Famous Feminists Who Changed The World For The Better.

The term Feminism receives a mixed platter of both cynicism and acceptance from both genders and all age. But even in the midst of misconceptions feminism at the core is all about celebrating women and empowering them to no end to take on the world with no fear. For some, this movement might look synonymous to hate but Feminism in all its glory is about equality for male, female, and the transgender, with no discrimination especially based on sex or race. The feminists aren’t a pack of male-hating folks demanding special treatment of any kind nor do they believe that one gender should be above the other. Feminists strive to make those virtues a norm that is usually looked down upon and help build a society where men aren’t afraid of vulnerability and women are allowed to be independent. Throughout history, many fearless women have put away the cloak of submissiveness and have gone above and beyond to throw some light on feminism. Women that held the reins of the fashion world during the 17th and 18th century like Coco Chanel did their own bit to break the gender gap; when women were expected to dress in skirts and dresses, Chanel designed pants and suits! Just like her, there are many such badass women of this generation like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Page, Hillary Clinton, and Angelina Jolie who have changed the course of this world with their struggles. There is still more to learn from these women- keep reading and have your mind blown by their insane fearlessness!

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 1 

Madonna

(The 'Queen of Pop' - The Best-Selling Female Music Artist of All Time)

Birthdate: August 16, 1958

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan, United States

Often called the Queen of Pop, Madonna is considered one of the most popular and influential personalities in popular culture. Having sold more than 300 million records, she is the best-selling female musician of all time. Often featured in lists like the Greatest Artists of All Time, Madonna serves as an inspiration to many musicians, singers, and songwriters.

Birthdate: April 27, 1759

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: London, England

Died: September 10, 1797

Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer, advocate of women's rights, and philosopher. Wollstonecraft, who attracted a lot of attention for her unconventional personal relationships, is widely considered a founding feminist philosopher. Although her unorthodoxy initially attracted criticisms, her advocacy of women's equality became increasingly important during the 20th century. Modern-day feminists cite her works and her life as important influences.

Birthdate: July 15, 1858

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Moss Side, Manchester, United Kingdom

Died: June 14, 1928

Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist best remembered for helping women earn the right to vote in elections by organizing the UK suffragette movement. For playing a major role in achieving women's suffrage in the UK, Pankhurst was named in Time magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century list in 1999.

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 4 

Alexander Skarsgård

(Swedish Actor Known for His Role as 'Eric Northman' in the TV Series 'True Blood')

Birthdate: August 25, 1976

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Alexander Skarsgård is a Swedish actor best known for his portarayal of Perry Wright in the American drama television series Big Little Lies, which earned him a Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Critics' Choice Television Award. Alexander Skarsgård has also played important roles in popular films like Zoolander and Godzilla vs. Kong.

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 5 

Lali Espósito

(Pop Singer-Songwriter And Part Of The Band 'Teen Angels')

Birthdate: October 10, 1991

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Argentine actor-singer Lali Espósito initially soared to fame as a child actor with the telenovela Rincón de Luz and then played a lead role in the teen series Casi Angeles. She is best known for her gold-certified album Brava. She supports abortion rights and is also associated with children’s charities.

Birthdate: May 7, 1919

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Los Toldos, Argentina

Died: July 26, 1952

Evita Peron was an Argentine actress, activist, politician, and philanthropist. She is best remembered for her service as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952. She also served as the President of a political party called Female Peronist Party. A staunch philanthropist, Evita Peron was the president of the Eva Perón Foundation, which operated from 1948 to 1955.

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 7 

Gloria Steinem

(American Feminist Journalist and Co-Founder of ‘Ms,' Magazine)

Birthdate: March 25, 1934

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio, United States

Hailing from a humble background, Gloria Steinem went on to become a celebrated journalist and an iconic feminist. Founder of the New York magazine and Ms Magazine, her life has been dedicated to writing, talking and fighting for women’s rights, gender equality, legalisation of abortion, among other things. She brought issues like female genital mutilation to the forefront in America.

