Womanica
Womanica is a daily podcast that highlights the stories of remarkable women from history, often overlooked in traditional education. Each episode is just five minutes long, making it easy to learn about influential figures you may not have heard of. The show is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted on Acast.
Episodes
Our Favorites: Medusa
The writhing serpent hair. The fearsome gaze that can turn onlookers to solid stone. Medusa is one of the most instantly recognizable monsters of Greek mythology. But her story and image have evolved over the centuries — sometimes a villain, sometimes a victim, sometimes a divine goddess. For Further Reading: Medusa | Myth & Story | BritannicaMedusa in Ancient Greek Art | Essay | The
Our Favorites: Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1959-present) dedicated her life to speaking out for Indigenous Guatemalans, fighting tirelessly against the human rights abuses that occurred during and after the Guatemalan Civil War.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our ba
Our Favorites: Poly Styrene
Poly Styrene (1957-2011) was a feminist punk icon who made her mark on the white male-dominated music genre.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark. History
Our Favorites: Ch’en Shu
Ch'en Shu (1660–1736) was a Chinese painter from the Qing dynasty, known for her exquisite flower-and-bird paintings that blended precision with delicate beauty. As one of the few recognized female artists of her time, she mastered traditional painting techniques while incorporating her own refined sense of composition and color. For Further Reading:‘The Mountains are Quiet and the Days Grow
Our Favorites: Bebe Barron
Bebe Barron (1925-2008) and her husband Louis’ pioneering work in electronic music helped lay the foundation for the sound of sci-fi. Their blips, buzzes, gurgles and groans in Forbidden Planet (1956) made up the first ever entirely electronic score for a feature film. For Further Reading: The Barrons: Forgotten Pioneers of Electronic Music : NPRUnearthing Louis and Bebe Barron’s Hidden
Our Favorites: Fatima Jinnah
Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967) is remembered in Pakistan as the “Mother of the Nation.” Her memory is a symbol of feminism and democracy.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made t
Our Favorites: Florence Foster Jenkins
Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944) was an opera singer that drew massive crowds for her terrible voice.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark. History clas
Our Favorites: Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was a groundbreaking writer and the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Her works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved—where she coined the word "rememory"—explore race, identity, and the legacies of slavery. Morrison's profound storytelling has made her one of the most influential voices in American literature.For Fur
Our Favorites: Masako Togawa
Masako Togawa (1931-2016) was a crime novelist, singer, and club owner. She created a chanson salon called the Blue Room, which catered to LGBTQIA+ artists and music enthusiasts during a time of legal discrimination, violence, and prejudice against queer people in Japan. For Further Reading:“Memories of Masako Togawa”The Master Key by Masako TogawaThe Lady Killer by Masako TogawaFor the past
Our Favorites: Mamá Tingó
Mamá Tingó (1921-1974) was an Dominican activist who is often overlooked in historical accounts. She led protests to save her farm — and the farms of 350 other families — from an illegal land seizure. She was assassinated for trying to bring justice to her community. For Further Reading:Mama Tingo: The Black Dominicana Revolutionary You Should Know | BELatina The female revolutionary his
Our Favorites: Kiki de Montparnasse
Kiki de Montparnasse (1901-1953) inspired Man Ray and many other painters, photographers and sculptors. An artist herself, she impressed critics with her paintings and made waves with her risqué memoirs. She was a dazzling socialite and style icon, a true “it-girl” of Bohemian Paris.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This
Our Favorites: Maya Lin
Maya Lin (1959 - present) is a sculptor, architect, artist, and designer known for her memorial work and focus on landscapes and the environment. At age 21 she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated in 1982. Since then she has seamlessly weaved between art and architecture, producing work that has earned her both a National Medal of Arts, as well as a Presidential Medal of Fre
Our Favorites: Mr. and Mrs. How
James How, also known as Mary East, and their wife Mrs. How (c. 1760s) were pillars of their eighteenth century English community, until a blackmailer attempted to expose Mr. How's "true" gender.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog.
