Women's History - Tumblr Posts
Hey remember when US and Russia was all like “We’re the best!!! We’ve won the space race!!!!” But India sent a kick-ass space probe to Mars and the whole mission was fuel efficient, costed less and a roaring success in the first try and then they were like “…..wait no that can’t be true” and still have the audacity to call us “underdeveloped” or only view us as a ‘third world country’? :)
For anyone who needs more info, the probe was called Mangalyaan (which literally means space probe vehicle) or Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and you can also get more information here and here
I’m thinking of ALL women this women’s history month.
Palestinian women
Transgender women
Women of color
Disabled women
Queer women
Indigenous women
Jewish women
Asexual and aromantic women
EVERY woman deserves to be uplifted and celebrated this month and every month.
Sutematsu Oyama (1860-1919): Japan’s First College-Educated Woman
Full entry (with footnotes) here. Patreon here. Art notes behind the cut.
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Here are the creations made by women that men never mention and completely forget: Rosalind Franklin's critical work on the structure of DNA, which was pivotal yet overshadowed by her male counterparts; Ada Lovelace's development of the first computer algorithm, a foundational achievement in computing history; and Hedy Lamarr's invention of frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology, which underpins modern wireless communication. In literature, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," a seminal work in the science fiction genre, is often wrongly attributed to her husband. Similarly, the Brontë sisters, writing under male pseudonyms, produced some of the most enduring works in English literature. Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, both accomplished composers, had their musical contributions minimized or attributed to their male relatives. These examples show the systematic erasure of women's contributions and creations, taking away the very rich history of female innovation and creativity, which deserve recognition. This is why we should not allow men to undermine women's work, especially given the fact that patriarchy literally stripped away women's rights. Regardless, women continued being innovative.
Protesting the high school dress code that banned slacks for girls, Brooklyn c.1940
via reddit
“young adult dystopian novels are so unrealistic lmao like they always have some random teenage girl rising up to inspire the world to make change.”
a hero emerges
Book review: Goddesses, Whores, Wives & Slaves by Sarah B Pomeroy (1975)
10/10
This was impossible to put down. A fascinating and vibrant history of Ancient Greek and Roman Women: from all walks of life, using just about every resource available within art and archaeology and anthropology.
It’s also also very very well researched and informative with a HUGE bibliography and a great index and lots of notes for the nerdy (aka me) who has already highlighted the next set of books to chew on.
Overall she argues (and does so persuasively with a great deal of thought and objectivity) that Roman women seemed to have enjoyed a higher quality of life than the Ancient Greek women because of generally (especially in upper class households) having a more public-facing life, being slightly more protected by the pater familias model of the Roman household, and having slightly more social mobility.
However a shout out goes to the Amazons and their social model for living 🏹🏹🏹
If you’re curious about the roles of women in varying Hellenistic and classical contexts, this is a must-read.
Her final words are so interesting and prescient too: “Serious intellectual thought about women continued: Stoicism, the most popular of the Hellenistic and Roman philosophies, directed women’s energies to marriage and motherhood. The argumentation is brilliant and difficult to refute. And this rationalized confinement of women to the domestic sphere, as well as the systemization of anti-female thought by poets and philosophers, are two of the most devastating creations in the classical legacy” 😢💔
Also, if you’re upset by reading about things like sexual slavery and infanticide, it might not be the book for you.
Overall, it’s staying in my collection and I’ll definitely be referring to it again.
She was called Phillis, because that was the name of the ship that brought her, and Wheatley, which was the name of the merchant who bought her. She was born in Senegal.
In Boston, the slave traders put her up for sale: “She's 7 years old! She will be a good mare!”
At thirteen, she was already writing poems in a language that was not her own. No one believed that she was the author. At the age of twenty, Phillis was questioned by a court of eighteen enlightened men in robes and wigs.
She had to recite passages from Virgil and Milton and some verses from the Bible, and she also had to vow that the poems she had composed were not copied. From a chair, she underwent her lengthy examination, until the court approved her: she was a woman, she was Black, she was enslaved, but she was a poet.
Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American writer to publish a book in the United States.
✍🏾: Black History Studies
Florence Nightingale was never called “the Lady with the Lamp,” but “the Lady with the Hammer,” an image deftly readjusted by the war reporter of the Times since it was far too coarse for the folks back home. Far from gliding about the hospital with her lamp aloft, Nightingale earned her nickname through a ferocious attack on a locked storeroom when a military commander refused to give her the medical supplies she needed.
Rosalind Miles, Who Cooked the Last Supper?: The Women's History of the World
“But Maria explained and painted their life cycle. Their metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. She not only explained that process, she showed which plant species each butterfly species was dependent upon. This book revolutionised the study of insects in Europe. But it also helped Maria raise the funds to embark upon a journey to study the more exotic creatures that she knew she would find in the tropical regions of the Dutch empire.”