Birthdate: June 22, 1947

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Pasadena, California, United States

Died: February 24, 2006

One of the finest African-American sci-fi authors, Octavia Butler was raised single-handedly by her widowed mother. Best known for the Patternist series and the short story Bloodchild, she often mingled mythology and spirituality in her work. She was the first sci-fi author to receive a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

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 9 

Eve

(Rapper)

Birthdate: November 10, 1978

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Birthdate: February 4, 1921

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: eoria, Illinois, United States

Died: February 4, 2004

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Birthdate: February 3, 1821

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Bristol

Died: May 31, 1910

 12 

Betty Ford

(Former First Lady of the United States)

Birthdate: April 8, 1918

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: July 8, 2011

Betty Ford served as the First Lady of the US from 1974 to 1977. One of the most popular First Ladies in history, Ford was a passionate supporter of abortion rights and worked towards raising breast cancer awareness. She commented on topics like sex, drugs, abortion, and equal pay. In 1991, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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 13 

Alba Flores

(Spanish Actress Best Known for Her Role as 'Saray Vargas' in the TV Series 'Vis a Vis')

Birthdate: October 27, 1986

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Alba Flores, the only daughter of Spanish musician Antonio Flores, achieved international fame as Nairobi in the Spanish series La Casa De Papel, or Money Heist. Apart from drama, she is trained in the piano, too. She is also an avid animal lover and has campaigned for PETA.

Birthdate: August 22, 1963

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Newton

Alternative rock singer Tori Amos is known for her songs that highlight issues such as feminism. Amos was the youngest to win a music scholarship to the Peabody Institute. She performed with the group Y Kant Tori Read before going solo. She is associated with RAINN, a sexual abuse helpline. 

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 15 

Helen Reddy

(Pop Singer Whose Hit ‘I Am Woman’ Became a Feminist Anthem in the 1970’s)

Birthdate: October 25, 1941

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Died: September 29, 2020

Australia-born singer-songwriter Helen Maxine Reddy moved to the USA when she won a ticket to New York City, eventually remaining there, struggling to establish herself until she got her first hit, I Don’t Know How to Love Him. However, her best remembered song was I Am Woman, which went on to become a feminist anthem, making her an international star.

Birthdate: March 9, 1987

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Luton, Bedfordshire, England

Investigative journalist Stacey Dooley is best known for presenting socially relevant BBC documentaries with themes such as child labor and gender equality. Some of her notable works are Blood, Sweat and T-shirts and the series Stacey Dooley Investigates. The MBE recipient has also won the reality contest Strictly Come Dancing. 

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 17 

Emma Goldman

(American Anarchist Political Activist and Writer)

Birthdate: June 27, 1869

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania

Died: May 14, 1940

Emma Goldman was a writer and anarchist political activist. She played an important role in popularizing the anarchist political philosophy in Europe and North America in the early and mid-20th century. Her lectures and writing spanned a wide variety of subjects, such as atheism, militarism, freedom of speech, homosexuality, capitalism, and free love.

 18 

Kathleen Hanna

(Singer)

Birthdate: November 12, 1968

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, USA

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

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 19 

Agnes Varda

(Filmmaker and Pioneer of French New Wave Film Movement of the 1950s and 1960s)

Birthdate: May 30, 1928

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium

Died: March 29, 2019

Agnes Varda was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter, and artist. She was a key figure in the development of the French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and 1960s. She often made films addressing women’s issues and other social justice problems. She was honored with an Academy Honorary Award. She was married to director Jacques Demy. 

 20 

Lisa Ling

(Host of This Is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN)

Birthdate: August 30, 1973

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Sacramento, California, United States

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

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Birthdate: January 29, 1939

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Australian author and feminist Germaine Greer made headlines with her first book, The Female Eunuch, which focused on female sexuality. Greer’s career boasts of a PhD in literature, and she has also taught at the University of Warwick and other institutes. She was later named an Australian National Living Treasure.

 22 

Margaret Colin

(Actress)

Birthdate: May 26, 1958

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

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 23 

Tammy Bruce

(Radio Personality, Author and Political Commentator)

Birthdate: August 20, 1962

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Tammy Bruce is a radio host and political commentator. During the early-1990s, she led a campaign to criticize the violence in the book American Psycho, and her efforts resulted in the boycott of the novel's publisher for a year. Over the years, she has been an important contributor to Fox News and also hosts Get Tammy Bruce on Fox Nation.

 24 

Belinda Peregrín

(Spanish-Mexican Singer, Songwriter and Actress)

Birthdate: August 15, 1989

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Mexican singer-songwriter and actress Belinda Peregrín, tagged as "Princess of Latin Pop" by international press is best known for her commercially hit studio albums like Belinda and Utopíaand singles like Vivir, which made her the third best-selling female Mexican act. She also had screen success with films like The Cheetah Girls 2 and Mexican telenovelas like Amigos x siempre.   

