Womanica

Ruth Glass (1912-1990) was a British sociologist and urban planner known for coining the term “gentrification” in 1964 to describe the transformation of working-class neighborhoods by middle-class newcomers. Her work focused on urban change, housing policy, and social inequality, particularly in London. For Further Reading: Ruth Glass: Beyond ‘Gentrification' Oxford Dictionary of...

Pauline Rose Clance (1938 - present) is a psychologist most famous for co-authoring the research paper that first coined the term “imposter phenomenon.” Commonly known as “imposter syndrome” today, the phenomenon Pauline discovered has helped countless women better identify and navigate their feelings of inadequacy in academic and professional settings.  For Further Re...

Marcela Lagarde (1968 - present) is a Mexican anthropologist, author, politician and feminist scholar who is credited with coining the term “feminicidio,” first to denote mass killings of women in Juárez, which had begun in the early 1990s. The term was taken up by Latin American feminists, particularly in Mexico and Guatemala, as well as governments, to address the targeted vio...

Josephine Starrs and Virginia Barratt were among the creators of the VNS, an Australian feminist art collective born in the early days of the world wide web in the 1990s. The group is credited with coining the term "cyberfeminism."  For Further Reading: The cyberfeminists who called themselves ‘the future cunt' | Dazed An Oral History of the First Cyberfeminists This month, we're talkin...

Alice Walker (1944-present) is novelist, poet and essayist, best known for her novel The Color Purple , published in 1982, which won the Pulitzer Prize and made Alice  the first Black woman to win the prize for fiction. Walker is also credited with coining the term Womanist in her 1983 collection of essays In Search of our Mother's Gardens .  For Further Reading:  The Womanist Reade...

Sylvia Wright (c. 1916-1981) was a writer and humorist who coined the term “Mondegreen,” a noun used to describe the result of mishearing a word for another word or phrase. During her career she was an editor for “Harper's Bazaar,” and published several works of her own. For Further Reading: A Shark-Infested Rice Pudding, by Sylvia Wright (1969) The Death of Lady Mondegreen...

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 liter...

E. K. Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) was a botanist and cytogenecist, referred to as India's first woman botanist. She gained expertise in crossbreeding hybrid species of plants while studying at the University of Michigan, where she became the first Indian woman to earn a Ph. D in botany in the U.S. She is best known for her work to improve India's native sugarcane, which led to India ending its import...

Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores (1971-2016) was a Honduran environmental activist who spent decades leading various land and water struggles in western Honduras. In 1993 she helped found and coordinate the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, known by its Spanish acronym COPINH. In the late 2000s, Berta organized a lasting resistance to the construction of the Agua Zarca...

Rahibai Soma Popere (1964 - present) is an Indian farmer known for her work preserving indigenous seed varieties and promoting sustainable agriculture. She is often referred to as the “Seed Mother” for her commitment to protecting biodiversity and traditional farming practices in India.   For Further Reading:  Rahibai Soma Popere ‘Seed Mother' documentary makes it to Ca...

Aino Henssen (1925-2011) was a globally recognized lichenologist. Her interest in the organism advanced the study and understanding of lichen and actinomycete taxonomy. She wrote over 100 papers on lichen and had several named after her.  For Further Reading:  A tribute to Aino Marjatta Henssen (1925-2011) Huntia: A Journal of Botanical History Aino Henssen This month, we're talking abou...

Margaretta Morris (1797-1867) and Elizabeth Carrington Morris (1795-1865) were sisters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who worked in botany, entomology, and the natural sciences. They have been credited with helping transform American science in the 19th century, but their impact has been largely forgotten.  For Further Reading: Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Ear...

Margaret S. Collins (1922-1996) was a pioneering entomologist and civil rights activist, known for being the first African American woman to earn a PhD in entomology. Specializing in termites, she conducted significant research, including field studies in Guyana, and contributed to both science and social equality, becoming a prominent figure in both the scientific and civil rights communities. Fo...

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...

Winona LaDuke (1959-present) is an environmental activist, economist, and writer of Ojibwe descent. Winona has dedicated her life to working on issues of land reclamation and food sovereignty, as well advocating for the rights of Native women, and participating in decades of protest against oil pipelines encroaching on and destroying native land.  For Further Reading:  Seed Sovereignty:...

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 Histori...

Hattie Carthan (1900-1984) was a community activist and environmentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She led efforts to preserve trees, revitalize public parks, and improve her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, most notably saving a Southern magnolia tree. She received a distinguished service medal from the city and was elected to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's governing committee. For Further Reading:...

Sophie Lutterlough (1910-2009) was an American entomologist who spent 40 years working at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She started out as the museum's first woman elevator operator, and eventually became an entomologist.    For Further Reading:  Smithsonian Institute Archives: Sophie Lutterlough's Career at the National Museum of Natural History  Penn Sta...

Susan Fenimore Cooper (1813-1894) was a writer and amateur naturalist, best known for her “Rural Hours,” her nature diary of Cooperstown, New York. The book was reprinted nine times in her lifetime, and she is considered one of the first American nature writers. Through her writing, she sought to educate readers about the natural world and encourage them to value and protect it. For Fu...

Theodosia Burr Shepherd (1845-1906) was an American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer in plant breeding known as the “Flower Wizard of California”. She is known for developing new varieties of flowers including cosmos, poppies, and begonias. The most famous being the ‘Heavenly Blue' morning glory, and the ‘Golden West' California Poppy.  For Further Reading: Ventur...

Mary Vaux Walcott (1860-1940) was an American artist, botanist, and naturalist known as the “Audubon of Botany” for her detailed watercolor illustrations of North American wildflowers. She was also a pioneer in photography, glacial studies, and mountaineering. For Further Reading: Mary Vaux Walcott | Banff, AB - Official Website Mary Vaux Walcott - Conservation HeritageConservation Her...

Helia Bravo Hollis (1901-2001) was a pioneering Mexican botanist and the country's first formally titled biologist, specializing in the study and conservation of cacti. She classified over 700 cacti species, helped establish UNAM's Botanical Garden, and co-founded the Mexican Cactus Society. For Further Reading: Helia Bravo-Hollis | Science History Institute A lifetime among Cacti: Helia Bravo-Hol...

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) was a Dutch still-life painter from the Netherlands, specializing in depicting flowers. Her career spanned over six decades and earned her international fame. She is now considered the best-documented female painter of the Dutch Golden Age. For Further Reading:  Mauritshuis: Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) Famous both at home and abroad Rachel Ruysch's Exquisite Still Life...

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...

Gloria Lim (1930-2022) was a mycologist known for her extensive work in the study of fungi, particularly in Southeast Asia. With a passion for exploring the diverse fungal ecosystems, she made significant contributions to the understanding of both native and rare species. Her research and advocacy helped raise awareness about the ecological importance of fungi and their role in maintaining biodive...