David Olusoga, Civilisations, ep. 6 ‘First Contact’ (BBC 2018)
John of Arc, Portrayed with Top Surgery Scars
Based on the 1903 Engraving by Albert Lynch
This piece was inspired by an anonymous message I received: “ The history of Joan of Arc’s life has a lot of trans themes that many people overlook—dressing and presenting as a man was very important to Joan, not just in order to lead the French military but also in Joan’s personal life. It ultimately led to Joan’s execution because Joan couldn’t agree to not wear men’s clothes in exchange for only a life sentence in prison. I think Joan of Arc’s story of bravery is really inspiring, and I think it’s amazing that there is a (possibly) trans saint, so that could be an idea for you to consider for your artwork 💕 ”
Thank you for the support and love, I love receiving messages like this from people who have personal/emotional connections with classical and religious art figures. I grew up Jewish so I don’t have much experience researching saints, I would have never known the complexity of Joan of Arc’s gender identity had I not received this message!
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Sutematsu Oyama (1860-1919): Japan’s First College-Educated Woman
Full entry (with footnotes) here. Patreon here. Art notes behind the cut.
Keep reading
Women's Not So Distant History
This #WomensHistoryMonth, let's not forget how many of our rights were only won in recent decades, and weren’t acquired by asking nicely and waiting. We need to fight for our rights. Here's are a few examples:
📍 Before 1974's Fair Credit Opportunity Act made it illegal for financial institutions to discriminate against applicants' gender, banks could refuse women a credit card. Women won the right to open a bank account in the 1960s, but many banks still refused without a husband’s signature. This allowed men to continue to have control over women’s bank accounts. Unmarried women were often refused service by financial institutions entirely.
📍 Before 1977, sexual harassment was not considered a legal offense. That changed when a woman brought her boss to court after she refused his sexual advances and was fired. The court stated that her termination violated the 1974 Civil Rights Act, which made employment discrimination illegal.⚖️
📍 In 1969, California became the first state to pass legislation to allow no-fault divorce. Before then, divorce could only be obtained if a woman could prove that her husband had committed serious faults such as adultery. 💍By 1977, nine states had adopted no-fault divorce laws, and by late 1983, every state had but two. The last, New York, adopted a law in 2010.
📍In 1967, Kathrine Switzer, entered the Boston Marathon under the name "K.V. Switzer." At the time, the Amateur Athletics Union didn't allow women. Once discovered, staff tried to remove Switzer from the race, but she finished. AAU did not formally accept women until fall 1971.
📍 In 1972, Lillian Garland, a receptionist at a California bank, went on unpaid leave to have a baby and when she returned, her position was filled. Her lawsuit led to 1978's Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which found that discriminating against pregnant people is unlawful
📍 It wasn’t until 2016 that gay marriage was legal in all 50 states. Previously, laws varied by state, and while many states allowed for civil unions for same-sex couples, it created a separate but equal standard. In 2008, California was the first state to achieve marriage equality, only to reverse that right following a ballot initiative later that year.
📍In 2018, Utah and Idaho were the last two states that lacked clear legislation protecting chest or breast feeding parents from obscenity laws. At the time, an Idaho congressman complained women would, "whip it out and do it anywhere,"
📍 In 1973, the Supreme Court affirmed the right to safe legal abortion in Roe v. Wade. At the time of the decision, nearly all states outlawed abortion with few exceptions. In 1965, illegal abortions made up one-sixth of all pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths. Unfortunately after years of abortion restrictions and bans, the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022. Since then, 14 states have fully banned care, and another 7 severely restrict it – leaving most of the south and midwest without access.
📍 Before 1973, women were not able to serve on a jury in all 50 states. However, this varied by state: Utah was the first state to allow women to serve jury duty in 1898. Though, by 1927, only 19 states allowed women to serve jury duty. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 gave women the right to serve on federal juries, though it wasn't until 1973 that all 50 states passed similar legislation
📍 Before 1988, women were unable to get a business loan on their own. The Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 allowed women to get loans without a male co-signer and removed other barriers to women in business. The number of women-owned businesses increased by 31 times in the last four decades.
Free download
📍 Before 1965, married women had no right to birth control. In Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the Supreme Court ruled that banning the use of contraceptives violated the right to marital privacy.
📍 Before 1967, interracial couples didn’t have the right to marry. In Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court found that anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional. In 2000, Alabama was the last State to remove its anti-miscegenation laws from the books.
📍 Before 1972, unmarried women didn’t have the right to birth control. While married couples gained the right in 1967, it wasn’t until Eisenstadt v. Baird seven years later, that the Supreme Court affirmed the right to contraception for unmarried people.
