Women in History
This podcast shines a light on remarkable women from history whose stories are often overlooked or forgotten. Each episode explores the lives, challenges, and triumphs of activists, warriors, queens, scientists, and artists across different eras and continents. It seeks to uncover the lasting impact these women made on the world and why their legacies still inspire us today. Listeners can expect engaging narratives that celebrate female achievement and resilience throughout time.
Episodes
The Night Witches: Soviet Women Flying Deadly Missions
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.During the Second World War, a group of young Soviet women took to the skies in fragile, wooden biplanes to carry out dangerous nighttime bombing missions against German forces. Known as the Night Witches, they flew thousands of sorties, often returning to base several times in a single night. In this episode, we explore how these women cam
Maria Sibylla Merian: A Naturalist Ahead of Her Time
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Learn the amazing story of Maria Sibylla Merian, the artist who transformed our understanding of the natural world centuries before women were accepted as scientists. In this episode of Women in History, we follow her incredible journey from collecting caterpillars as a curious child to leading a groundbreaking expedition to the rainforests
Tomoe Gozen: A Legendary Female Samurai in Medieval Japan
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Tomoe Gozen is one of medieval Japan's most legendary warriors, a woman remembered for her skill with the bow and sword, her mastery of horseback riding, and her courage on the battlefield. Fighting alongside her lord, Kiso no Yoshinaka during the Genpei War, she commanded hundreds of mounted warriors and became one of the most remarkable f
Wallis and Edward: Part II - The Real Story Behind The Crown
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.We know the story: an American divorcee, a king who gave up his throne, and a royal scandal that changed the British monarchy forever. But how much of the Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII story shown in Netflix's The Crown is actually supported by the historical record?In this episode of Women in History, we take a closer look at how The Crow
Wallis Simpson: The Woman Behind Britain’s Greatest Royal Scandal
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.She was the American divorcee who became one of the most controversial women in the world. Wallis Simpson is remembered as the woman who inspired King Edward VIII to give up his throne, but how much do we really know about the woman behind the headlines?In this episode of Women in History, we go beyond the familiar abdication story to explo
Marie-José of Italy: The Queen Who Opposed Fascism
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Marie-José of Italy lived through some of the most turbulent decades in European history. Born a Belgian princess, she married Prince Umberto of Savoy and found herself at the heart of the Italian monarchy during the rise of Benito Mussolini and the Fascist dictatorship.Marie-José developed relationships with anti-Fascist politicians and in
Djamila Bouhired: A Story of Algerian Resistance
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Djamila Bouhired was just 22 when she was sentenced to death by a French military court. A member of the Algerian independence movement, she became involved in the underground struggle against French colonial rule and was arrested, tortured and sentenced to the guillotine during the brutal Battle of Algiers.However, Djamila's story is about
Valentina Tereshkova: The First Woman in Space
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space, orbiting the Earth 48 times in a tiny Soviet spacecraft. But her journey to the stars began far from the world of rockets and cosmonauts. Born into a working-class family and employed in a textile factory, Tereshkova discovered parachuting almost by chance—and it cha
Grace O’Malley: Ireland’s Pirate Queen
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Grace O’Malley has gone down in history as Ireland’s legendary “Pirate Queen”, a woman who commanded ships, fought rival families, challenged English authority, and eventually came face-to-face with Queen Elizabeth I. But how much of the legend is actually true?In this episode of Women in History, we explore the remarkable life of Grace O’M
Lilian Ngoyi: Standing Up to Apartheid
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Lilian Ngoyi was one of the most important women in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, yet her story is still not widely known outside the country. A garment worker, mother, trade unionist and gifted political organizer, Ngoyi rose to become a leading figure in the African National Congress and helped organize the historic 1956 Wome
Irena Sendler: Saved Children at Great Personal Risk During WWII
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.During the Nazi occupation of Poland, social worker Irena Sendler became part of an underground network helping Jews survive the Holocaust. Working inside and around the Warsaw Ghetto, she helped smuggle Jewish children to safety, arrange hiding places and preserve records of their real identities. When the Gestapo arrested and tortured her
Manuela Saenz: Beyond Bolivar's Shadow
