What do Aletta Jacobs, Kenau Simonsdatter Hasselaer, and Margaret Thatcher have in common? Right! They are all strong ladies who managed to stand their ground.
“The weaker sex” has also left its mark on history, albeit perhaps with less publicity than its male counterparts. Over the centuries, ladies have led battles, won Nobel prizes, and ruled countries. Who were they? Kennislink selected a number of these strong women for you.
Boudica
Live:
? – 61 AD
Strong woman because:
She led a revolt against the Romans in AD 61.
Explanation:
The story of Boudica can be found in the Annals of Tacitus, and in “Roman History”, written by his colleague Cassius Dio.
Boudica lived in the first century AD. Her husband Prasutagus was king of the Iceni tribe. When he died, she expected to lay claim to his lands, in accordance with the agreement her husband had made with the Romans. Unfortunately, the Romans did not keep to the agreement. They annexed the lands, subjugated the population, and raped Boudica's daughters. From that moment on, Boudica wanted revenge. She gathered a huge army of Iceni and neighboring tribes, and began a campaign against the Romans. During this campaign, she captured and looted several Roman cities. The Romans feared Boudica. Whenever there was even a rumor that Boudica was approaching, they fled. Until the governor of Britannia, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, decided to get involved. With an army of 10,000 soldiers he went into battle with them. Despite the fact that Boudica's forces were far outnumbered, they were no match for the organization of the Roman army. Boudica's army was razed to the ground. It is unclear what became of her. Some say she killed herself by drinking poison. Others believe that she died of illness. “More about Boudica>>”:http://www.historynet.com/boudica-celtic-war-queen-who-challenged-rome.htm (English)↑ back to top ↑
Jacoba of Bavaria
Live:
1401-1436
Strong woman because:
Jacoba had to fight for her right at a very young age, and despite adversity she remained combative.
Explanation:
Engaged at five and widowed at sixteen. Tragedy marked the life of this free-spirited noblewoman. At the age of sixteen she succeeded her father as Countess of Holland, Zeeland and Henegouwen. But there were opponents lurking, some even from her own family. The German Emperor Sigismund was reluctant to recognize Jacoba's right to inheritance, after all Jacoba was a woman. He assigned her lands to Jacoba's uncle Jan van Beieren. With this he unleashed a revival of the Hoekse and Kabelsjauwse quarrels, because Jacoba did not just let it go. Through strategic marriages, diplomatic scheming, and battles, Jacoba tried to reclaim her legal right. Unfortunately, her struggle ended a few years later, when she was forced to sign a peace treaty (the 'Zoen van Delft'). This stipulated that Philip of Burgundy would become heir to Jacoba van Beieren and that she was no longer allowed to marry. Jacoba still nominally remained Countess of Holland, but in fact had to relinquish all her power. However, she married one more time. Because she violated the treaty, she had to relinquish all her power permanently. She withdrew to Teylingen Castle, where she died of tuberculosis in 1436 at the age of 35. “More about Jacoba>>”:http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/DVN/lemmata/data/JacobaVanBeieren↑ back to top ↑
Jeanne d'Arc
Live:
1412-1431
Strong woman because:
Jeanne took the lead in the battle against the English during the Hundred Years War. Its mission was a united France with a God-appointed king.
Explanation:
Jeanne was a humble peasant girl from Domremy when she heard voices at the age of thirteen. According to her, these voices came from Saints Michael, Catherine and Margareta. These voices urged her to take up the sword, lead France to freedom, and place the rightful king on the throne. In February 1429, Jeanne traveled to Chinon for an audience with the Crown Prince. Charles VII saw the advantages of God on his side. After all, it was God who wanted him to be king. Charles VII gave Jeanne his blessing to recapture the city of Orleans from the English. Within a week, Jeanne and her troops had relieved the city. In July 1429, the crown prince was crowned king in Reims. Charles VII lost interest in Jeanne's advice because he had now achieved the goal he had in mind. However, Jeanne continued to fight for a free France until she was captured by the Burgundians. They handed her over to the English. She was burned at the stake as a witch on May 30, 1431. In 1920, nearly 500 years later, Joan was canonized by Pope Benedict XV. “More about Jeanne>>”:http://www.jeanne-darc.dk/ (English)↑ back to top ↑
Kenau Simon's daughter Hasselaer
Live:
1526-1588/89
Strong woman because:
She is best known for her fierce resistance in the defense of Haarlem during the Eighty Years' War.
