Ching Shih (c. 1775–1844) was a Chinese pirate who became one of the most formidable military commanders in history. She led the Red Flag Fleet, a confederation of over 1,800 ships and 80,000 men, imposing her rule across the South China Sea.

Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is best known as the dedicatee of Johann Sebastian Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos (1721). A music lover and patron of the arts, he embodies the aristocratic German culture of the early 18th century.

Reine de Suède de 1632 à 1654, Christine abdique volontairement son trône pour se convertir au catholicisme et s'installer à Rome. Femme d'exception, elle invite Descartes à sa cour et règne avec autorité dans l'Europe de la guerre de Trente Ans.

French novelist and salonnière (1682–1749), she hosted one of the most influential literary salons of the eighteenth century in Paris. The mother who abandoned d'Alembert at birth, she is the author of sentimental and historical novels such as the Mémoires du comte de Comminge.

Princess Palatine (1618–1680), daughter of King Frederick V of Bohemia. A self-taught philosopher, she engaged in a celebrated correspondence with Descartes, challenging his mind-body dualism. She ended her life as abbess of the Lutheran convent of Herford.

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) est l'une des plus grandes portraitistes du XVIIIe siècle. Peintre officielle de Marie-Antoinette, elle réalise plus de 660 portraits avant de fuir la Révolution française. Première femme admise à l'Académie royale de peinture, elle incarne l'excellence féminine dans un monde artistique dominé par les hommes.

Daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth I ruled Russia from 1741 to 1762. Her reign was marked by a flourishing of culture, the founding of Moscow University, and Russia's victorious participation in the Seven Years' War.

Émilie du Châtelet (1706-1749) est une physicienne et mathématicienne française des Lumières. Elle traduit et commente les Principia Mathematica de Newton, œuvre qui reste la référence française jusqu'au XIXe siècle. Compagne de Voltaire, elle démontre que l'énergie cinétique est proportionnelle au carré de la vitesse.

Esther Johnson (1681–1728), known by the nickname "Stella", was the close friend and confidante of the writer Jonathan Swift. Their intellectual and epistolary relationship, chronicled in the Journal to Stella, makes her a notable figure in English literary life of the 18th century.

French writer (1695-1758), pioneer of the epistolary novel in the 18th century. She is best known for her Letters from a Peruvian Woman, a major work of Enlightenment literature that critiques French society through the discerning gaze of an exotic heroine.

Gabrielle Charpentier (c. 1764–1793) was the wife of Georges-Jacques Danton, a leading orator of the French Revolution. The daughter of a Parisian café owner, she died at 28 in February 1793 while her husband was on a mission in Belgium, just months before the Reign of Terror.

Born Belle van Zuylen in the Netherlands in 1740, Isabelle de Charrière settled in Switzerland after her marriage and became one of the most remarkable women writers of the 18th century. A novelist, letter-writer, and composer, she advocated with great clarity for women's freedom and critiqued the social conventions of her time.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was a major English novelist of the 19th century, author of romantic and social novels that subtly critique the social conventions of her time. Her work, most notably Pride and Prejudice, explores human relationships and the stakes of marriage with irony and psychological insight.

explorer and botanist (1740-1807)

A mestiza guerrilla fighter born in 1780 in Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia), she commanded indigenous troops against the Spanish during the independence wars. Known as "the Pachamama of freedom," she was appointed lieutenant colonel by Simón Bolívar.

An 18th-century French salonnière, Julie de Lespinasse ran one of the most influential salons in Paris, frequented by the Encyclopédistes. A passionate letter-writer, her correspondence offers a vivid window into the intellectual life of the Enlightenment.

Queen consort and later regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kaʻahumanu was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I. In 1819, she abolished the system of religious taboos (kapu) and played a key role in introducing Christianity to Hawaii.

Katharina Gsell (c. 1707–1773) was the daughter of Swiss painter Georg Gsell, who was employed at the imperial court of Saint Petersburg. In 1734 she married the mathematician Leonhard Euler, one of the greatest scholars of the 18th century, and was the companion of his entire scientific life.

A Kongolese prophetess of the Bakongo people, Kimpa Vita founded around 1704 the Antonian movement, preaching an African interpretation of Christianity. Arrested by Capuchin missionaries, she was burned at the stake in 1706 for heresy and witchcraft.

La Llorona is a ghost from Latin American folklore, the figure of a woman who, according to legend, drowned her own children and has since wandered weeping along rivers and lakes. This legend, deeply rooted in Mexico and Latin America, blends pre-Hispanic and Spanish colonial influences.

Poisoner, fortune-teller, and abortionist in 17th-century Paris, Catherine Deshayes was the central figure of the Affair of the Poisons (1679–1682). Supplying poisons, love potions, and black masses to an aristocratic clientele, she was burned alive at the Place de Grève in 1680.

An English aristocrat and woman of letters of the 18th century, Mary Wortley Montagu accompanied her husband, an ambassador, to Constantinople. There she discovered variolation and introduced it to Western Europe, saving countless lives before Jenner's development of the vaccine.

Laskarína Bouboulína est une héroïne grecque de la guerre d'indépendance contre l'Empire ottoman. Armant et finançant sa propre flotte de guerre, elle participa activement aux combats navals dès 1821, notamment au blocus de Nauplie. Elle est la seule femme à avoir reçu le titre d'amiral de la marine russe à titre honorifique.

17th-century French writer and pioneer of the psychological novel. Author of The Princess of Clèves, a landmark work exploring the inner feelings and intimate conflicts of its characters. A prominent figure in the literary and cultural life of Louis XIV's court.

French epistolary writer of the 17th century, celebrated for her exceptional literary correspondence, particularly her letters to her daughter. Her work offers an invaluable portrait of court life and French society under Louis XIV.

Germaine de Staël, fille du ministre Necker, fut l'une des grandes voix intellectuelles de son époque. Romancière, essayiste et salonnière, elle tint tête à Napoléon qui l'exila, et contribua à introduire le romantisme allemand en France avec son ouvrage De l'Allemagne.

A Carmelite nun at the convent of Louviers, Madeleine Bavent was at the center of a demonic possession affair and witchcraft accusations in 1647. Her trial, emblematic of the excesses of the witch hunts, led to the execution of Father Thomas Boulle and the condemnation of several members of the religious community.

Ecuadorian revolutionary born in Quito around 1797, of mixed heritage (Creole mother, Spanish father), Manuela Sáenz was a central figure in the Spanish American wars of independence and the companion of Simón Bolívar. She saved the Liberator's life in 1828 and was nicknamed the "Libertadora del Libertador."

Seventeenth-century English natural philosopher and woman of letters (1623–1673), she developed her own theories on the nature of matter, drawing on atomism while proposing an original vitalist materialism. The first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society, in 1667.

A Silesian astronomer of the 17th century, Maria Cunitz published Urania Propitia in 1650, a simplification of Kepler's tables written in both Latin and German. Considered the most remarkable female scholar of her time, she made Keplerian astronomy accessible to a wider audience.

A Spanish writer of the Golden Age (1590–1661), María de Zayas is one of the few women of letters of her era to have published under her own name. Her story collections, Novelas amorosas y exemplares (1637) and Desengaños amorosos (1647), boldly denounce male domination and champion women's education.

An Italian mathematician and philosopher of the 18th century, Maria Gaetana Agnesi is celebrated for her treatise Instituzioni analitiche (1748), a pioneering pedagogical synthesis of differential and integral calculus. The first woman appointed as a professor of mathematics at the University of Bologna, she later devoted her life to charity and spirituality.

A German naturalist and artist of the 17th century, Maria Sibylla Merian was a pioneer in the study of insects and their metamorphosis. She led an expedition to Suriname (1699–1701) to observe and illustrate tropical flora and fauna, at a time when women rarely had access to the sciences.

French chemist and illustrator (1758–1836), essential collaborator of Antoine Lavoisier. She translated English scientific treatises and created the engravings for the landmark "Elementary Treatise on Chemistry" (1789), contributing to the chemical revolution.

Queen consort of France from 1774 to 1792, wife of Louis XVI. A symbol of the Ancien Régime and its excesses, she became deeply unpopular with the French people and came to embody the frivolity of the Versailles court. Accused of treason during the French Revolution, she was executed by guillotine in 1793.

French noblewoman from the House of Dreux, a family of high Capetian lineage. A figure of the French aristocracy in the early modern period, her name combines Catholic devotion with membership in one of France's great seigneurial dynasties.

