10 Women Who Changed the World

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich famously said that “well-behaved women rarely make history”, which is true of these 11 trailblazing and infinitely inspirational women who have made waves, pushed boundaries, and fundamentally changed the world we live in. From space exploration to computer programming, their accomplishments have shaped our world, but they also continue to inspire us to shape our future.

Ida B. Wells

Born a slave in 1862, Ida B. Wells devoted her life to educating people about the horrors of discrimination and lynching. As editor and co-owner of The Memphis Free Speech, she channeled the power of the written word to awaken the nation's consciousness about the treatment of African Americans.

Rukmini Devi Arundale

In the early 20th century, the ancient Indian dance form of bharatanatyam was dying out. Traditionally practiced by lower status women in Hindu temples, the bharatanatyam and its practitioners were overlooked.

Meanwhile, Rukmini Devi Arundale traveled extensively conducting work for the Theosophical Society, a Western organisation interested in Asian religion and esotericism. While traveling, Arundale met the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, who encouraged her to learn ballet. This sparked her fascination with classical dance, and this interest grew into a passion for her own Indian traditional dance forms.

Lina Bo Bardi

Born in Italy in 1914, Lina Bo Bardi moved to Brazil in 1946. Lina Bo Bardi was a pioneering Modernist architect who designed many iconic buildings, including The Glass House, where she lived with her husband, and the The São Paulo Museum of Art (otherwise known as MASP). MASP is one of the greatest landmarks in São Paulo, an architectural masterpiece with its innovative floating gallery that was complemented by the floating picture frames that Bo Bardi designed for the interior.

But Bo Bardi’s reach extended well beyond her architecture career: she was also a publisher, teacher, designer, curator and political activist. Bo Bardi was both a pioneer and a polymath.

Miriam Makeba

Born in Johannesburg during an economic recession, and witnessing the introduction of apartheid in 1948, Miriam Makeba’s early life was marred by tragedy and hardship.

But Makeba was a singer, and her voice was a vessel that would transport her out of her impoverished upbringing and challenging surroundings.

Ada Lovelace

You might think that being the daughter of one of history’s most famous poets would inspire you to pursue a career in the arts – but not so for Ada Lovelace, daughter of George Gordon, aka. Lord Byron. Lovelace made her mark in a very different field: computers.

In fact, Ada Lovelace is generally recognised as the world's first ever computer programmer. She was an English mathematician and writer who worked on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. All the way back in 1843, she imagined a machine capable of extraordinary things, limited only by the creativity of its programmer, nearly a century before the first modern computers were built.

When Ride blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman to fly in space. Ride's historic flight made her a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls.

After retiring from NASA, Ride became a physics professor and an award-winning co-author of children’s science books. Ride also cofounded a science education organization to ignite students' enthusiasm for science. Ride inspired all of us to reach for the stars.

Kahlo’s early life was blighted by physical illness and impairment. Kahlo was just 18, on September 17th, 1925, when she was involved in a tragic bus crash, breaking several bones and causing significant damage to her spine. After the accident, in a full body cast and unable to move, Kahlo passed her time in bed. It was here that her mother brought her a portable easel and box of paints, and an artist was born.

Kahlo’s artistic talents only grew in both skill and recognition. Primarily known for her self-portraits and vivid depictions of her own body, Kahlo is revered for the way in which she captured female experience and embodiment in her artworks. Her paintings melded pain and passion, suffering and beauty, to powerful effect.