Explanation:
Kenau was a widow who continued her late husband's work as a shipbuilder and timber merchant. During the 'Siege of Haarlem' she supplied ship's timber to the city for the defense and preservation of the city wall. Further reliable information about this combative lady is scarce. But Kenau's role in the 'Siege of Haarlem' gave rise to a special myth about her person. Eyewitness accounts of German mercenaries in the Spanish army, for example, reported that Kenau himself actively fought against the Spaniards. She is said to be the leader of a group of women who tried to keep the enemy Spaniards away from the city wall with boiling water and burning pitch. Other sources reported that Kenau himself took up the rifle and sword against the enemy. Historians are not entirely in agreement about exactly what role Kenau played during the siege. In a petition written in 1586 to the mayors, aldermen and city councils of Haarlem, Kenau himself did not allude to a violent role. She did indicate that she had helped defend the city as a good patriot. Her name eventually ended up in the dictionary as a swear word for man-wives. But sometimes 'Kenau' also means a courageous, decisive and independent woman. “More about Kenau>>”:http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/DVN/lemmata/data/KenauSimonsdrHasselaer↑ back to top ↑
Florence Nightingale
Live:
1820-1910
Strong woman because:
Florence is considered the founder of modern nursing.
Explanation:
The English Florence was the child of wealthy parents. He was a brilliant child with an extraordinary talent for mathematics. When she visited the Deakoness community in Kaiserswerth in 1850, it became clear to her what her calling would be. She would become a nurse. This was met with fierce resistance from her parents, because it was not a profession for wealthy ladies after all. Struck by the poor conditions in the hospitals, Florence persevered. By orienting herself well on the situation in the English (and later also in other countries) hospitals, Florence was able to collect an enormous amount of data. Using her math knack, she converted this data into graphs and statistics. These became her weapons to fight the unsanitary conditions. Thanks to Florence, nursing made enormous progress. The profession shifted from merely caring for the sick to creating favorable conditions for recovery and to personal attention for the patient. “More about Florence>>”:http://www.fni.nl/ons_instituut/info/florence_nightingale.html↑ back to top ↑
Aletta Jacobs
Live:
1854-1929
Strong woman because:
Aletta was the first woman to be allowed to take classes at the university. Her whole life has been devoted to improving the position of women.
Explanation:
Aletta was an ambitious girl from an early age. Her big dream was to become a doctor. Unfortunately, the university was only open to men. Aletta took the plunge and wrote a letter to the then Minister of the Interior, Thorbecke, in which she asked permission to attend the classes. To everyone's surprise, she received this permission. She did have to sit behind a curtain in the lecture hall so as not to distract the male students. We can hardly imagine it now, but in Aletta's day woman was subordinate to man. They had fewer rights and no right to vote. Aletta played an important role in the pursuit of equality. She became president of the Association for Women's Suffrage. In 1917, Dutch women obtained universal suffrage, and in 1922 universal women's suffrage was enshrined in the Constitution. And that is partly thanks to Aletta! “More about Aletta>>”:http://www.alettajacobs.org/home.html↑ back to top ↑
Queen Wilhelmina
Live:
1880-1962
Strong woman because:
Wilhelmina was a decisive queen and was the rock in the Dutch surf during the Second World War.
Explanation:
Wilhelmina was Queen of the Netherlands between 1890 and 1948. She was known as a strong woman, who was often in conflict with politics about the limits of the power of the royal family. Wilhelmina wanted nothing more than to rule. Especially during the Second World War, she took on a strong leadership, but also inspiring role. Wilhelmina had to flee to England because of the impending danger from the Germans. But from her exile she kept in touch with the Dutch people. She addressed the Netherlands via 'radio Oranje'. She called on them to resist, disapproved of the persecution of the Jews, and called Hitler the "arch-enemy of mankind." These broadcasts were well listened to. Wilhelmina became the symbol of liberation among the Dutch people. Wilhelmina had high hopes that the polity would be overhauled after the war, with a leading role for the royal family. When she returned to the Netherlands after the war, the situation unfortunately turned out to be continued in the old way. Very disappointed by this, and tired of fighting, she passed the baton to her daughter Juliana in 1948. “More about Wilhelmina>>”:http://history.vpro.nl/dossiers/35717838/↑ back to top ↑
Rosa Parks
Live:
1913-2005
Strong woman because:
By not giving up her seat on the bus to a white person, she caused a huge consternation with the result that racial segregation was legally abolished.