A French aristocrat of the 17th century, notorious for poisoning her father and brothers in order to inherit their fortune. Her trial and execution in 1676 triggered the Affair of the Poisons, exposing the widespread use of poison in high society.

Official favorite of Louis XIV from 1667 to 1681, she reigned over the court of Versailles and had seven legitimized children with the Sun King. Implicated in the Affair of the Poisons, she subsequently fell from grace.

Mary Pitt (1676-) was an English courtesan moving in circles close to British royal power at the end of the 17th century. Her role at court places her within a context of spreading scientific and cultural ideas characteristic of the era.

Mary Wollstonecraft est une philosophe et écrivaine britannique du XVIIIe siècle, pionnière du féminisme. Son œuvre majeure, Défense des droits de la femme (1792), réclame l'égalité d'éducation et de droits civiques pour les femmes. Elle incarne la pensée des Lumières appliquée à la condition féminine.

Zulu princess (c. 1750–1843), influential aunt and advisor to King Shaka, and a major figure in Zulu oral tradition. Born among the Zulu people of southern Africa, she wielded considerable political power within the royal household, particularly during royal successions.

A central figure of Maroon resistance in Jamaica during the 18th century, Nanny led the Windward Maroons from their stronghold in the Blue Mountains. A warrior and spiritual leader of Akan origin (present-day Ghana), she led the struggle against British colonial slavery for decades. A Jamaican national heroine, her life is transmitted primarily through Maroon oral tradition.

Warrior queen of Angola (c. 1583–1663), Njinga of Matamba fiercely resisted Portuguese colonization in Central Africa. A skilled diplomat, she negotiated directly with the Portuguese while forging alliances with the Dutch. She ruled the kingdom of Matamba for more than thirty years.

Mughal empress (1577–1645), wife of Emperor Jahangir, she was the only woman to wield real political power under the Mughal dynasty. An administrator, poet, and patron of the arts, she had coins struck in her own name and effectively governed the empire for several years.

Queen of Ndongo and later Matamba (Mbundu people, present-day Angola), Nzinga Mbandi was a formidable political and military strategist who resisted Portuguese expansionism and the Atlantic slave trade throughout the 17th century. An iconic figure of pre-colonial African resistance, she negotiated, waged war, and allied with the Dutch to defend her people's sovereignty.

French author, politician and pamphleteer (1748–1793), Olympe de Gouges campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery during the French Revolution. She wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen in 1791, a founding document of feminism.

Heroine of Colombian independence (c. 1795–1817), nicknamed "La Pola". A seamstress and patriot spy, she recruited soldiers for the independence cause. Captured by the Spanish, she was executed by firing squad in Bogotá on November 14, 1817.

A Shoshone woman (c. 1788–1812), Sacagawea served as the indispensable interpreter and guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). Her knowledge of the land, languages, and Indigenous peoples enabled the American expedition to cross the continent all the way to the Pacific.

A Pomeranian noblewoman born around 1590, Sidonie von Borcke was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Beheaded in 1620 in Stettin, her trial illustrates the violence of persecutions against women in the early modern period.

Born around 1772 in Guadeloupe to an enslaved African mother, Solitude joined the mixed-race insurgents during the armed resistance against the restoration of slavery decreed by Bonaparte in 1802. Pregnant, she fought until her capture and was hanged the day after giving birth, on November 29, 1802. Her story, passed down through Creole and Caribbean oral tradition, has made her an emblematic figure of resistance against colonial oppression.

French mathematician and philosopher (1776–1831), a pioneer in science at a time when women were excluded from it. She made contributions to number theory and elasticity, and corresponded with Gauss under a male pseudonym.

Juana Inés de la Cruz was a Mexican poet and playwright of the 17th century, a towering figure of Hispanic Baroque literature. A self-taught nun in New Spain, she championed women's right to knowledge in a colonial society dominated by men.

An enslaved woman of Native American or Caribbean origin (probably Arawak), owned by Reverend Samuel Parris in Salem. In 1692, she was the first accused to confess to witchcraft, triggering the spiral of the Salem witch trials.

British mathematician (1815-1852), pioneer of computing and programming. She wrote the first algorithm intended to be executed by a machine, working on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. Her legacy makes her a founding figure of theoretical computer science.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a British novelist, widely known as the 'Queen of Crime'. The author of 66 detective novels, she created the iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her works are among the best-selling in the history of world literature.

Japanese poet and novelist (1878–1942), a major figure in the revival of waka poetry during the Meiji era. A committed feminist, she advocated for women's emancipation and opposed Japanese militarist nationalism.

French explorer and writer (1868-1969), Alexandra David-Néel was the first Western woman to reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in 1924. A passionate Orientalist, she devoted her life to exploring and studying Asian cultures, particularly Tibetan Buddhism.

A Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Alexandra Kollontai was one of the first women in the world to hold a diplomatic post. A theorist of socialist feminism, she championed women's emancipation and freedom from traditional marriage.

A pioneering American aviator of the 20th century, Amelia Earhart made history in aviation by becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic by plane in 1928. She disappeared in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe along the equator, becoming a legendary figure in the history of aerial exploration.

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) was a Russian ballerina considered one of the greatest classical dancers in history. Trained at the Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg, she conquered stages around the world and helped bring the art of classical ballet to an international audience.

British aristocrat (1792–1860), self-taught mathematician and philanthropist, she married the poet Lord Byron in 1815 before separating from him a year later. She went on to dedicate herself to popular education and social reform, and is the mother of Ada Lovelace, pioneer of computing.

Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) est l'une des figures majeures de l'impressionnisme français. Première femme à exposer avec le groupe impressionniste dès 1874, elle développe un style lumineux centré sur la vie intime, la maternité et les jardins. Belle-sœur d'Édouard Manet, elle s'impose comme une artiste à part entière dans un milieu dominé par les hommes.

Polish physician (1865-1939), elder sister of Marie Curie, she funded her sister's studies in Paris. A pioneer of women's medicine in Poland, she ran a clinic in Zakopane and campaigned for women's emancipation.

French sculptor and painter (1864–1943), she is one of the great artists of the late 19th century. A student and collaborator of Auguste Rodin, she developed her own artistic language before being gradually forgotten and committed to an asylum in 1913.

Charlotte Brontë est une romancière britannique du XIXe siècle, auteure de Jane Eyre (1847), chef-d'œuvre de la littérature victorienne. Fille de pasteur dans le Yorkshire, elle publie sous pseudonyme masculin (Currer Bell) pour se faire accepter dans le monde littéraire. Son œuvre explore avec force la condition féminine, l'indépendance et la passion.

British translator and businesswoman (1812–1895), celebrated for her English translation of the Mabinogion, a foundational collection of medieval Welsh myths and legends. She also managed the Dowlais ironworks in Wales, becoming one of the first women to run a major industrial enterprise.

Cixi, impératrice douairière de Chine, a dominé la politique de la dynastie Qing pendant près de cinquante ans. Régente habile et autoritaire, elle a gouverné un empire confronté aux pressions coloniales occidentales et aux révoltes internes, laissant une empreinte ambivalente sur la modernisation de la Chine.

German pianist and composer

Revolutionary French fashion designer (1883–1971), Coco Chanel transformed women's fashion by offering simple, comfortable, and elegant clothing. Founder of the eponymous fashion house, she established modern style and freedom of movement as the new standards of elegance.

French novelist, playwright, and journalist (1873–1954), Colette is a towering figure of twentieth-century French literature. A prolific author, she explores themes of sensibility, nature, and female freedom through poetic, sensory prose.

An Indonesian national heroine, Cut Nyak Dhien led armed resistance against Dutch occupation in the Aceh region (Sumatra) following the death of her husband. A symbol of Indonesian nationalism, she fought until her capture in 1905 despite serious illness.

19th-century British poet and translator, celebrated for his free translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1859), which achieved remarkable success across Europe and helped introduce Persian poetry to Western readers.

British writer

Emily Dickinson est l'une des plus grandes poétesses américaines du XIXe siècle. Recluse dans sa maison d'Amherst, elle a composé près de 1800 poèmes, dont la majorité ne fut publiée qu'après sa mort. Son œuvre, novatrice par sa forme et sa profondeur, explore la mort, la nature et l'âme humaine.

Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was a Lithuanian-born anarchist and feminist activist who emigrated to the United States. A leading figure in the American labor movement, she championed individual freedom, women's emancipation, and opposed war and capitalism.

