International Women’s Day

Jane Austen

• A name we are all familiar with. Whether you are a keen bibliophile or love a good Jane Austen movie adaptation (cough* Cough* Keira Knightly Pride and Prejudice anyone?), we can all appreciate the marvel that is Jane Austen. Not only did she write six widely successful novels, but she had to publish her novels anonymously, and she sadly never received the deserved credit till after her death.

Emmeline Pankhurst

• Emmeline Pankhurst was a founding member of the Suffragettes – a group who fought to get women the right to vote in the UK. While the men were away fighting in WW1, Emmeline encouraged the Suffragettes to take on traditionally male-dominated jobs to show how vital women were to building a functioning society, and thus deserved the right to vote. Find out more about the history of the Suffragettes here or check out the movie!

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg broke many glass ceilings in the US justice system. She was the second female justice of the US Supreme Court, the first female tenured professor at Columbia University, director of the Women’s Right Project of the American Civil Liberties Union during the 70's and was appointed to the US Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She was well known for fighting for gender equality and equal rights. Read more about Ruth’s incredible legacy here. 

Malala Yousafzai

• At just 11 years old, Malala wrote an anonymous diary that was read the world over about what life was like in north-west Pakistan under the rule of the Taliban. She wrote about her right to education and how the Taliban was taking that away from her. Read more about Malala’s incredible story here.

Feeling inspired? Find out about even more amazing women in history here.