Our Favorites: Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton (1947-1979) was an American soul singer, best known for the 1975 hit song “Lovin' You.” From an early age, Riperton captivated audiences with her extraordinary five-octave vocal range and command of the whistle register. At the peak of her commercial success, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and became one of few celebrities to share her diagnosis publicly. She defied expectati
Our Favorites: Margaret Watts Hughes
Margaret Watts Hughes (c.1847-1907) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and scientist. She invented the eidophone, which allowed her to observe and visualize the human voice.For Further Reading:The Century, 1891: Visible SoundPicturing a Voice: Margaret Watts Hughes and the EidophoneDivine agency Bringing to light the voice figures of Margaret Watts-Hughes (pdf)For the past six years, we’ve been tellin
Our Favorites: Anastasia Romanov
Anastasia Romanov (1901-1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. Her death was hotly debated for years, as she was believed to have survived her family’s execution. For Further Reading: A Romanov Fantasy: Life at the court of Anna Anderson The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and AlexandraOTMA - The Romanov SistersWill
Our Favorites: Sappho
Sappho (c. 615 BC) was an ancient Greek poet and an architect of the very words we use to talk about queer identity today.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and around the world who made their mark.
Our Favorites: Regina Jonas
Regina Jonas (1902-1944) asked a short, but important question: Can women serve as rabbis? She dedicated her life to proving that the answer to that question was 'Yes.'For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout
Our Favorites: Juana Maria
Juana Maria (unknown-1853), also known as the lost woman of San Nicolas island, lived a solitary and fabled life as one of the last members of the Nicoleño tribe.For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time a
Our Favorites: Gwen Verdon
Gwen Verdon (1925-2000) was a true Broadway icon. Her status as a triple threat dancer, actor and singer earned her four Tony awards during her career. For the past six years, we’ve been telling the stories of women you may or may now know– but definitely should. This month, we’re bringing back our favorite Womanica episodes from across our back catalog. These are women throughout time and ar
Our Favorites: The Heroines of Jiangyong
The Heroines of Jiangyong were women in rural China who made a secret language – Nüshu – to communicate with each other. Nüshu translates directly to “women’s writing” and is a series of phonetic scripts. The practice is estimated to go back as far as the Shang Dynasty 1600 to 1046 BCE. For centuries it was the language of female defiance to the Chinese patriarchy, legitimizing the thoughts, feeli
Our Favorites: Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur (1947-present) was a member of the Black Liberation Army who was imprisoned and convicted of murdering a police officer. She escaped prison in 1979, and has lived in exile in Cuba ever since. In 2013, she was the first woman to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List. For Further Reading: Assata: An AutobiographyAssata Olugbala Shakur (1947- )AssataShakur.orgFor t
Our Favorites: Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English novelist and playwright whose gothic romance works have been described as “moody and resonant." Many of her novels and short stories have been adapted into films including: Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, My Cousin Rachel, The Birds, and Don’t Look Now.For Further Reading: Daphne du Maurier Mistress of menaceDaphne du Maurier, 81, Author Of M
Women of the Wheel: DJ Spinderella
Deidre Muriel Roper (b. 1970), better known as DJ Spinderella or simply “Spinderella,”) is an American DJ, rapper and producer. She is best known as the third member of Salt-N-Pepa, one of the first all-woman rap groups that paved the way for other female rappers to rise to mainstream success and talk openly about sexuality. For Further Reading:DJ Spinderella is sealing her legacy in hip-hop
Women of the Wheel: Darlene Anderson
Darlene Anderson (1939-present) is the first Black woman professional roller derby skater. Known for her speed, stamina, and competitive spirit, Darlene was inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 2009.For Further Reading:Meet Darlene Anderson | Derby Dolls Derby Memoirs | Darlene AndersonDarlene Anderson broke roller derby color barrier in 1958 | Los Angeles SentinelThis month, we’re
Women of the Wheel: Nirmala Patwardhan
Nirmala Patwardhan (1928-2008) revived an ancient glaze technique, taught generations of potters, and left her mark on ceramic art around the world. For Further Reading:New Handbook for PottersLate Nirmala PatwardhanThis month, we’re talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter’s wheels. These women harnessed the
Women of the Wheel: Yui Kamiji
Yui Kamiji (1994-present) is a Japanese professional wheelchair tennis player. She won 32 major titles at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and a gold for both singles and doubles at the 2024 Paralympics.For Further Reading:How Japan emerged as a wheelchair tennis powerhousePlay True 2020: Yui Kamiji, Wheelchair TennisYui Kamiji’s Evolution Into A Wheelchair Tennis Gold Medalist; Athlete’s Development of
Women of the Wheel: Gunta Stölzl
Gunta Stözl (1897-1983) was a German textile artist who pioneered a modern, industrial textile design style through the German Bauhaus school. Her experimental, kaleidoscopic, and richly tactile designs remain influential today. For Further Reading:Frauhaus: Gunta Stölzl and the Women of the BauhausBauhaus: Art as Life - Gunta Stölzl: A Daughter's Perspectivebauhausfaces series: Gunta S
Women of the Wheel: Kittie Knox
Kittie Knox (1874-1900) was an American cyclist and prominent figure in the then-early American sport. She was the first Black member of the League of American Wheelmen, joining in 1893, challenging and joining the organization’s segregationist policies. Known for her prowess, style, and finesse, Kittkie Knox was a pioneer when very few women, let alone women of color, were allowed to participate.