British feminist political activist (1858–1928)

German mathematician (1882–1935) considered one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. She revolutionized abstract algebra, and her landmark theorem established the deep connection between symmetries and conservation laws in physics.

Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847) est une compositrice et pianiste virtuose allemande, sœur de Felix Mendelssohn. Malgré un talent exceptionnel reconnu dès l'enfance, les conventions de l'époque l'ont longtemps empêchée de publier ses œuvres sous son propre nom. Elle a composé plus de 460 pièces, dont des lieder, de la musique de chambre et des pièces pour piano.

French journalist and feminist activist (1803–1844), Flora Tristan championed the emancipation of women and the condition of the working class in the 19th century. She was a pioneer of feminism and socialism, placing the question of women at the heart of political and social debate.

British nurse and statistician (1820–1910), she revolutionized hospital care during the Crimean War. A pioneer of public health, she founded the first secular nursing school and used statistics to demonstrate the critical importance of hygiene.

Pen name of Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880), one of the leading Victorian novelists. Author of Middlemarch and The Mill on the Floss, she explores the female condition and social morality with rare philosophical depth.

A French novelist of the 19th century, George Sand (1804-1876) was one of the most prolific and innovative writers of her era. A champion of individual freedom and equal rights, she left a lasting mark on Romantic literature through her social novels and a life that openly defied the conventions of her time.

Harriet Taylor Mill (1807-1858) est une philosophe et féministe britannique, figure majeure de la pensée libérale du XIXe siècle. Collaboratrice et épouse de John Stuart Mill, elle a profondément influencé ses œuvres, notamment sur la liberté individuelle et l'émancipation des femmes.

Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a Russian occultist, philosopher, and writer who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. A tireless traveler, she synthesized Eastern spiritualities and Western esotericism in her major works.

Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) est une astronome américaine qui découvrit la relation période-luminosité des étoiles céphéides, offrant à l'humanité un outil pour mesurer les distances dans l'univers. Travaillant comme « calculatrice humaine » à l'observatoire de Harvard, elle transforma l'astronomie malgré les discriminations liées à son genre.

British mathematician and engineer (1854-1923), pioneer of electrical engineering. She conducted groundbreaking research on the electric arc and invented several technical devices, becoming the first woman elected as an associate member of the Royal Society.

Swedish painter, theosophist, and pioneer of abstract art (1862–1944)

An American social reformer, Jane Addams founded Hull House in Chicago in 1889, a settlement house serving immigrants and disadvantaged communities. A sociologist and committed pacifist, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

Kartini (1879-1904) was a Javanese noblewoman who fought for Indonesian women's access to education under Dutch colonial rule. Her letters in Dutch, published posthumously under the title "Through Darkness into Light," inspired the Indonesian feminist movement and made her a major national figure.

Lakshmi Bai, reine de Jhansi, est l'une des figures les plus emblématiques de la révolte des Cipayes de 1857. Refusant la mainmise britannique sur son royaume, elle prit les armes et combattit jusqu'à la mort pour l'indépendance de l'Inde.

A Kabyle resistance fighter from the Amazigh people, Lalla Fatma N'Soumer led the armed struggle against the French conquest of Algeria in the mid-19th century. Both a spiritual and military figure, she is passed down through Berber oral tradition as a symbol of dignity and resistance.

Liliuokalani fut la dernière reine du royaume d'Hawaï, renversée en 1893 par un coup d'État soutenu par des colons américains. Compositrice et femme d'État, elle lutta pacifiquement pour la souveraineté hawaiienne et reste un symbole de résistance à l'impérialisme américain.

Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937) was a German-Russian writer and psychoanalyst, a major intellectual figure of the late 19th century. A close friend of Nietzsche and Rilke, she was one of the first women to practice psychoanalysis in Europe.

Teacher and leading figure of the French anarchist movement (1830–1905), Louise Michel dedicated herself to educating poor children before becoming one of the heroines of the Paris Commune. Exiled and imprisoned for her revolutionary actions, she devoted her life to the struggle for social equality and the emancipation of the oppressed.

First self-made female millionaire in the USA, born to formerly enslaved parents

America's first professional female astronomer, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet in 1847, earning her a gold medal from the King of Denmark. She was the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and advocated for the scientific education of women.

Italian physician and educator

Polish-born French physicist and chemist (1867–1934). A pioneer in the study of radioactivity, she was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and the only person to receive two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields. Her discoveries revolutionized modern physics and chemistry.

Marie Laveau (c. 1801–1881) was the famous 'Voodoo Queen' of New Orleans. A free woman of color, she practiced Louisiana Voodoo, blending African and Caribbean traditions with Creole Catholicism. Her spiritual and social influence in Louisiana's Afro-Creole community remains legendary.

One of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century, Marina Tsvetaeva was born in Moscow in 1892. Exiled in Europe after the Bolshevik Revolution, she returned to the USSR in 1939 and took her own life in 1941, leaving behind a body of lyric poetry of rare intensity.

Mary Anning est une paléontologue autodidacte anglaise qui, dès l'enfance, collectait des fossiles sur les falaises de Lyme Regis. Elle découvrit les premiers squelettes complets d'ichtyosaure et de plésiosaure, révolutionnant la compréhension des espèces disparues. Malgré ses contributions majeures, elle fut longtemps exclue des cercles scientifiques en raison de son sexe et de sa condition modeste.

Peerage person ID=695563

Scottish mathematician and scientist (1780–1872), a pioneer of science in the 19th century. She popularised the works of Laplace and contributed to celestial mechanics. Together with Caroline Herschel, she was one of the first women to be elected an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society.

A Giriama woman from Kenya, Mekatilili wa Menza led the resistance against British colonial rule during the 1913–1914 revolt. Arrested and deported, she escaped and continued fighting for her people's freedom.

A Rwandan medium of the Kinyarwanda people, Muhumusa embodied the Nyabingi spirit and led an anti-colonial resistance against European powers in the early 20th century. She is considered a major spiritual and political figure of the African Great Lakes region.

A Swahili poetess from the East African coast (Zanzibar or the coastal region), Mwana Hashima belongs to the rich Swahili literary tradition with its strong Islamic imprint. Her poetic work in the Swahili language reflects Sufi spirituality and the moral values of coastal society.

A 19th-century Swahili poet born on the island of Pate (present-day Kenya), belonging to the Swahili culture of the East African coast. She is the author of the celebrated Utendi wa Mwana Kupona, a long didactic poem composed around 1858 for her daughter, first transmitted orally and later written down.

Russian revolutionary and educator (1869–1939), wife of Lenin and Bolshevik activist. She played a central role in Soviet educational policy after 1917, particularly in mass literacy campaigns and the reform of public schooling.

Princess, poet, and Fulani scholar of the Sokoto Caliphate (present-day Nigeria), daughter of reformer Usman dan Fodio. She wrote in Arabic, Fulfulde, and Hausa, and founded a network of traveling female teachers to educate rural women. A major figure of West African Islam in the 19th century.

Mother of Shaka Zulu and a founding figure of the Zulu kingdom, Nandi lived with dignity despite the social rejection brought on by her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. She had a decisive influence on her son, the future builder of the Zulu empire.

The last queen (linguère) of the Waalo, a Wolof kingdom in Senegal, Ndate Yalla Mbodj fiercely resisted French expansion in the 1840s–1850s. An iconic figure of African pre-colonial resistance, she is celebrated in Wolof and Toucouleur oral traditions.

Nehanda Nyakasikana (c. 1840–1898) was a mhondoro — a spirit medium of the Shona people of present-day Zimbabwe — venerated as the embodiment of the ancestral spirit Nehanda. A central figure of the First Chimurenga, she organized armed resistance against the British colonization of Southern Rhodesia before being captured and hanged by the colonial authorities.

Journaliste américaine pionnière, Nellie Bly s'est illustrée par son journalisme d'investigation undercover, notamment en se faisant interner dans un asile psychiatrique pour en dénoncer les conditions. En 1889, elle réalise le tour du monde en 72 jours, battant le record fictif de Phileas Fogg.

Queen of Ndorwa (a region straddling present-day Rwanda and Uganda), Nyabingi is, according to the oral traditions of the Kiga and Tutsi peoples, a ruler whose spirit became after her death a powerful symbol of resistance. Her name gave rise to the Nyabingi movement, which opposed European colonization into the 20th century.