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 25 

Hasan Piker

(known for his hasanabi Twitch channel and as the on-air host for The Young Turks)

Birthdate: July 25, 1991

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States

 26 

Olympe de Gouges

(French Playwright, Political Activist, and Advocate for Women's Rights)

Birthdate: May 7, 1748

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Montauban, France

Died: November 3, 1793

Olympe de Gouges was an 18th-century French playwright and political activist. Her writings on women's rights and abolitionism were popular in various countries. She was an outspoken advocate against the slave trade in the French colonies. She demanded that French women be given the same rights as French men. She was executed during the Reign of Terror.

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Birthdate: July 3, 1860

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut

Died: August 17, 1935

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an American novelist, humanist, poet, and short-story writer. Best remembered as a utopian feminist, Gilman served as an inspiration for several generations of feminists. A National Women's Hall of Fame inductee, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is also remembered for her semi-autobiographical work, The Yellow Wallpaper.

 28 

Santigold

(Singer-Songwriter Best Known for Her Song 'L.E.S. Artistes')

Birthdate: September 25, 1976

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Santigold is an American singer-songwriter renowned for her mezzo-soprano voice. She achieved popularity after the release of her critically acclaimed album Santogold in 2008. The same year, she was named the Best Breakthrough Artist at the NME Awards USA. In 2009, she won the Vanguard Award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Santigold's work has influenced artists like Bob Evans.        

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 29 

Annie Sprinkle

(American Sexologist and Co-creator of the 'Ecosexual' Movement)

Birthdate: July 23, 1954

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Annie Sprinkle is an American sexologist who supports sex work and healthcare. Sprinkle, who identifies herself as ecosexual, works as a feminist stripper, sex educator, pornographic actress, and sex-positive feminist. She is credited with popularizing lesbian pornography and the post-porn movement.

 30 

Rita Mae Brown

(Writer)

Birthdate: November 28, 1944

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Hanover, Pennsylvania, United States

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Birthdate: May 16, 1929

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Died: March 27, 2012

 32 

Chantal Akerman

(Belgian Film Director Best Known for Her Art-House Film 'Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles')

Birthdate: June 6, 1950

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium

Died: October 5, 2015

Chantal Akerman was a Belgian screenwriter, film director, and artist. she also served at the City College of New York as a film professor. Best known for her work in the 1975 arthouse film Jeanne Dielman, which was described as a masterpiece by The New York Times, Chantal Akerman had a profound influence on avant-garde cinema.  

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 33 

Angela Carter

(Author of 'The Bloody Chamber' and 'Nights at the Circus')

Birthdate: May 7, 1940

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Eastbourne, England

Died: February 16, 1992

 34 

Poly Styrene

(Musician)

Birthdate: July 3, 1957

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Bromley, England

Died: April 25, 2011

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 35 

Samantha Bee

(Comedienne, Actress, Writer and Television Host)

Birthdate: October 25, 1969

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Samantha Bee is a Canadian-American political commentator, television host, comedienne, producer, and writer. Bee achieved international recognition for her 12-year tenure as a correspondent on the late-night talk and satirical news program The Daily Show. In 2017, she was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list. In 2017, she also won a Primetime Emmy Award.

Birthdate: November 13, 1969

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mogadishu, Somalia

Somali-born Dutch-American activist, feminist, and scholar Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the founder of an organization for the defense of women's rights, the AHA Foundation. She actively opposes forced marriage, honor violence, and child marriage. A former Muslim, she now identifies as an atheist and is a vocal critic of Islam. She is a recipient of the Lantos Human Rights Prize.

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 37 

Rupi Kaur

(Canadian Poet, Illustrator, Photographer, and Author)

Birthdate: October 4, 1992

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Punjab, India

Rupi Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian poet, photographer, illustrator, and author. Born in India, she moved to Canada at an early age. She began performing in 2009 and gained international fame through her Instagram posts. She often explores her South Asian identity and femininity in her work. Her latest poetry collection, Home Body, released in 2020, was a resounding success. 

 38 

Simone Veil

(The First Woman to Become the President of the European Parliament)

Birthdate: July 13, 1927

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Nice, France

Died: June 30, 2017

A Holocaust survivor, Simone Veil had lost her father, mother, and brother to Nazi concentration camps. She grew up to be a magistrate and became the first woman president of the European Parliament. She had also been an able health minister and rallied for abortion rights of French women.