Women of the Wheel: Margaret Rarru
Margaret Rarru (1940-Present) is an indigenous Australian master weaver. She is most known for her conical baskets and creation of “mol,” a black dye which she alone can give permission to use.For Further Reading:Meet Margaret Rarru – weaver and painterMargaret Rarru Garrawurra and Helen Ganalmirriwuy GarrawurraGarrawurra mindirrMeet the Grande Dames of Milingimbi: The Women Who WeaveMargaret Rarr
Women of the Wheel: DJ Sumirock
Sumiko Iwamuro (1935-present), known as DJ Sumirock, is a Japanese DJ. She worked in her family’s restaurant for decades before deciding to go to DJ school in her seventies. In May 2018, she was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest professional club DJ at 83 years old. She is now 90 years old and still playing live shows at DecaBarZ Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district. For Furth
Women of the Wheel: Clotho the Spinner
Clotho is a figure from ancient Greek mythology. The youngest of the Three Fates, or Moirai, she spins the thread of human life that decides a soul’s destiny at birth.For Further Reading:The FatesThe Fates: Hanging by a ThreadMoirai at the Theoi ProjectThis month, we’re talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter’s w
Women of the Wheel: Margaret Anderson
Margaret Anderson (1959 - present), known as The Ranking Miss P, was a DJ “spinner” in the 1980s, and the first black female DJ on BBC Radio 1. She brought reggae, soul, funk, and Black British culture into the UK mainstream. Miss P didn't just play music, she helped redefine what it means to be a strong and memorable voice on air. For Further Reading: Women of British Reg
Women of the Wheel: Ana Delfosse
Ana Delfosse (1931-2017) was an Argentine race-car driver and Formula One mechanic. She worked for Grand Prix champion Juan Fangio who broke speed records and social barriers when she became the first woman to win a pure-speed auto race in Argentina. For Further Reading: A frightening turn for former race car driver Ana Delfosse, once Juan Fangio's mechanic Juan Manuel Fangio By Worki
Women of the Wheel: Ella Chafee
Ella Chafee (1945-2019) was a professional wheelchair athlete. She competed in the Paralympics three times in fencing, racing, and swimming. She was inducted into the Basketball, Swimming, and Track and Field Hall of Fame. For Further Reading: ELLA CHAFEE Paralympian Ella Chafee Dies at 74 Chafee inducted into Wheelchair B-ball Hall This month, we're talking about Women of the Wheel
Women of the Wheel: Louise Armaindo
Louise Armaindo (c.1861 - 1900) was a Canadian strongwoman, trapeze artist, “pedestrienne”, and record-breaking high-wheel racer. She was one of the first professional women athletes. Though her feats of power and endurance earned her recognition as one of the great athletes of her time years after she was last seen, much of her story remained a historical footnote until recently. For
Women of the Wheel: Caroline Lecount
Caroline LeCount (c. 1846-1923) was a teacher and civil rights activist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who successfully fought to desegregate the city's streetcars. For Further Reading: Caroline LeCount & the Ohio Street School Before Rosa Parks: The fight for Philly transit equity and the Black women on the frontlines Caroline LeCount (1846-1923) Philly mayor signs into law making Caroline
Women of the Wheel: Zinaida Troitskaya
Zinaida Troitskaya (1913-1981) was a Soviet railway engineer and locomotive driver who broke barriers as one of the first women to hold leadership positions in the male-dominated field of rail transportation. She was instrumental in transporting people and supplies during World War II and served as the Deputy Head of the Moscow Metro for 30 years. For Further Reading: History of female drivers in
Women of the Wheel: Cheryl Glass
Cheryl Glass (1961-1997) was an American driver and one of the first African American female racing drivers. She competed in sprint car driving in the Pacific Northwest and attempted a national level career as well. For Further Reading: The Life and Death of Cheryl Glass The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass Don't hate me because I'm fast: Remembering Che
Women of the Wheel: Eliska Junková
Eliska Junková (1900-1994) was a Czech motosport enthusiast and the first woman to win a Grand Prix racing event. She garnered attention for her prowess on the track in what is still a male-dominated sport. Further Reading: Classic & Sports Car: The Pioneering Miss Bugatti Federation Internationale Vehicules Anciens, Elisabeth Junek This month, we're talking about Women of
Women of the Wheel: Julia Barfield
Julia Barfield (1952-present) is a British architect most well-known as one of the designers of the London Eye observation wheel. She continues to work as an architect today, with a particular focus on addressing the climate crisis. For Further Reading: Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield: how we made the London Eye London Eye at 25: The wheel that nearly wasn't Julia Barfield: ‘A lot