Queen of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861, Ranavalona I belonged to the Merina people of the Malagasy Highlands. She firmly resisted European encroachment — both British and French — by expelling missionaries and banning Christianity. Her sovereigntist policies preserved the kingdom's independence for more than thirty years.

The last queen of Madagascar, Ranavalona III ruled the Merina Kingdom from 1883 to 1897. Despite her diplomatic resistance, she was unable to prevent French colonization. Deposed and exiled, she died in Algiers in 1917, a symbol of lost Malagasy sovereignty.

Queen of Jhansi (central India), she became one of the most iconic figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857–1858 against British rule. Refusing the annexation of her kingdom by the East India Company, she personally led the fighting and died on the battlefield at age 29.

Rosa Luxemburg was a Polish-born revolutionary activist and Marxist theorist who became a naturalized German citizen. Co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), she championed a socialist revolution rooted in the mass consciousness of the working class. Arrested during the Spartacist uprising of January 1919, she was murdered by paramilitary soldiers.

painter (born 1989)

Queen and spiritual leader of the Azna (animist Hausa people of Niger), Sarraounia successfully resisted the French military mission of Voulet-Chanoine in April 1899. A symbol of anti-colonial resistance, she was immortalized by Abdoulaye Mamani's novel (1980) and Med Hondo's film (1986).

Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded in 1909. This Swedish author is best known for her novel 'The Wonderful Adventures of Nils', which has become a worldwide classic of children's literature.

Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850–1891) was the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics in Europe and the first female professor of mathematics at a modern university. A pioneer in analysis and mechanics, she broke through the barriers of the male academic world to establish herself as a leading mathematician.

African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist

Empress of Ethiopia and wife of Menelik II, Taytu Betul was a major political and military figure of the late 19th century. Born into the Amhara tradition, she played a decisive strategic role in the Battle of Adwa in 1896, which repelled Italian colonization.

A French Carmelite nun who entered the Carmel of Lisieux at age 15, she developed a spirituality known as the 'Little Way,' accessible to everyone. Author of Story of a Soul, she was canonized in 1925 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997.

Truganini (c. 1812–1876) was an Aboriginal woman from Tasmania who witnessed the near-extermination of her people during the Black War. She was deported to Flinders Island along with the last surviving Tasmanian Aboriginals. Long referred to as 'the last Tasmanian', she became a global symbol of colonial genocide.

Victoria ascended to the British throne at 18 in 1837 and reigned for 63 years, becoming one of the most influential monarchs in history. Her reign coincided with the height of the British Empire and the Industrial Revolution. She gave her name to an entire era: the Victorian age.

British author (1882–1941), Virginia Woolf is one of the most important figures in 20th-century modernist literature. Author of Mrs Dalloway and Orlando, she revolutionized the novel through her use of stream of consciousness and her pioneering reflections on feminism and the condition of women.

Scottish-American astronomer, she joined the Harvard Observatory as a "Harvard Computer." She developed a system for classifying stellar spectra and discovered the Horsehead Nebula in 1888.

Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, Yaa Asantewaa is the emblematic figure of African resistance to British colonization. In 1900, she led the War of the Golden Stool against the British, who demanded the surrender of the Ashanti's sacred seat of power. Captured, she was exiled to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921.

Israeli crystallographer and molecular biologist, Ada Yonath elucidated the three-dimensional structure of the ribosome, the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis. She received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009, the first woman to do so in 45 years.

Adele is a British singer-songwriter born in 1988 in London. She broke through to mainstream audiences with her album '19' in 2008, and has since established herself as one of the best-selling artists of the 21st century, known for her powerful voice and introspective lyrics.

French photographer, visual artist, film director and screenwriter

Agnez Mo is an Indonesian-American singer-songwriter and actress born in 1986 in Jakarta. A pop star in Indonesia from childhood, she broke onto the international scene in the 2010s.

Aishwarya Rai is an Indian actress and model born in 1973. Crowned Miss World in 1994, she became one of Bollywood's most internationally recognized stars and a global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris.

Ivorian political figure and prominent voice in Côte d'Ivoire's public life. Embodying the meeting point between African cultural traditions and modern political engagement, she represents women's participation in the institutions of postcolonial West Africa.

Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress and singer born on March 15, 1993, in Mumbai. The daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, she has established herself as one of Bollywood's most influential actresses, balancing blockbuster hits with demanding dramatic roles.

Alla Pugacheva (born 1949) is the most famous pop singer of the Soviet Union and Russia. Nicknamed "the Primadonna," she dominated the Soviet and then Russian music scene for over forty years. Her career illustrates mass culture and the entertainment industry under a communist regime.

A South African anti-apartheid activist of Indian descent, Amina Cachalia devoted her life to fighting racial segregation in South Africa. A close ally of Nelson Mandela and the ANC, she was a leading figure in the Federation of South African Women.

African-American civil rights activist, philosopher, and university professor born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama. An iconic figure of the Black Power movement and intersectional feminism, she was imprisoned in 1970 before being acquitted. She remains a leading voice against systemic racism and social inequality.

Anggun is an Indonesian singer born in 1974 in Jakarta, who became a French citizen in 1998. An international pop star, she broke through in France with her hit 'Snow on the Sahara' (1997) and represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012.

Anna Kournikova is a Russian tennis player born in 1981 in Moscow. Turning professional at just 14, she reached the world top 10 and won two Grand Slam doubles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon alongside Martina Hingis. A media icon of the 1990s and 2000s, she came to embody the intersection of sport and popular culture.

Anna Netrebko is a Russian-Austrian soprano born in 1971, considered one of the greatest opera singers of her generation. Trained at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, she has conquered the world's most prestigious stages — the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala in Milan, and the Vienna State Opera.

Russian journalist and activist, Anna Politkovskaya distinguished herself through her courageous reporting on the Chechen wars and human rights abuses under Putin. Assassinated in Moscow in 2006, she became a symbol of press freedom and resistance against authoritarian regimes.

Anne Frank (1929-1945) was a young Dutch-Jewish girl whose diary, written in hiding during the Nazi occupation, became a poignant testimony of the Holocaust. She died in deportation at Bergen-Belsen, and her work remains a major source for understanding persecution and humanity in the face of horror.

French writer born in 1940, Annie Ernaux is known for her innovative approach to autofiction and auto-sociobiography. Her major work, A Man's Place (1983), traces her father's story and social journey, marking a turning point in contemporary French literature.

A pioneering American astronomer, Annie Jump Cannon revolutionized astronomy by classifying the spectra of more than 350,000 stars. Her spectral classification system (OBAFGKM) is still in use today.

Ariana Grande is an American singer, songwriter, and actress born in 1993 in Florida. She rose to fame through the TV series Victorious before becoming one of the most influential pop artists of her generation. Her response to the 2017 Manchester bombing earned her international recognition.

Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist, essayist, and activist born in 1961. Her novel The God of Small Things (1997) won the Booker Prize. She is a vocal advocate against nuclear weapons, dam construction, and social inequality in India.

Assia Djebar, de son vrai nom Fatima-Zohra Imalayen, est une romancière et cinéaste algérienne de langue française. Pionnière de la littérature féminine maghrébine, elle donna une voix aux femmes algériennes à travers une œuvre mêlant mémoire, Histoire et féminisme. En 2005, elle fut la première femme maghrébine élue à l'Académie française.

Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was an American poet, essayist, and activist, a leading figure in Black feminism and the civil rights struggle. She theorized intersectionality before the term existed, championing the rights of Black women, LGBT people, and the oppressed.

Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) was a British actress and model of Belgian origin, an icon of Hollywood cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. She won the Academy Award for Roman Holiday (1953) and became synonymous with elegance and grace on screen. In her later years, she devoted herself to humanitarian work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Militante birmane pour la démocratie, Aung San Suu Kyi a consacré sa vie à la résistance pacifique contre la junte militaire au Myanmar. Prix Nobel de la Paix en 1991, elle a passé 15 ans en résidence surveillée avant de diriger son pays de 2016 à 2021.

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer and songwriter born in 1984 in Belleville, Ontario. She broke through in 2002 with her debut album 'Let Go', becoming an icon of alternative rock and pop-punk for an entire generation.

An American philosopher, novelist, and screenwriter of Russian origin, Ayn Rand is the founder of Objectivism, a philosophy championing reason, individualism, and capitalism. Her bestselling novels, including 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged,' have had a lasting influence on American libertarian thought.

