A Feminist a Day: Marie Curie

Who is she?

Marie Curie was a Polish  (and later naturalised French) chemist and physicist who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win it twice. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris.

After school, Marie was unable to enrol in a regular university because she was a woman, so she and her sister Bronisława attended the secret Flying University, a Polish patriotic institution of higher learning that admitted women students.

Marie and Bronislawa had a deal that they would work to support each other through university (Bronislawa studied medicine).

She moved to Paris, studying by day and tutoring at night to earn a living, but she lived in gruelling poverty. Here, she met Pierre Curie, and the two married and began working together. In the late 1800s they discovered polonium and radium. Pierre tragically died when he slipped and fell under a heavy horse-drawn cart.

During WW1, Marie ran France’s first military radiology service, helping battlefield surgeons. She directed the installation of 20 mobile radiological vehicles and another 200 radiological units at field hospitals in the first year of the war. She also tried to donate her Nobel Prize medals to the war effort, but the French government refused.

Marie was absolutely committed to her scientific work – so much so that she intentionally didn’t patent the radium-isolation process, so that the scientific community could do research unhindered. She also insisted that monetary gifts and awards be given to scientific institutions.

Her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie went on to be a physicist and won a Nobel Prize too.

Why should we thank her?

Apart from her discoveries, Marie carried out the first research into the treatment of tumours with radiation and was the founder of the Curie Institute, which remains among the world’s leading medical research centres.

She was a pioneer in the world of science for women, and no doubt inspired many who followed in her footsteps.

Best quote

“I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory.”

 

A Feminist a Day: Sally Ride

Who is she?

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, in 1983, and the youngest American astronaut to travel in space (she was 32). Only two Russian women preceded her.

After studying physics at university, Sally answered an ad seeking applicants for the NASA space program and was one of only six women accepted into the program.

Before her first space flight, she was faced sexist and degrading questions from the media, such as: “Will the flight affect your reproductive organs?” and “Do you weep when things go wrong on the job?”. She was also asked what she would do about her period in space, and if she’d wear a bra (to which she replied “there’s no sag in space”). ZING!

She was a crew member on the space shuttle Challenger, deploying communication satellites and developing a robot arm for use in space.

After her astronaut career, Sally was a physics lecturer, led public outreach programs for NASA and created science education programs for girls. She also wrote children’s books about space, hoping to encourage children to study science.

Why should we thank her?

Like Amelia Earhart, Sally inspired a generation of girls to believe they could fly. One can only imagine the barriers she faced, first in studying science in a male-dominated field, and then becoming an astronaut. She has surely inspired girls and women all over the world, and scores of women have gone to space since she shattered that glass ceiling.

Best quote

“Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.”

 

A Feminist a Day: Amelia Earhart

Who is she?

Amelia Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and set many other records. She was instrumental in the foundation of the The Ninety-Nines, an organisation for female pilots. She was also a member of the National Woman’s Party, and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Amelia was raised by her mother to be an independent girl, and she wore ‘bloomers’ instead of dresses from a young age.  Her independent streak carried on into later life – she married, but believed she was equally responsible as a breadwinner and kept her own name.

During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Amelia’s plane disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. There are countless theories as to what happened to her, and her disappearance remains a mystery.

Why should we thank her?

Amelia is regarded as a feminist icon, and a hero to girls around the world as a true adventurer.

As well as her support for female pilots, her accomplishments inspired female aviators, including those who flew during WW2.

Best quote

“Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail their failure must be but a challenge to others.”

A Feminist a Day: Eve Ensler

Who is she?

Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues. 

The play, which is made up of a series of monologues, premiered in New York City in 1996. The monologues cover a variety of topics from a feminist perspective. The topics range from sex to menstruation, birth, rape and female genital mutilation.

The play has been translated into 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries, by celebrities like Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Cyndi Lauper and Oprah Winfrey. 

Eve is also a prominent activist addressing issues of violence against women and girls. She created  V-Day, a global activist movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day raises funds and awareness through annual benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues.