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Birthdate: October 15, 1880

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Edinburgh

Died: October 2, 1958

Apart from being a successful botanist, Marie Stopes was also a popular activist, known for her contribution to the feminist cause. A leading supporter of birth control, she established the UK’s first clinic for family planning. She was also known for her books Married Love and Wise Parenthood.

Birthdate: March 20, 1612

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Northampton, England

Died: September 16, 1672

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 41 

Claude Cahun

(French Photographer Known for Her Self-Portraits and Tableaux That Incorporated a Surrealist Style and Gender Fluidity)

Birthdate: October 25, 1894

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Nantes, France

Died: December 8, 1954

Claude Cahun was a French sculptor, surrealist photographer, and writer. He is best remembered for his work as a self-portraitist and writer. Apart from his primary career, Claude Cahun also played a major role in the Second World War, serving as a propagandist and resistance worker.

 42 

Tobi Vail

(Singer-songwriter)

Birthdate: July 20, 1969

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Olympia

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 43 

Luce Irigaray

(French Linguist, Psychoanalyst, and Philosopher)

Birthdate: May 3, 1930

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Bernissart, Belgium

Luce Irigaray is a Belgian-born French philosopher, feminist, linguist, psychoanalyst, psycholinguist, and cultural theorist. She is best known for her research that examined the role of language in relation to women. Luce Irigaray's 1974 book Speculum of the Other Woman analyzes the texts of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Freud, Descartes, and Hegel through the lens of phallocentrism.

 44 

Lucretia Mott

(Abolitionist, Women's Rights Activist, Social Reformer)

Birthdate: January 3, 1793

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S.

Died: November 11, 1880

Lucretia Mott was an American women's rights activist, abolitionist, and social reformer. Mott played a major role in the events leading up to the Seneca Falls Convention, the first gathering supporting women's rights in the USA. Lucretia Mott's work influenced Elizabeth Cady Stanton whom she mentored. In 1983, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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 45 

Roxane Gay

(Writer Known for Her 2014 Essay Collection 'Bad Feminist')

Birthdate: October 15, 1974

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Roxane Gay is an American writer, editor, professor, and social commentator. She is credited with founding an Illinois-based small press called Tiny Hardcore Press as well as the now-defunct Gay Magazine, which was founded in association with Medium. Roxane Gay is the recipient of a couple of Lambda Literary Awards and an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series.

 46 

Rebecca Latimer Felton

(First Woman Who was Appointed to the United States Senate)

Birthdate: June 10, 1835

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Decatur, Georgia, United States

Died: January 24, 1930

Writer, lecturer, suffragist, reformer, feminist, politician and slave-owner Rebecca Latimer Felton was the first woman who served in the United States Senate. The most distinguished woman in Georgia during the Progressive Era, Felton was appointed Senator from Georgia as a mark of respect. With this she became the oldest freshman-senator who entered the Senate and served for just 24 hours.    

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 47 

Pippa Bacca

(Artist)

Birthdate: December 9, 1974

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Milan, Italy

Died: March 31, 2008

Pippa Bacca made international headlines in March 2008, when she was found naked and strangled on the outskirts of Istanbul. The Italian feminist artist had apparently been raped and murdered in the middle of her hitch-hiking program Brides on Tour, which had her traveling from Milan dressed as a bride.

 48 

Kalki Koechlin

(French Actress Who Predominently Works in Hindi Films)

Birthdate: January 10, 1982

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Pondicherry, India

National Film Award-winning Indian actor Kalki Koechlin was born to French parents, who were followers of Sri Aurobindo, in Pondicherry. Though she initially aspired to be a criminal psychologist, she later studied drama in London. She soared to fame with films such as Dev.D and That Girl in Yellow Boots.

 49 

Emily Haines

(Musician, Singer-songwriter, Singer, Pianist)

Birthdate: January 25, 1974

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: New Delhi

Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter who is the lead singer, songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Metric. She is a member of the indie rock band Broken Social Scene as well and also performs solo. She is the daughter of the poet Paul Haines and was encouraged to pursue her musical passion from childhood.  

 50 

Kate Millett

(American Feminist Writer Best Known for Her Book ‘Sexual Politics’ (1970))

Birthdate: September 14, 1934

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Died: September 6, 2017

Kate Millett was an educator, artist, feminist writer, and activist. Remembered for her 1970 book Sexual Politics, Millett often voiced for human rights, peace, and feminism through her work. Over the course of her career, Millett won several awards, including the Lambda Pioneer Award for Literature. In 2013, she was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.