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and pop icon born in 1978 in Fukuoka. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" in Japan, she is one of the best-selling female artists in the history of Japanese music.

Barbara McClintock est une généticienne américaine pionnière qui découvrit les éléments transposables, appelés « gènes sauteurs », dans le maïs dès les années 1940. Longtemps ignorée de la communauté scientifique, elle reçut le Prix Nobel de Physiologie ou Médecine en 1983, seule femme à l'avoir obtenu sans partage dans cette discipline.

An American intellectual, writer, and feminist activist, bell hooks dedicated her life to analyzing the connections between race, gender, and class. The author of more than thirty books, she profoundly reshaped feminist thought by centering the experiences of Black women.

Benazir Bhutto fut la première femme à diriger un gouvernement dans un pays à majorité musulmane, devenant Première ministre du Pakistan en 1988. Fille du Premier ministre Ali Bhutto, elle lutta contre les dictatures militaires et devint le symbole de la démocratie et des droits des femmes en Asie du Sud. Assassinée lors d'un attentat en 2007, elle reste une figure emblématique du courage politique.

Beyoncé is an American singer, songwriter, and producer born in 1981 in Houston, Texas. A former member of Destiny's Child, she became one of the most influential solo artists of the 21st century, blending R&B, pop, and hip-hop.

African-American jazz singer

French actress, model, and singer, Brigitte Bardot became a global symbol of femininity and freedom during the 1950s and 1960s. An icon of the French New Wave and popular culture, she retired from cinema in 1973 to dedicate herself to animal rights activism.

Britney Spears (born 1981) is an American singer, actress, and pop icon. Launched in the late 1990s, she became one of the best-selling artists in the world. Her career illustrates the excesses of the entertainment industry and the challenges of fame in the media age.

An Australian athlete of Aboriginal descent, Cathy Freeman became Olympic champion in the 400 metres at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She is an iconic figure of reconciliation between Australians and Aboriginal peoples.

British-born American astronomer (1900–1979), she discovered that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Her 1925 doctoral thesis revolutionized astrophysics, even though her conclusions were initially rejected by her peers.

Céline Dion is a Quebec singer born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Canada. Discovered by the public as a teenager, she became one of the best-selling artists in the history of pop music. Her international career symbolizes the global reach of the French-speaking world and the influence of Quebec culture on the world stage.

Surnommée la « Diva aux pieds nus », Cesária Évora est la voix emblématique de la morna, genre musical mélancolique du Cap-Vert. Révélée tardivement sur la scène internationale dans les années 1990, elle a porté la culture lusophone cap-verdienne aux quatre coins du monde.

A British actress born in 1946, Charlotte Rampling established herself as one of the most distinctive figures in European cinema. Based in France, she collaborated with the greatest directors and embodied a certain idea of rebellious elegance.

Chien-Shiung Wu est une physicienne expérimentale sino-américaine, surnommée « la Première Dame de la physique ». Son expérience de 1956 réfute la loi de conservation de la parité, bouleversant la physique des particules. Injustement écartée du Prix Nobel attribué à Lee et Yang pour cette découverte, elle reste une figure majeure de la physique du XXe siècle.

Christina Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress born in 1980. Breaking through in 1999, she established herself as one of the most powerful voices of her generation, blending pop, R&B, and soul. She became a symbol of female empowerment in the music industry at the turn of the 21st century.

Clarice Lispector, née en Ukraine et élevée au Brésil, est l'une des plus grandes écrivaines de langue portugaise du XXe siècle. Son œuvre, profondément introspective, renouvelle la prose brésilienne par un style poétique et philosophique unique.

A Salvadoran writer and sculptor, Consuelo Suncín is best known as the wife of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A woman of letters and an artist, she inspired the character of the Rose in *The Little Prince*.

Corazón Aquino, épouse du militant politique assassiné Benigno Aquino, devient en 1986 la première femme présidente des Philippines après avoir mené la « Révolution du pouvoir populaire » contre la dictature de Ferdinand Marcos. Symbole de démocratie et de courage civique, elle incarne la résistance pacifique et la transition démocratique en Asie du Sud-Est.

Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress and model born in 1986 in Copenhagen. The daughter of badminton champion Prakash Padukone, she has become one of Bollywood's most influential and highest-paid actresses. She is also known for her public advocacy for mental health awareness.

Princess of Wales (1981–1996), Diana Spencer became a global humanitarian figure through her commitment to banning landmines and supporting people living with AIDS. Her informal diplomatic influence and tragic death in 1997 made her an icon of the 20th century.

Dolores Huerta, née en 1930 en Nouvelle-Mexique, est une militante syndicale et des droits civiques américaine. Cofondatrice avec César Chávez de l'United Farm Workers (UFW), elle a défendu les droits des travailleurs agricoles migrants, majoritairement latinos. Son slogan « Sí, se puede ! » est devenu un symbole mondial de la lutte pour la justice sociale.

Donna Strickland est une physicienne canadienne, pionnière dans le domaine des lasers ultraintenses. En 1985, elle co-développe avec Gérard Mourou la technique d'amplification par dérive d'impulsions (CPA), révolutionnant la physique des lasers. En 2018, elle reçoit le prix Nobel de physique, devenant seulement la troisième femme à obtenir cette distinction.

Doris Lessing (1919-2013) was a British novelist born in Persia and raised in Southern Rhodesia. A major figure of 20th-century literature, she is best known for The Golden Notebook. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007.

British chemist (1910-1994)

An African-American mathematician, Dorothy Vaughan joined the NACA in 1943 as a "human computer." She became the agency's first Black supervisor in 1949, leading the West Area Computing unit. A computing pioneer, she taught herself FORTRAN and prepared her teams for the era of electronic computers.

Draupadi Murmu is an Indian stateswoman born in 1958 into a family from the Santali tribal community. The first woman from a tribal community to become President of India in 2022, she symbolizes the political rise of marginalized populations.

First woman to earn an electrical engineering degree from MIT (1919) and the first professionally employed female electrical engineer in the United States. She invented the Clarke graphical calculator, which greatly simplified electrical power transmission calculations.

Born Édith Giovanna Gassion in 1915 in Paris, Édith Piaf became one of the most celebrated French singers of the 20th century. Nicknamed 'La Môme Piaf' (The Little Sparrow), she is the defining figure of French chanson réaliste and achieved worldwide fame.

Edith Stein, philosophe allemande et élève de Husserl, se convertit du judaïsme au catholicisme et devint carmélite sous le nom de Thérèse-Bénédicte de la Croix. Arrêtée par les nazis en raison de ses origines juives, elle mourut à Auschwitz en 1942. Béatifiée puis canonisée par Jean-Paul II, elle est copatronne de l'Europe.

G. E. M. Anscombe (1919-2001) est l'une des plus grandes philosophes analytiques du XXe siècle. Élève de Wittgenstein, elle forge le terme « conséquentialisme » et révolutionne la philosophie de l'action avec son œuvre majeure *Intention* (1957). Catholique fervente, elle n'hésite pas à s'opposer publiquement à la bombe atomique.

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022, Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She embodied the stability of constitutional monarchy through decolonisation, the Cold War, and globalisation.

Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011) was a British-American actress widely regarded as one of Hollywood's greatest stars. A child prodigy who rose to fame early, she excelled in major roles of classic cinema and became a global symbol of glamour and the Hollywood star system. She was also a pioneering activist in the fight against AIDS from the 1980s onward.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf est devenue en 2006 la première femme élue présidente d'un État africain, dirigeant le Liberia après une longue guerre civile. Économiste de formation, elle a œuvré pour la reconstruction du pays et la réconciliation nationale, recevant le prix Nobel de la paix en 2011.

British actress born in 1990, who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series. She became an international feminist activist, notably as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and promoter of the HeForShe campaign.

American businesswoman (1906–2004)

Etty Hillesum est une jeune Juive néerlandaise dont le journal intime, rédigé entre 1941 et 1943, témoigne d'une profonde vie intérieure face à la persécution nazie. Travailleuse sociale au camp de transit de Westerbork, elle refuse de fuir et choisit de partager le sort de son peuple. Elle est déportée à Auschwitz et y meurt en novembre 1943 à 29 ans.

Eva Perón, épouse du président argentin Juan Perón, devint l'une des figures politiques les plus influentes d'Amérique latine. Symbole des descamisados (sans-chemise), elle lutta pour les droits des travailleurs et des femmes, obtenant notamment le droit de vote féminin en Argentine en 1947.

Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip triggered the First World War. A central figure in the nationalism and European tensions of the early twentieth century.

Freya Stark est une exploratrice et écrivaine britannique qui parcourut les régions les plus reculées du Moyen-Orient au XXe siècle. Première femme occidentale à atteindre certaines vallées d'Arabie et d'Iran, elle publia de nombreux récits de voyage alliant érudition et aventure. Son œuvre contribua à faire connaître le monde arabe en Europe.

Mexican painter (1907–1954), renowned for her expressionist self-portraits and works exploring physical pain and identity. An iconic figure of surrealism and feminism, she transformed her personal suffering into major artistic creation.

Nigerian educator and activist (1900–1978), she led the Abeokuta women's movement against British colonial taxation. A pioneer of women's suffrage in Nigeria, she was the first woman to drive a car in her country and the mother of musician Fela Kuti.

Gabriela Mistral, de son vrai nom Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, est une poétesse et diplomate chilienne. Première Latino-Américaine à recevoir le prix Nobel de littérature en 1945, elle a consacré son œuvre aux thèmes de l'amour maternel, de l'enfance et de l'identité latino-américaine.

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak est une philosophe et critique littéraire indienne, figure fondatrice des études postcoloniales. Connue pour son essai « Can the Subaltern Speak ? » (1988), elle interroge la capacité des dominés à se faire entendre dans les discours occidentaux. Elle est également la traductrice en anglais de « De la grammatologie » de Derrida.

Georgia O'Keeffe est une peintre américaine pionnière de l'art moderne, célèbre pour ses représentations abstraites de fleurs en gros plan et ses paysages du Nouveau-Mexique. Considérée comme la « mère du modernisme américain », elle a affirmé un style singulier, entre figuration et abstraction, tout au long d'une carrière de plus de sept décennies.

French film director, producer and screenwriter

Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) was the only woman in the famous French musical collective known as 'Les Six'. A prolific composer, she created works for piano, orchestra, and opera, maintaining an elegant neoclassical style throughout a career spanning nearly seven decades.

An American biochemist of Czech origin, Gerty Cori was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947, which she shared with her husband Carl Cori. Her work on glycogen metabolism laid the foundations of modern biochemistry.

Golda Meir, née en Ukraine et émigrée en Palestine mandataire, est l'une des fondatrices de l'État d'Israël. Première femme Premier ministre d'Israël (1969-1974), elle incarne la construction du jeune État et affronte la guerre du Kippour en 1973.

A Mozambican activist born in 1945, Graça Machel has established herself as a global figure in the defense of children's rights and women's rights. First Lady of Mozambique and later of South Africa, she has dedicated her life to fighting poverty and advancing education.

Grace Hopper, mathématicienne et contre-amirale américaine, est l'une des pionnières de l'informatique. Elle développa l'un des premiers compilateurs et contribua à la création du langage COBOL, révolutionnant la programmation. Elle popularisa l'expression « bug » informatique après avoir trouvé un vrai insecte dans un ordinateur.

An Oscar-winning American actress of the 1950s, Grace Kelly left Hollywood at the height of her fame to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. As princess consort, she embodied elegance and cultural prestige until her accidental death in 1982.

German-born American philosopher (1906–1975), Hannah Arendt is one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. A refugee in the United States after fleeing Nazism, she developed a critical analysis of totalitarianism, political violence, and the human condition in the modern world.

American geneticist and botanist, Harriet Creighton is celebrated for her landmark experiment conducted with Barbara McClintock in 1931, proving that genetic crossing-over corresponds to a physical exchange between chromosomes. She taught botany at Wellesley College for decades.

Hebe Camargo (1929-2012) was an icon of Brazilian television, a singer and TV host who shaped Brazil's popular culture for more than six decades. She began her career in radio in the 1940s before becoming a fixture on Brazilian television from its earliest days.

Austrian-born American actress, producer, and scientist

A Quebec poet and writer born in 1958, Hélène Dorion is a leading figure in contemporary French-Canadian poetry. Her work, marked by introspection and meditation on nature and identity, explores themes of belonging and freedom.

A German-Brazilian biophysicist of the 20th century, Hertha Meyer was a pioneer in electron microscopy applied to cell biology. She worked at the Instituto de Biofísica at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, contributing to the development of biophysics in Brazil.

Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) est la première femme Premier ministre de l'Inde, poste qu'elle occupe de 1966 à 1977, puis de 1980 à 1984. Fille de Jawaharlal Nehru, elle marque l'histoire par sa politique de nationalisation, sa gestion de la guerre de 1971 et son autoritarisme lors de l'état d'urgence. Elle est assassinée par ses propres gardes du corps en 1984.

Danish seismologist (1888–1993), Inge Lehmann discovered in 1936 that the Earth has a solid inner core, through the analysis of seismic waves. This fundamental discovery reshaped our understanding of Earth's internal structure.

Belgian-born physicist and mathematician, naturalized American, born in 1954. A pioneer of wavelet theory, her work revolutionized signal processing and image compression. First female president of the International Mathematical Union.

Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) est une philosophe et romancière irlando-britannique, professeure à Oxford, connue pour ses romans alliant réflexion morale et intrigue psychologique. Auteure de plus de vingt-six romans et de travaux philosophiques majeurs, elle explore les thèmes de l'amour, de la liberté et du bien.

American dancer (1877-1927)

British ethologist and primatologist born in 1934, Jane Goodall is world-renowned for her pioneering research on chimpanzees in the Gombe forest of Tanzania. Her observations transformed our understanding of animal behaviour and human origins.

Jennifer Lopez, born in 1969 in the Bronx, New York, is an American singer, actress, and dancer of Puerto Rican descent. She established herself in the 1990s as one of the most influential Latin artists in the world.

A British actress born in 1917 in Japan and died in 2013, Joan Fontaine became a major Hollywood star in the 1940s. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1942 for Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion, cementing her place among the great stars of classic American cinema.

Astrophysicienne britannique née en 1943, Jocelyn Bell découvrit en 1967 les pulsars — étoiles à neutrons émettant des signaux radio réguliers — lors de sa thèse de doctorat. Son directeur de thèse reçut le prix Nobel pour cette découverte, suscitant une controverse durable sur la reconnaissance des femmes en science.

French singer, dancer, and revue performer of American origin

Judy Garland (1922-1969) was an American actress and singer, and one of Hollywood's most iconic figures. She rose to fame at 17 in The Wizard of Oz (1939), becoming the defining star of Hollywood's golden age of musical cinema. Her extraordinary voice and tragic life story made her a symbol of 20th-century popular culture.

American chef and television host

Bulgarian-born French philosopher, linguist, and psychoanalyst, born in 1941. A major figure in structuralist and post-structuralist thought, she developed the concepts of intertextuality and semoanalysis. A professor at the University of Paris VII, she profoundly reshaped literary theory and psychoanalysis.

Junko Tabei (1939-2016) est une alpiniste japonaise qui devient en 1975 la première femme à atteindre le sommet de l'Everest. Fondatrice du premier club d'alpinisme féminin au Japon, elle gravit également les plus hauts sommets des sept continents. Elle milita en faveur de la protection de l'environnement montagnard.

A twentieth-century Japanese mathematician, Kakutani Yoshie contributed to the growth of modern mathematics in Japan. She worked in an academic environment largely dominated by men, paving the way for women in the exact sciences in Japan.

Born in 1959 in Mali, Kandia Kouyaté is a Mandinka griot singer nicknamed "the Diva of the Mande." From the renowned Kouyaté griot lineage, she is one of the greatest voices of the oral griot tradition, transmitting epic songs and the collective memory of the Mali Empire.

Kareena Kapoor, born in 1980 in Mumbai, is one of Bollywood's most celebrated actresses. From the legendary Kapoor family of Indian cinema, she has left her mark on Hindi film through her versatile roles and iconic style since the 2000s.

American mathematician born in 1942, pioneer of geometric analysis and gauge theory. First woman to receive the Abel Prize in 2019, the highest distinction in mathematics. Her work has profoundly influenced theoretical physics and modern geometry.

Kate Winslet is a British actress born in 1975 in Reading, England. She rose to worldwide fame through James Cameron's Titanic in 1997 and is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2009 for her role in The Reader.