Explanation:
Rosa was born in Tuskegee at a time when segregation was still legal. Rosa – a seamstress by trade – lived in fear of possible attacks from the Ku Klux clan. This club terrorized the southern states of the US by threatening and intimidating Negroes. However, Rosa continued to do what she could to work for equal rights between whites and blacks. For example, she was active in the American civil rights movement. This was unfortunately mopping with the tap open. No result of her efforts was forthcoming. Until December 1, 1955. Rosa was tired of fighting injustice. While sitting on the bus, she refused to give up her seat to a white man. This was unheard of! By law, Negroes had to give up their seats to whites and sit in the back of the bus. The police were called in. Rosa was fined $10, which she refused to pay. The police arrested her. In February 1956, Rosa was tried for disturbing public order. But Martin Luther King got wind of the matter. He initiated the Montgomery bus boycott. This almost caused the bus company to go bankrupt. Under financial and social pressure, the bus company eventually abolished the separation between white and black in the buses. Rosa's lawsuit had now reached the US Supreme Court. It ruled in her favor, declaring the separation between whites and blacks unconstitutional. “More about Rosa>>”:http://www.rosaparks.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2 (English)↑ back to top ↑
Eva “Evita” de Perón
Live:
1919-1952
Strong woman because:
As a darling of the Argentine working class, she had a major influence on government policy.
Explanation:
Eva had a career as an actress in mediocre B-movies and as a radio announcer when she met her future husband Juan Perón during a fundraiser for victims of an earthquake. This man was politically active and aspired to the presidency. Eva gave up acting, but used her position as a radio announcer to advocate for Juan as president in the 1946 elections. She emphasized her humble origins, in order to give credence to her solidarity with the working class. She regularly proclaimed that only the Peronists were real Argentines. According to her, the anti-Peronists had no patriotism. Once Juan became president, her influence didn't stop there. She remained in close contact with the Argentine working class, who had lovingly adopted her as their first lady. They affectionately called her 'Evita'. Evita founded the Eva Perón Foundation, a charity that provided aid to the poor. The foundation built houses and ensured that everyone was entitled to the same medical care. Eve's power among the people was enormous. In 1951 she even wanted to run for the vice presidency. At the insistence of her husband and the political top, she eventually abandoned this plan. Instead, in 1952, she was given the title of "Spiritual Leader of the Nation." Evita died of cervical cancer on July 26, 1952. The people were in deep mourning. Most historians agree that no one in the history of South America has matched Evita's influence. “More about Evita>>”:http://www.evitaperon.org/ (English)↑ back to top ↑
Margaret Thatcher
Live:
1925-2013
Strong woman because:
She was the first female leader of the British Conservative Party, and the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Explanation:
Readers with a few more years on the clock will remember this lady well. The former British politician was the first female leader of the British Conservative Party. Margaret was also the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, England was not in a good position. The wars of the twentieth century had endured a great deal in the social, economic and political spheres. Margaret really wanted to make Britain great again. To achieve that, she ruled with a heavy hand. She made decisions that did not make her popular with the population, but in the long run led to positive developments. Her policies lifted Britain out of a deep economic crisis, gave new impetus to industry, and restored the British people's self-esteem. It achieved this with harsh measures that seemed to affect especially the weak and disadvantaged in society. She encountered a lot of resistance because of this, but she didn't care. For this reason, Margaret was nicknamed 'The Iron Lady'. When 'The Iron Lady' wanted to introduce the so-called 'poll tax' (income independent tax) in 1990, riots broke out among the population. Parliament passed a vote of doubt on Margaret. She kept to herself, and resigned as Prime Minister in November 1990. “More about Margaret>>”:http://historiek.net/index.php/Algemeen/Margaret-Thatcher-1925.html↑ back to top ↑