In February 2004, Ensler protested to have the Mexican government re-investigate the slayings of hundreds of women in Ciudad Juárez, a city along the Texas border.

She also created One Billion Rising, a global protest campaign to end violence, and promote justice and gender equality for women.

Eve was a consultant on feminism and women’s issues for the movie Mad Max: Fury Road.

Why should we thank her?

Eve has not only created a lasting feminist work in The Vagina Monologues, she has been an influential activist, raising awareness of important issues like violence against women, rape and the murder of women.

Best quote

“Whatever culture, whatever country, girls are taught to please others as opposed to pleasing themselves.”

A Feminist a Day: Michelle Bachelet

Who is she?

Michelle Bachelet is the President of Chile, the first woman President in her country’s history. She was also its first female defence minister.

Michelle has actually served two stints as President – she was first elected in 2006, serving until 2010, and was re-elected in 2014.

As Health Minister under President Ricardo Lago, she controversially authorised the free distribution of the morning-after pill for victims of sexual abuse.

As President, she has reformed Chile’s pension system, developed new social welfare programs for children, and was known as a strong champion for women and girls. Michelle also announced her cabinet as composed equally of men and women – unprecedented in that country (and in a lot of countries around the world!).

While head of UN Women, Michelle undertook new initiatives to protect women and girls from violence and fostered new advances on health and women’s empowerment worldwide.

Why should we thank her?

Michelle is a formidable leader and a powerful advocate for women and girls’ rights. As the first leader of UN Women, she set a high benchmark for an important worldwide organisation. And it’s not every day someone is elected President of their country TWICE.

Best quote

“One of the factors a country’s economy depends on is human capital. If you don’t provide women with adequate access to healthcare, education and employment, you lose at least half of your potential. So, gender equality and women’s empowerment bring huge economic benefits.”

 

 

A Feminist a Day: Frida Kahlo

Who is she?

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist, best known for her self-portraits and surrealist paintings.

Frida was struck down with polio at the age of 6 and later survived a bus accident that left her with horrific injuries – she endured 35 operations and was unable to have a child.

While convalescing, Frida took up painting, doing mostly self-portraits. She later married mural artist Diego Rivera and the pair had a tempestuous relationship.

Frida’s work was not widely acclaimed until the 1970s and 80s – until then she was pretty much only recognised as Diego Rivera’s wife.

Today her works are worth millions and are celebrated in Mexico as emblems of their national traditions. Feminists also celebrate her work for their uncompromising depiction of the female experience.

Why should we thank her?

Many argue that Frida’s work represents the ‘suffering female’ while others believe it’s a strong feminist statement, with powerful imagery of the female experience. Whatever you believe, Frida’s art is uncompromising and she is an icon of the art world and popular culture. She has inspired other artists to be personal and autobiographical about their work.

Best quote

“I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.”

 

A Feminist a Day: Lisa Simpson

Who is she?

Lisa Simpson is Bart Simpson’s eight-year-old saxophone-playing, political tub-thumping, pony-loving little sister.

Despite her young age, she’s a pretty active feminist – she protested the sexist ridiculousness of Malibu Stacy, creating her own inspirational doll called Lisa Lionheart.

She’s also coached Bart’s little league baseball team like a boss and she grows up to be the President in an episode set in the future (wouldn’t that be ace?). When Marge tells her that she won’t find a husband if she keeps being so sarcastic, she replies with “all right, no husband”.

And when Lisa’s school becomes segregated, and the girls’ side refuses to teach STEM subjects, she dresses up as a boy so that she can get a proper education in the boys’ side of the school.

Why should we thank her?

Lisa has possibly done more for feminism than most real people. She is unrelenting in sticking up for women’s rights and isn’t afraid to take on the big end of town. Her political activism is an inspiration for all girls and women. Plus she does a rockin’ version of Proud Mary.

Best quote 

“Millions of girls will grow up thinking that this is the right way to act….that they can never be more than vacuous ninnies whose only goal is to look pretty, land a rich husband, and spend all day on the phone with their equally vacuous friends talking about how damn terrific it is to look pretty and have a rich husband!”