African-American physicist, mathematician, and space engineer

Katy Perry is an American singer-songwriter born in 1984 in Santa Barbara. She rose to prominence in the 2000s–2010s as one of the best-selling pop artists in the world, with global hits such as 'Roar' and 'Firework'.

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in 1986 in New York, Lady Gaga is an American singer-songwriter and actress. A multi-faceted artist, she has established herself as one of the defining figures of global pop music in the 21st century.

Lana Del Rey, born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, is an American singer-songwriter born in 1985. Known for her melancholic lyrics and retro aesthetic, she blends pop, indie, and cinematic elements across acclaimed albums such as 'Born to Die' (2012).

Austro-Swedish physicist

Liv Ullmann is a Norwegian actress, director, and screenwriter born in 1938. The muse of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she established herself as one of the greatest actresses in European cinema of the 20th century. She also advocates for children's rights as a UNICEF ambassador.

Franco-American sculptor

An Australian activist for Indigenous peoples' rights, Lowitja O'Donoghue was the first Aboriginal woman to lead ATSIC (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission). A trained nurse, she dedicated her life to defending civil rights and promoting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Lioudmila Pavlitchenko est la sniper la plus létale de l'histoire, créditée de 309 tirs confirmés sur le front soviéto-allemand. Surnommée « Lady Death », elle devient un symbole de la résistance soviétique et une ambassadrice internationale dès 1942.

American singer, dancer, and businesswoman born in 1958, Madonna emerged in the 1980s as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Nicknamed the "Queen of Pop," she constantly pushes the boundaries of artistic creation and asserts her independence in a music industry dominated by men.

American physician and astronaut

Margaret Hamilton est une informaticienne et ingénieure américaine pionnière du génie logiciel. Elle a dirigé l'équipe qui a développé le logiciel de navigation embarqué des missions Apollo, contribuant directement à l'alunissage de 1969. Elle est considérée comme l'une des fondatrices du génie logiciel en tant que discipline.

Margaret Thatcher, première femme Premier ministre du Royaume-Uni (1979-1990), a transformé l'économie britannique par une politique libérale radicale. Surnommée la « Dame de fer », elle a privatisé les entreprises publiques, combattu les syndicats et joué un rôle majeur dans la fin de la Guerre froide aux côtés de Reagan et Gorbatchev.

Italian astrophysicist born in Florence in 1922, she directed the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste for thirty years. A pioneer of stellar spectroscopy and a gifted science communicator, she made astronomy accessible to the general public.

French writer, playwright, screenwriter, and filmmaker (1914–1996), Marguerite Duras is a major figure in contemporary literature. Author of The Lover, she revolutionized the novel form by exploring psychological introspection and the formal ruptures of the Nouveau Roman.

French chemist (1909–1975), collaborator of Marie Curie at the Radium Institute. In 1939 she discovered francium, the last natural element to be discovered, and in 1962 became the first woman elected to the French Academy of Sciences.

French writer (1903–1987), Marguerite Yourcenar is the author of Memoirs of Hadrian, a masterpiece of 20th-century literature. The first woman elected to the Académie française in 1980, she left a lasting mark on literature through her reflections on history and humanity.

La Divina, the most celebrated opera soprano of the 20th century

An American theoretical physicist of German origin, she developed the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus. In 1963, she became the second woman in history to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics, after Marie Curie.

A Russian tennis player born in 1987, Maria Sharapova is one of the most decorated athletes of her generation. A former world number 1, she won five Grand Slam titles before retiring in 2020.

Marie Tharp est une géologue et cartographe américaine qui a réalisé les premières cartes scientifiques du plancher océanique. En cartographiant la dorsale médio-atlantique, elle a fourni une preuve visuelle décisive de la théorie de la dérive des continents, longtemps ignorée en raison de sa condition de femme.

An American actress, model, and singer, Marilyn Monroe became one of the major cultural icons of the 20th century. A symbol of Hollywood glamour and American consumer society in the 1950s–1960s, her tragic life continues to fuel conversations about the treatment of women in the entertainment industry.

A German-American actress and singer, Marlene Dietrich established herself as an icon of Hollywood cinema in the 1930s. Refusing to collaborate with the Nazi regime, she committed herself to the Allied cause during the Second World War.

American mathematician and aerospace engineer, Mary Jackson was the first Black female engineer at NASA. A member of the “Hidden Figures,” she contributed to the calculations for the first American space missions and fought for equal rights within the agency.

Maryam Mirzakhani est la première femme à avoir remporté la médaille Fields en 2014, la plus haute distinction en mathématiques. Née en Iran, elle a révolutionné la compréhension des surfaces de Riemann et de la géométrie hyperbolique. Professeure à Stanford, elle est décédée d'un cancer à seulement 40 ans, laissant une œuvre mathématique majeure.

A Chilean singer and companion, then wife, of the poet Pablo Neruda, she was his muse and the inspiration behind several of his major collections. After the poet's death in 1973, she dedicated her life to preserving and promoting his work.

Maud Menten (1879-1960) was a pioneering Canadian biochemist and physician. She co-authored the Michaelis-Menten law of enzyme kinetics (1913), a cornerstone of biochemistry. She was one of the first Canadian women to earn a doctorate in medicine.

African-American poet, memoirist, and activist (1928–2014), Maya Angelou is best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. A committed figure in the civil rights movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr., she became one of the most important voices in 20th-century American literature.

Michelle Bachelet, née en 1951 au Chili, est une médecin et femme politique qui fut la première femme présidente du Chili (2006-2010, puis 2014-2018). Militante des droits de l'homme, elle a aussi dirigé ONU Femmes et le Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l'homme de l'ONU.

Serbian mathematician and physicist (1875–1948), the first woman admitted to the physics program at the Zurich Polytechnic. First wife of Albert Einstein, she collaborated on his *annus mirabilis* papers of 1905, though her exact contribution remains debated.

Born in 1992 in the United States, Miley Cyrus is a versatile artist who has established herself as a singer-songwriter and actress. She first rose to fame through the Hannah Montana series (Disney Channel), before successfully transitioning to an independent and outspoken musical career.

South African jazz singer and political activist

Momoko Kōchi (1932–1998) was a Japanese actress best known for her role in Ishirō Honda's original Godzilla (1954). She played Emiko Yamane, one of the main characters in this iconic film of postwar Japanese science fiction.

Née en 1910 en Macédoine ottomane, Mère Teresa fonda en 1950 les Missionnaires de la Charité à Calcutta pour venir en aide aux plus pauvres. Icône mondiale de la compassion, elle reçut le prix Nobel de la paix en 1979 et fut canonisée en 2016.

French pedagogue, pianist, organist, choral conductor, orchestral conductor, and composer

Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) est une romancière sud-africaine dont l'œuvre dénonce avec force le régime de l'apartheid. Prix Nobel de littérature en 1991, elle a consacré toute sa vie à défendre les droits humains et la liberté d'expression en Afrique du Sud.

Collective nickname for the prominent Togolese businesswomen who dominated the wax fabric market in Lomé from the 1960s onward. Iconic figures of female entrepreneurship in West Africa, they earned their nickname from the Mercedes-Benz cars they could afford thanks to their commercial fortunes.

Naomi Ōsaka is a Japanese-American professional tennis player born in 1997 in Osaka. A former world number 1, she has won four Grand Slam titles. She has also been a vocal advocate for social justice and athletes' mental health.

Natalia Oreiro is a Uruguayan actress and singer born in 1977 in Montevideo. She gained international fame through Argentine telenovelas of the 1990s and 2000s, and a music career that made her especially popular in Eastern Europe.

French writer of Russian origin (1900-1999), Nathalie Sarraute is a major figure of the French Nouveau Roman. She revolutionized the novel form by exploring movements of consciousness and the 'sub-conversations' that animate human relationships.

An Australian-American actress born in 1967, Nicole Kidman is one of Hollywood's greatest stars. She won the Academy Award in 2003 for The Hours, and has left her mark on world cinema through the range of her roles and her artistic commitment.

French artist, painter, and sculptor

American jazz singer, pianist, composer, and civil rights activist for Black people

American journalist and environmental activist (1899–1968), known for writing a letter describing the devastation caused by DDT on the birds of her private sanctuary in Massachusetts. This letter, sent to her friend Rachel Carson in 1958, was the catalyst for the writing of Silent Spring.

A British actress born in 1916 in Tokyo, Olivia de Havilland was one of Hollywood's greatest stars of the 1930s and 1940s. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress and successfully fought against the Hollywood studio system, paving the way for actors' contractual freedom.

