Feminism is creating equal work and opportunity for women. This has been a very long battle cry for many women around the world. Women have been subject to oppression, inequality, and disrespect. These are why women want to be recognized as strong individuals and not just weak beings.
Many women fought for the rights of women to be equal with men. They were the first women who pushed for the right of women to vote. Some women fought for equal rights to education, freedom of speech, art, politics, respect, and equality. These feminists have many contributions to society. And until this day, they are celebrated by many women around the world.
Here are some feminist icons and their contribution to society:
- Suffragettes
The Suffragettes were a group of British women, headed by Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 – 1928), founder of the Woman’s Social and Political Union, who fought for the right to vote in a Public Election, who fought for their struggle for equality, and the improvement of women’s education. These women, with Emmeline as their, used the WSPU to fight for their right to vote. They started some uprising in Britain, but later on, they won the fight, and thus, women over the age of 21 were given the right to vote. Unfortunately, Emmeline died three weeks before the law was passed.
- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797)
She is a philosopher and English writer famous for her fight for gender equality. She wrote a piece in 1972 which challenged Rousseau’s theories regarding women – that women were weak and inferior to men. She wrote the piece “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” where she used her voice as a writer and stated that women are not inferior to men and should have equal rights with men. This distinguished her as a feminist who fought for equal rights.
- Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883)
She was an African-American slave who was given the name Isabella Baumfree by her captors. She fought against gender inequality and racial discrimination. She was released from her slavery in 1827 and 1843, and she chose her name as Sojourner Truth – she said it was God’s chosen decree. She won a lawsuit that released her son from imprisonment due to slavery. She fought for equal rights of slaves, women, and African-Americans.
- Malala Yousafzai (1997 – present)
She is a Pakistani girl who, at 11 years old, spoke against the Taliban. She told the world that there was inequality in the country because girls like her were not allowed to study. In her book “I am Malala,” she also narrated the harsh condition of women in Northwest Pakistan, where there were no equal rights. She has been an advocate for equal educational rights from Pakistan, and she is also the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate at the age of 17.
She has survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, which sparked an international outcry. This attempt also started the support from other countries for her and her advocacy and the other education-seeking girls from Pakistan.
- Rupi Kaur
She is a Canadian poet who became famous on social media, specifically on Instagram. She started posted photos of her poems and photos online. One photo made her famous and became a symbol of femininity. She had a photo with her back to the camera showing her blood-stained sweatpants. Her statement called out to people who shunned that photo but encouraged women in pornography and violence against women.
- Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie
She is a Nigerian novelist who attracted a lot of readers of African Literature. In 2012, she gave a talk about feminism which opened the minds of many people. Her talk entitled “We should all be feminists” discussed how everyone should be a feminist, not just a woman. She encouraged that everyone should fight for equal rights and that women should be protected by men and not used and abused.
- Naomi Wolf
She became famous in her 1991 bestseller “The Beauty Myth,” which pointed out that beauty is an idea dictated by men and frustratingly perpetrated by men and women. This bestseller opened the eyes of many women and believed that beauty is just an idea that men feed on women. She fought for the right of women to be beautiful without the dictations of men.
- Margaret Atwood
She is a famous Canadian author who enlightened women by shedding light on women’s social oppression by portraying female characters dominated by patriarchy. She fought against the oppression of women and how they should be treated instead. She explores the themes of women of subjugation and how they worked to gain recognition despite the patriarchal society.
- Emma Watson
She is a famous British actress who used to play Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise. After her decade’s worth of work as an actress, she has become a part of the United Nations and advocated feminism as a fight for women and men. Her speech which moved the hearts of many feminists spearheaded her UN project #HeforShe movement, which is women empowerment through men in society.
- Gisele Halimi (1928 – 2020)
She is a famous Franco – Tunisian feminist activist, lawyer, politician, and author who advocated for recognizing rape as a crime. She also was an advocate for the legalization of abortion and accredited abortion clinics. She founded the Democratic Feminine Movement, which was a political movement to unite feminism and socialism. Her works were famous in France, and her cases as a lawyer defended women, protected them from abusive people, and recognized rape as a crime.
One of her famous cases was adapted into a TV movie in France. It was the story of Djamilla Boupacha, a 22-year-old Algerian activist who was tortured and abused by French soldiers. Halimi won her case, and Boupacha, sentenced to death, was then released from imprisonment. Halimi was also the UNESCO Ambassador for France from 1985 – 1986. She died at the age of 93.
These women were advocates of equality for women. They fought for the rights of women so that every woman would be recognized as equals to men and not inferior to patriarchy. They used their voices, writings, bravery, and intelligence to gain the respect that all women deserve.