Famous Feminists in History

The feminist movement started in Europe (France and the Netherlands) in the late 19th century to campaign for a woman’s right to vote. After the Second World War, the movement gained new momentum. This was largely due to women taking on new roles during the war, to replace the men that were sent away, and then being expected to return to their previous roles once peace was restored. Feminism, in essence, has fought for equality between men and women and the movement still exists today, particularly in the current climate of pay differences between genders.

Some of the most famous feminists in history are:

• Abigail Adams. Abigail wrote many letters to her husband in which she expressed very strong opinions against issues such as slavery. This was years before the abolitionist movement started.
• Hoda Shaarawi. Hoda was an Egyptian famous feminist who started the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923. She fought against the oppression of women, who, until then, still had to live in harems.
• Amelia Earheart. Amelia was an American aviation pioneer as well as writer. She went missing in 1937 and was declared dead in 1939. In 1937, a woman’s place was certainly not behind the wheel of a plane. She joined the faculty of the Purdue University to educate women on careers and share her passion for aviation. Often not seen immediately as a famous feminist, she was clearly ahead of her time and wanted equality for women.
• Susan B Anthony. Susan was one of the leaders in introducing women’s suffrage into the United States. She was cofounder of the Women’s Temperance Movement and the women’s rights journal The Revolution. She was a very public figure, holding around 100 speeches each year in both the United States and Europe. She died 14 years before the 19th Amendment was passed, which gave women the right to vote. She was later honored as being the first real American woman on circulating US coinage.
• Betty Ford. Betty was the First Lady of the United States and was active in social policy as well as being the first to be a politically active presidential wife. She was a passionate activist for the Equal Rights Amendment and was outspoken about every equal rights issue that she came across, including the pro abortion movement, equal pay, pro-choice, gun control and addiction.
• Tori Amos. Tori is a singer-songwriter and pianist. In 1994, she cofounded the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, which connects victims of rape or abuse in the United States to their local crisis center toll free. Tori is the national spokesperson for the organization and is herself a victim of sexual abuse. She is one of the most current famous feminists.

The list of famous feminists is very long and goes back through hundreds of years. We can trace feminists through history, starting, for example with the likes of Mary Magdalene and Cleopatra. They were both influential women who were ahead of their times. Of course, we cannot forget Joan of Arc, who fought for her country on the orders of god. Throughout history, there have been women who have had a tremendous influence on those around them because of their belief in their own abilities and those of other women around them.