Egyptian singer and actress

German dancer and choreographer

Pratibha Patil is an Indian politician born in 1934 who became the first female President of India from 2007 to 2012. Trained as a lawyer, she was active within the Indian National Congress party and held numerous government positions before reaching the country's highest office.

Preity Zinta is an Indian actress born on January 31, 1975, in Shimla. She rose to fame with the film Dil Se (1998) and became one of Bollywood's most popular actresses throughout the 2000s. She is also known for her humanitarian work and international career.

Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and singer born in 1982 in Jamshedpur. Crowned Miss World in 2000, she became one of Bollywood's most popular actresses before breaking into Hollywood. She embodies India's cultural influence on the world stage.

Radia Perlman is an American engineer and computer scientist born in 1951, nicknamed the "Mother of the Internet." In 1985, she invented the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), which makes computer networks stable and reliable. Her work on network security and routing protocols remains foundational to the architecture of the Internet.

Guatemalan political activist and human rights defender

Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman born in 1988. She rose to international fame in the 2000s and became one of the best-selling music artists in history. She is also the founder of the Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty brands.

Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was an American actress and dancer, considered one of the greatest Hollywood stars of the 1940s. A glamour icon, she is best known for her role in Gilda (1946).

An Italian-American neurologist, Rita Levi-Montalcini discovered nerve growth factor (NGF), revolutionizing neurobiology. She won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986, and continued her research despite fascist racial laws that forced her to work in secret. She remained active in science past the age of 100.

Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist, born in 1913 in Alabama. She became famous in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery — an act of civil disobedience that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped accelerate the end of racial segregation in the United States.

British molecular biologist (1920–1958), Rosalind Franklin made essential contributions to our understanding of DNA structure through her X-ray crystallography work. She is best known for Photo 51, a landmark image that revealed the double helix structure of DNA.

Japanese politician born in 1961, member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She has held several ministerial positions in Japan, including Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Known for her conservative views and interest in Japanese pop culture.

An American-Danish actress and singer born in 1984 in New York, Scarlett Johansson established herself in the 2000s as one of Hollywood's most influential actresses. She is also a producer and an advocate for feminist causes.

Selena Gomez is an American singer and actress born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas. Rising to fame through a Disney Channel series, she became a global pop icon and influential entrepreneur. She is also an advocate for mental health awareness and Latino representation in the media.

Shakira is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actress born in 1977 in Barranquilla. A global icon of Latin pop, she blends Arabic, rock, and Afro-Caribbean influences. She was the first Latin American artist to surpass one billion views on YouTube.

French philosopher and novelist (1908–1986), Simone de Beauvoir is a towering figure of existentialism and modern feminism. Author of The Second Sex, a foundational essay on the condition of women, she profoundly shaped philosophical thought and emancipatory movements throughout the 20th century.

French politician (1927-2017), Holocaust survivor, and Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. She is celebrated for championing the law decriminalizing abortion in France in 1975, a landmark victory for women's rights.

French philosopher (1909-1943) committed to social and spiritual engagement. She combined philosophical reflection with direct action alongside workers and the oppressed, while developing an original mystical thought. Her work, published posthumously, explores the relationships between labor, justice, and transcendence.

Siramori Diabaté (c. 1920–1989) was a renowned Malian griot woman from the village of Kéla, Mali, belonging to the Mandinka people. A keeper of the Sundiata Keita epic, she was one of the most celebrated transmitters of the griot oral tradition in the 20th century.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman to become head of government in the world, elected Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1960. The widow of assassinated Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike, she succeeded him as leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and served in the role three times.

Born Edvige Antonia Albina Màino in 1946 in Italy, Sonia Gandhi married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and became an Indian citizen. Following her husband's assassination in 1991, she took over the leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1998 and led the UPA coalition to victory in 2004, declining the position of Prime Minister.

Susan Sontag (1933-2004) was a major American intellectual of the 20th century — essayist, novelist, and activist. Known for her reflections on photography, illness, and war, she profoundly shaped contemporary critical thought.

Polish-born painter (1898-1980)

Tarana Burke is an American civil rights activist and founder of the #MeToo movement in 2006. She has dedicated her life to supporting survivors of sexual violence, particularly in underprivileged Black communities.

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter born in 1989 in Pennsylvania. She began her career in country music before becoming one of the most influential pop artists of her generation. Her work explores universal themes such as love, identity, and female empowerment.

Māori princess from New Zealand (1883–1952), granddaughter of King Tāwhiao, she devoted her life to the cultural and political revival of her people. She resisted the conscription of Māori during World War I and built the village of Tūrangawaewae, a symbol of Māori dignity.

Theresa May (born 1956) is a British politician and member of the Conservative Party. She served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019, succeeding David Cameron following the Brexit referendum.

A towering figure of 20th-century African American literature, Toni Morrison wrote landmark novels exploring the Black American experience, particularly slavery and its lasting trauma. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, becoming the first Black woman to be awarded that honor.

Chinese pharmaceutical researcher

Russian cosmonaut and politician, first woman in space

Vandana Shiva (born 1952) is an Indian physicist, philosopher, and environmental activist. Founder of the Navdanya movement, she champions biodiversity and farmers' rights while opposing GMOs and neoliberal globalization. A leading figure in ecofeminism, she received the Right Livelihood Award (the Alternative Nobel Prize) in 1993.

American astronomer (1928–2016), Vera Rubin demonstrated the existence of dark matter through her study of galaxy rotation curves. Her work revolutionized our understanding of the composition of the universe.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was elected President of Iceland in 1980, becoming the first woman in the world to be democratically elected head of state. Re-elected four times, she served until 1996 and became a global figure in feminism and cultural diplomacy.

British actress born in 1913, Vivien Leigh is world-famous for her role as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). A two-time Oscar winner, she embodied Hollywood glamour while also pursuing a demanding stage career in London.

British fashion designer (1941–2022)

2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Green Belt Movement, Kenyan

A New Zealand Māori activist, Whina Cooper dedicated her life to defending her people's land rights. In 1975, at the age of 80, she led the great Māori Land March from Te Hapua to Wellington. Regarded as the 'Mother of the Nation' of the Māori people, she remains a symbol of peaceful resistance.

Whitney Houston (1963-2012) is one of the greatest American singers of all time, celebrated for her exceptional voice. She dominated global charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s and starred in the blockbuster film The Bodyguard (1992).

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese visual artist born in 1929 in Matsumoto. A pioneer of psychedelic art and pop art, she is known for her obsessive polka-dot patterns and immersive mirror installations. Since 1977, she has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo while continuing to create.

Russian pole vaulter born in 1982, Yelena Isinbayeva is considered the greatest athlete in the history of women's pole vault. A two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion, she set 28 world records over the course of her career.

Yoko Ono is a Japanese artist born in 1933 in Tokyo, a major figure in conceptual art and the Fluxus movement. A peace activist, she is also known for her artistic and political commitment alongside John Lennon. Her work explores audience participation, peace, and memory.

A researcher in letters and humanities, Ana García conducts academic work in the field of human and literary sciences. Identified by her ORCID, she contributes to contemporary international research.

Nigerian writer

A French microbiologist and geneticist, she co-develops the CRISPR-Cas9 technique with Jennifer Doudna. This revolution in genome editing earns her the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.

American computer scientist of Chinese origin, pioneer in artificial intelligence and computer vision. She created ImageNet, an image database that revolutionized deep learning. A professor at Stanford, she advocates for ethical and inclusive AI.

American chemist and pioneer of directed protein evolution. She received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for applying the principles of natural evolution to enzyme design. Her work is revolutionizing biochemistry and the pharmaceutical industry.

American biochemist and pioneer of CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Her work revolutionized genome editing, opening up enormous possibilities in medicine and biotechnology. She received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 alongside Emmanuelle Charpentier.

Hungarian biochemist and pioneer of messenger RNA technology. Her research, long overlooked, made mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 possible. She received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023.

An American immunologist, Kizzmekia Corbett played a central role in developing the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 at the NIH. Her work ushered in a new era in vaccination.

Liberian pacifist activist, she led the women's peace movement in Liberia, helping to end the second civil war in 2003. Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

Pakistani activist for girls' education

Sati is a contemporary Lithuanian singer. She is part of the Baltic music scene, bringing Lithuanian musical culture to the international stage.