A Feminist a Day: Ada Lovelace

Who is she?

Ada Lovelace was a mathematician and the founder of computer programming.

Her mother schooled her in a course of mathematics and science from the age of four, and at the age of 12, she conceptualised a winged flying machine after studying the anatomy of birds.

At 17, she met Charles Babbage, the famous inventor and mathematician, and became his protege.

Ada was intrigued by Babbage’s plans for a device he called the Analytical Engine. It was never built, but the design had all the elements of a modern computer.

In 1842 Lovelace translated a short article describing the Analytical Engine by the Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea, for publication in England. Babbage asked her to expand the article, because she understood the machine. These notes by Ada contain what many consider to be the first computer program—that is, an algorithm designed to be carried out by a machine.

Ada also developed a vision of the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching, while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on those capabilities.

Her notes became one of the key documents to inspire Alan Turing’s work on the first modern computers in the 1940s.

Ada sadly died aged only 36 – but imagine what her potential would have been had she lived to an old age?

Why should we thank her?

Ada’s thoughts on computer programming were so far ahead of their time that she wasn’t even acknowledged until a century after her death. Without her, we may not have had the modern computers we use today. And what an amazing role model for young women who want to become computer programmers or mathematicians.

Fun fact

Lord Byron was her dad. But a pretty awful one – days after her birth, he told Ada’s mother he was going to carry on an affair with a stage actress and kicked her and Ada out of their home.

*It would have been Ada’s 200th birthday this week. Here’s a beautiful video to mark the occasion.

A Feminist a Day: Kim Gordon

Who is she?

Kim Gordon is best known as the bass player in alternative rock band Sonic Youth. She was also married to the band’s lead singer, Thurston Moore.

Kim formed Sonic Youth in 1981 with Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo and made 16 studio albums over the space of their career. They disbanded in 2011.

As well as her career with Sonic Youth, Kim worked as a producer (on Hole’s debut record Pretty on the Inside). She also co-directed possibly the best music video ever – Breeders’ Cannonball. Kim is also a visual artist and curator, exhibiting all over the world, created a clothing company called X-Girl and has appeared in movies and TV series, including Girls.

In 2011, Kim and Thurston separated, after he had an extra-marital affair. She also revealed that during the divorce, she had been treated for breast cancer.

Why should we thank her?

Kim is an inspiration to any girl who wants to be in a rock band. She’s influenced women in music and art, including Sofia Coppola and Kathleen Hanna, who said “she was a forerunner, musically. Just knowing a woman was in a band trading lead vocals, playing bass, and being a visual artist at the same time made me feel less alone.”

Kim, along with women like the Deal sisters and Bjork, were formidable music icons – strong, uncompromising rock and roll women. Wish there were more like them around for young women today.

Best quote

“In general…women aren’t allowed to be kick-ass…at the end of the day, women are expected to hold up the world, not annihilate it.”

A Feminist a Day: Pussy Riot

Who are they?

Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk rock group, founded in 2011 and consisting of around 11 members. They are feminist artists and activists, who focus on women’s repression by ‘authoritarian regimes that create idealised ideas of sexism, sex and family life.’

In Russia, feminism is seen as a major threat to society and is regarded as taboo – even women’s rights activists will not call themselves feminists.

The group stages guerrilla performances in public places and edits them into music videos for the internet. In 2012, five members of the group staged a performance in Moscow’s  Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a protest directed at the Orthdox Church leaders’ support for Vladimir Putin.

Three members of the group were arrested and convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”, and each was sentenced to two years imprisonment. Their plight attracted worldwide media attention and they were released two months early. 

Why should we thank them?

Pussy Riot gave a voice to feminism in a country where the topic is virtually unspoken, and inspired a new generation of radical feminist action.

Best quote

“We’ve been fighting for the right to sing, to think, to criticise. To be musicians and artists, ready to do everything to change our country, no matter the risks.”