Women of the Wheel: Fortuna
Fortuna is the Roman goddess of fortune and luck. Often depicted holding a ship's rudder and wheel, she steers fate for better or worse. Her wheel of fortune became a well known literary symbol we still use to depict the ups and downs of luck today. This month, we're talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter'
Women of the Wheel: Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) was a Japanese-American ceramicist. Drawing from her heritage, love of travel, and a deep connection to nature and spirituality, she created closed ceramic forms that emphasized presence over function. As both an artist and teacher, she advocated for art to be a path to reflection and self-expression. For Further Reading: Toshiko Takaezu, Ceramic Artist, Dies at 88 Tos
Women of the Wheel: Alfonsina Strada
Alfonsina Strada (1891-1959) was an Italian cyclist and the first and only woman to compete in a men's cycling Grand Tour. In an era when women were discouraged from sports, Alfonsina took up cycling at a young age and earned the local moniker “devil in the dress” for her fervor. In 1924, she entered the prestigious Giro D'Italia under the name “Alfonsin.” She was eventuall
Women of the Wheel: Joan Weston
Joan Weston (1935-1996) was a California-born roller-derby athlete. She is most known for being one of the highest-paid female athlete in the 1960s, and by her nicknames: “The Blonde Bomber,” the “Golden Girl,” and “the Roller Derby Queen.” For Further Reading: The Lives They Lived: Joanie Weston; The Blond Bomber Joanie Weston, 62, a Big Star In the Worl
Pink Collar Workers: Lydia Delectorskaya
Lydia Delectorskaya (1910-1998) became the final muse for the celebrated French modernist painter Henri Matisse. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they created a more just and humane worl
Pink Collar Workers: Mary Eliza Mahoney
Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926) was the first African American to complete a professional training program and work as a nurse in the United States. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they create
Pink Collar Workers: Buffalo Bird Woman
Buffalo Bird Woman (c. 1839-1932), also known as Maxidiwiac, was a Hidatsa woman whose recollections on traditional Hidatsa culture, customs, and especially agricultural knowledge, were written down and preserved through interviews at the turn of the 20th century. For Further Reading: Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden Stories Behind Objects, Maxi'diwiac Knife River Indian Villages National Histor
Pink Collar Workers: Miriam Lee
Miriam Lee (1926-2009) was one of the pioneering acupuncturists in America, responsible for acupuncture being legalized in California. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they created a more just
Pink Collar Workers: Mina Miller Edison
Mina Miller Edison (1865-1947) was the second wife of American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison. She was an advocate for acknowledging the domestic labor required of women. She called herself a “home executive” and emphasized the importance of women's work as actual work, not an idealized calling. For Further Reading: Mina Miller Edison Honoring Mina Edison for Women's His
Pink Collar Workers: Virginia Apgar
Virginia Apgar (1909-1974) was a pioneering obstetric anesthesiologist who designed a test that still saves newborns every day. She was also the first woman to become a full professor at Columbia University. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally
Pink Collar Workers: Angélique du Coudray
Angélique du Coudray (1712-1794) transformed the practice of midwifery in eighteenth century France. Her work was so invaluable that the king of France himself recognized her contributions and funded her teaching. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that
Pink Collar Workers: Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta (1930-present) is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement. She helped found the organization now known as United Farm Workers and helped organize the Delano grape strike in 1965. She is credited for coming up with the rallying cry “Sí, se puede,” which means “yes, we can” in Span
Pink Collar Workers: Lillian Harris Dean
Lillian Harris Dean, aka Pigfoot Mary (c. 1870-1929) embodies the promise of the American dream. She became one of Harlem's most successful food vendors by selling pigs' feet. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Thro
Pink Collar Workers: Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole (1805-1881) was a 19th century healer who was ahead of her time. This self taught nurse used her own money to sail across the world and set up shelter for wounded Crimean War soldiers. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been calle
