Encyclopedia Britannica Women Who Changed the World

Encyclopedia Britannica Women Who Changed the World

Athletes and Artists Politicians andScientists Leaders and HeroinesProduct InformationFor millennia women have left their mark on the world at times changing thecourse of history and at other times influencing small but significant spheresof life. Only in the past century however have concerted efforts been made tomention women's contributions in history books. Moreover changes in status formany women in modern times - the right to own property to vote and to choosetheir own careers - may obscure the acplishments made by women of earliereras. In profiling 300 women who changed the world Encyclopedia Britannica haschosen those whose contributions have endured through the ages.Some though they lived centuries ago are still alive in popular culture;music and poetry by the Roman Catholic abbess Hildegard can be heard incontemporary recordings and Murasaki Shiibu's The Tale of Genji is one of thegreatest works of Japanese literature. Many women overcame the oppression oftheir surroundings through determination and ingenuity: Harriet Tubman escapedslavery and risked her life helping others to freedom. Other women grew up inprivileged surroundings; the philosopher and mathematician Hypatia and thehistorian Ban Zhao were born to families that permitted the education of girlsin an era when females were rarely even taught to read.Not all of these women changed the world for the good. Filmmaker LeniRiefenstahl produced propaganda films that glorified Adolf Hitler's brutal ThirdReich. Many suffered through the deeds of Jiang Qing who fought bitterly toadvance her own political powers during China's Cultural Revolution.Some were warriors such as Boudicca who led a bloody rebellion against theRomans. Others advocated peace: Bertha barones von Suttner  influenc edthe creation of the Nobel Peace Prize that would eventually be won by manywomen including Wangari Maathai and Mother Teresa. Like Mother Teresa manywere driven by religious conviction. Khadijah's Khadijah's belie