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Manuela Sáenz is often remembered as Simón Bolívar’s passionate lover and as the woman who saved his life during an assassination attempt. However, there is far more to her story. A committed supporter of South American independence, Manuela became a politically influential figure in Bolívar’s inner circle, challenging the expectations plac
Lakshmi Sahgal: The Forgotten Women of India's Independence
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Lakshmi Sahgal was a doctor who left behind a successful medical career to fight for India's independence in the 1940s. As "Captain Lakshmi," she commanded the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, an all-female unit of the Indian National Army during World War II. However, her story is more complicated than a simple tale of heroism. Her alliance with S
Fu Hao: An Ancient Tomb That Changed History
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.More than 3,000 years ago, Fu Hao commanded armies, advised a king, led sacred religious ceremonies, and became one of the most powerful women of China's Bronze Age. Yet her story remained buried for millennia until archaeologists uncovered her astonishingly intact tomb in 1976, rewriting what historians thought they knew about women in the
Princess Alice of Battenberg: Beyond the Crown - A Life of Compassion and Courage
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Princess Alice of Battenberg is often remembered as Prince Philip's mother and the remarkable nun portrayed in Netflix's The Crown. However, her real story is even more amazing. Born into European royalty, Alice endured exile, personal tragedy, and years of institutionalization before risking her own life to shelter a Jewish family during t
Hatshepsut: The Pharaoh Erased From History
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.She wasn't supposed to become Pharaoh, but she did. In this episode of Women in History, discover the extraordinary story of Hatshepsut, the woman who ruled ancient Egypt as Pharaoh over 3,500 years ago. Explore her rise to power, her magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahri, her famous trading expedition to the Land of Punt, and the mystery of
Hazel Ying Lee: The Pilot History Almost Forgot
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Before women were accepted in military aviation, Hazel Ying Lee was breaking barriers in the skies. As the first known Chinese-American woman to earn a pilot's license, she overcame racism, sexism, and repeated rejection to become one of the elite Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Trusted to transport some of America
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: The Woman Who Challenged King and Empire
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Discover this amazing story of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the fearless Nigerian educator, women's rights pioneer, and anti-colonial activist who led a successful nonviolent protest movement. Funmilayo organized thousands of market women to challenge British colonial rule and eventually, she helped force a powerful king to abdicate. In this epi
Ida B. Wells: The Fearless Voice Against Lynching
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.In this episode of Women in History, discover the remarkable true story of the investigative journalist who risked everything to expose the truth about lynching in the United States. From her birth during the Civil War and her fight to keep her family together after being orphaned, to the destruction of her newspaper, her international anti
Virginia Hall: The Untold Story of the Gestapo's Most Wanted Spy
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Rejected by the U.S. State Department after losing part of her leg in a hunting accident, Virginia Hall refused to let adversity define her. Instead, she became one of the most courageous and effective Allied spies of the Second World War. Operating behind enemy lines in occupied France, she built resistance networks, rescued downed Allied
Marie Antoinette – What She Was Really Like
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Step beyond the myths and discover the real Marie Antoinette. Often remembered as the extravagant queen who supposedly said, "Let them eat cake," her true story is far more complex. In this episode, we explore her life from Austrian princess to Queen of France, the pressures of Versailles, the scandals and propaganda that shaped her reputat
Lozen: The Apache Warrior Who Fought For Her People
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Discover the incredible story of Lozen, the legendary Apache warrior, scout, and spiritual leader who fought alongside Victorio and Geronimo during the final years of Apache resistance. Learn how she became one of the most respected women in Native American history through her courage, military skill, and leadership. Join us as we uncover t
Bertha von Suttner: The Woman Who Tried to Stop WWI
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Long before the First World War devastated Europe, one woman dedicated her life to preventing it. In this episode of Women in History, we explore the remarkable story of Bertha von Suttner, an Austrian novelist, pioneering peace activist, and the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Discover how her bestselling book, her friendship