Pink Collar Workers: Rebecca Lukens
Rebecca Lukens (1794-1854) is known as the first female CEO in the United States. She ran Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory, successfully guiding it through a difficult economic recession and a rapidly industrializing workplace. For Further Reading: Rebecca Lukens: A woman of iron Rebecca Lukens Resource Center America's First Female Industrialist Rebecca Lukens Was The Original
Pink Collar Workers: Ela Bhatt
Ela Bhatt (1933-2022) was an activist and organizer who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA), which serves primarily low-income women across India. She went on to become an influential figure, known internationally for her work in cooperatives, labor organizing, and microfinance. For Further reading: The New York Times: Ela Bhatt, Advocate for Women Workers in India, Dies
Pink Collar Workers: Sue Ko Lee
Sue Ko Lee (1910-1996) was a labor organizer who participated in one of the longest strikes in the history of San Francisco's Chinatown. She and other garment workers joined forces with a white-led union to win better pay and shorter hours — and a huge victory for the Chinese American workforce. For Further Reading: Unbound Voices by Judy Yung - University of California Press Su
Pink Collar Workers: Carrie Crawford Smith
Carrie Crawford Smith (1877-1954) placed hundreds of fellow Black women in jobs in and around Chicago through her employment agency. In an era when Black women faced intense discrimination and negative stereotyping in the workforce, Carrie made it her mission to ensure her clients were treated with dignity and respect. For Further Reading: Recognizing historic Black-owned businesses
Pink Collar Workers: Hiratsuka Raichō
Hiratsuka Raichō (1886-1971) was a Japanese feminist and social reformer, who founded a literary magazine by and for women. After becoming a mother, she became an advocate for working women in Japan, fighting for suffrage and better working conditions. For Further Reading: “In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun: The Autobiography of a Japanese Feminist” Hiratsuka Raichō: The
Pink Collar Workers: Clara Zetkin
Clara Zetkin (1857-1933) was a prominent German Marxist theorist, activist, and advocate for women's rights. She played a pivotal role in the early socialist and communist movements, particularly in championing women's suffrage and equality. Zetkin also initiated International Women's Day, which is still celebrated globally today as a day of advocacy and solidarity for women's rights. For Further
Pink Collar Workers: Irene Fernandez
Irene Fernandez (1946-2014) was a Malaysian human rights activist. She co-founded Tenaganita, a non-governmental organization that promotes the rights of migrant workers. When she raised the alarm about migrant workers' welfare in government detentions, she became the subject of one of the longest trials in the country's history. For Further Reading: Irene Fernandez, Champion of the Oppress
Pink Collar Workers: Laudelina de Campos Melo
Laudelina de Campos Melo (1904-1991) was a labor organizer in Brazil. She fought for the dignity of Black domestic workers during a time when they were seen as second-class citizens and afforded little to no rights. She created the first domestic workers organization in Brazil, which is still active today. For Further Reading: “Who was Laudelina de Campos Melo, a pioneer in the fight
Pink Collar Workers: Madame Nwanyeruwa
Madame Nwanyeruwa (c. 1920s) organized the Aba Women's War, a revolt staged by Nigerian women against colonial taxation. Her actions helped ignite a movement that eventually led to the fight for independence in Nigeria. For Further Reading: “Sitting on a Man”: Colonialism and the Lost Political Institutions of Igbo Women Ogu Umunwanyi, Ekong Iban, Women's War: A story of p
Pink Collar Workers: Tapputi
Tapputi is widely regarded as one of the first known chemists, and her name appears in a Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet dating to approximately 1200 BCE. She is believed to have worked in the Babylonian royal palace, where she held the title of “Belatekallim,” meaning a female overseer or supervisor. Tapputi is most famous for making perfumes, the descriptions of her work provide some o
Pink Collar Workers: Zephyr Wright
Zephyr Wright (1915-1988) served as President Lyndon B. Johnson's personal chef for nearly three decades. While her southern cooking filled stomachs and won hearts, her experiences as a Black woman in the Jim Crow South inspired Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink
Maritime Madams: Dido
Dido (also known as Elissa or Elisha) was a legendary Queen of Tyre who was forced to flee the city with a loyal band of followers. Sailing west across the Mediterranean, she founded the city of Carthage c. 813 BCE. For Further Reading: Dido: Queen of Carthage - Britannica Dido: Legendary Queen of Tyre - World History Encyclopedia Dido, Queen of Carthage - EBSCO Research Starters This mont
Maritime Madams: Florence Chadwick
Florence Chadwick (1918-1995) was an American long-distance, open-water swimmer, most famous for crossing the English Channel in record time and becoming the first woman to cross the Catalina Channel in her home state of California. For Further Reading: Queen of the Channel A Moment in History This month, we're talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic explor
Maritime Madams: Gloria Hollister
Gloria Hollister (1900-1988) was a marine scientist, conservationist and explorer who made record-breaking dives in a deep-sea submersible called the Bathysphere. For Further Reading: Diving in the Deep with Gloria Hollister | Inside Adams Gloria Hollister Anable, 87, Dies; An Explorer and Conservationist - The New York Times Woman Plumbs Depths of Ocean | Indianapolis Times This mon
Maritime Madams: Fog Woman
Fog Woman is a figure of Tlingit folklore. She has the power to turn from human form into fog and conjure up salmon. In Tlingit legends, Fog Woman is the creator and ruler of salmon. Her stories explain the annual salmon run. For Further Reading: Tlingit Women in Leadership: One Culture, Two Worlds The Legend of the Fog Woman Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska: Raven and the Fog W
Maritime Madams: Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz
Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz (1936-2021) was a Polish naval engineer and yacht captain. In 1978, she became the first woman to ever complete a solo voyage around the world. For Further Reading: Meet Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz: The First Woman to Sail Around the World Solo | Article | Culture.pl Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz: 1936-2021 - Yachting Monthly The shunned Polish commu
Maritime Madams: Else Bostelmann
Else Bostelmann (1882-1961) was a German-born scientific illustrator and painter known for bringing the deep sea to life through her vivid and accurate underwater artwork. Working with naturalist William Beebe in the 1930s, she painted marine creatures based on descriptions he gave from his dives in Bermude. Her work helped the public visualize the mysterious world of the ocean's depths for the fi
Maritime Madams: Yemaya
Yemaya, also known as Yemoja, is one of the most revered and powerful divine spirits in various Afro-Caribbean religions, associated with fertility and motherhood. Yemaya is the goddess of the ocean and the mother of all living things, and is revered for her nurturing and protective nature. She is the source of and controller of all waters and is seen as the quintessential mother figure. For Furth
Maritime Madams: Mary Lacy
Mary Lacy (1740-1801) was a British sailor, shipwright and memoirist who defied 18th century gender norms by disguising herself as a man to join the Royal Navy. Her memoir, The Female Shipwright, is a great glimpse into maritime life and women's roles in naval history. For Further Reading: The History of the Female Shipwright eBook Mary Lacy: The History of The Female Shipwright by Lucy Inglis Ma
Maritime Madams: Mary Becker Greene
Mary Becker Greene (1867-1949) was a steamboat pilot and captain who began her career in the late 1800s. A pilot for over 50 years, she was the only licensed female steamboat captain on the Ohio River. Along with her husband Gordon C. Greene, she also co-owned Greene Line Steamers, one of the most important steamboat companies of its time. She passed away at age 80, onboard the Delta Queen, the Gr
Maritime Madams: Naomi James
Naomi James (1949-present) was the first woman to single-handedly sail around the world via the dangerous Cape Horn route. Her voyage broke Sir Francis Chichester's world record for fastest solo circumnavigation by just two days. For Further Reading: Fatigue at Sea: A Circumnavigator's Story The woman who sailed solo around the world Unlikely Round‐the‐World Sailor Learned Haw on the Way Ar
Maritime Madams: Ama
Ama are Japanese female fisherwomen and free divers who plunge into the ocean without oxygen tanks, or other modern diving equipment. They dive for shellfish and seafood, particularly abalone. In recent years, their numbers have declined as climate change has taken its toll and the diving population has grown older. Today, they remind us of the importance of tradition and environmental stewardship
Maritime Madams: Emma Kaʻilikapuolono Metcalf Beckley Nakuina
Emma Kaʻilikapuolono Metcalf Beckley Nakuina (1847-1929) was a highly regarded authority on Hawaiian water rights law and unofficially considered Hawaii's first female judge. Descended from an American sugar planter and a Hawaiian high chiefess, she was born a kaukau ali'i and educated in cultural customs and water rights from a young age. She was a curator of the Hawaiian National Museum, a Commi
Maritime Madams: Tracy Edwards
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