📍 In 1974, the last “Ugly Laws” were repealed in Chicago. “Ugly Laws” allowed the police to arrest and jail people with visible disabilities for being seen in public. People charged with ugly laws were either charged a fine or held in jail. ‘Ugly Laws’ were a part of the late 19th century Victorian Era poor laws.
📍 In 1976, Hawaii was the last state to lift requirements that a woman take her husband’s last name. If a woman didn’t take her husband’s last name, employers could refuse to issue her payroll and she could be barred from voting.
📍 It wasn’t until 1993 that marital assault became a crime in all 50 states. Historically, intercourse within marriage was regarded as a “right” of spouses. Before 1974, in all fifty U.S. states, men had legal immunity for assaults their wives. Oklahoma and North Carolina were the last to change the law in 1993.
📍 In 1990, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) – most comprehensive disability rights legislation in U.S. history – was passed. The ADA protected disabled people from employment discrimination. Previously, an employer could refuse to hire someone just because of their disability.
📍 Before 1993, women weren’t allowed to wear pants on the Senate floor. That changed when Sen. Moseley Braun (D-IL), & Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) wore trousers - shocking the male-dominated Senate. Their fashion statement ultimately led to the dress code being clarified to allow women to wear pants.
📍 Emergency contraception (Plan B) wasn't approved by the FDA until 1998. While many can get emergency contraception at their local drugstore, back then it required a prescription. In 2013, the FDA removed age limits & allowed retailers to stock it directly on the shelf (although many don’t).
📍 In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court ruled that anti-cohabitation laws were unconstitutional. Sometimes referred to as the ‘'Living in Sin' statute, anti-cohabitation laws criminalize living with a partner if the couple is unmarried. Today, Mississippi still has laws on its books against cohabitation.
In honor of Womens History Month, i will now be looking for Hot milfs in my area
This weekend I was schmoozing at an event when some guy asked me what kind of history I study. I said “I’m currently researching the role of gender in Jewish emigration out of the Third Reich,” and he replied “oh you just threw gender in there for fun, huh?” and shot me what he clearly thought to be a charming smile.
The reality is that most of our understandings of history revolve around what men were doing. But by paying attention to the other half of humanity our understanding of history can be radically altered.
For example, with Jewish emigration out of the Third Reich it is just kind of assumed that it was a decision made by a man, and the rest of his family just followed him out of danger. But that is completely inaccurate. Women, constrained to the private social sphere to varying extents, were the first to notice the rise in social anti-Semitism in the beginning of Hitler’s rule. They were the ones to notice their friends pulling away and their social networks coming apart. They were the first to sense the danger.
German Jewish men tended to work in industries which were historically heavily Jewish, thus keeping them from directly experiencing this “social death.” These women would warn their husbands and urge them to begin the emigration process, and often their husbands would overlook or undervalue their concerns (“you’re just being hysterical” etc). After the Nuremberg Laws were passed, and after even more so after Kristallnacht, it fell to women to free their husbands from concentration camps, to run businesses, and to wade through the emigration process.
The fact that the Nazis initially focused their efforts on Jewish men meant that it fell to Jewish women to take charge of the family and plan their escape. In one case, a woman had her husband freed from a camp (to do so, she had to present emigration papers which were not easy to procure), and casually informed him that she had arranged their transport to Shanghai. Her husband—so traumatized from the camp—made no argument. Just by looking at what women were doing, our understanding of this era of Jewish history is changed.
I have read an article arguing that the Renaissance only existed for men, and that women did not undergo this cultural change. The writings of female loyalists in the American Revolutionary period add much needed nuance to our understanding of this period. The character of Jewish liberalism in the first half of the twentieth century is a direct result of the education and socialization of Jewish women. I can give you more examples, but I think you get the point.
So, you wanna understand history? Then you gotta remember the ladies (and not just the privileged ones).
ask historicity-was-already-taken a question
Someone let me know when "mom body" come into style
3,000 Years Of Women’s Beauty Standards Compressed In 3-Minute Video
WATCH THIS:
It can be hard for us to imagine how much the concept of the ideal feminine body has changed throughout human history, which is why this 3-minute video by Buzzfeed is so interesting. It shows how feminine body ideals have looked and evolved over the past 3,000 years. via demilked
Ancient Egypt (c. 1292-1069 B.C.)
– Slender – Narrow shoulders – High waist – Symmetrical face
Ancient Greece (c. 500-300 B.C.)
– Plump – Full-bodied – Light skin – Women were considered “disfigured” versions of men
– Slim waist – Pale skin – Large eyes – Small feet
Italian Renaissance (c. 1400-1700)
– Ample bosom – Rounded stomach – Full hips – Fair skin
Victorian England (c. 1837-1901)
– Desirably plump – Full-figured – Cinched waist – Women wore corsets to achieve the ideal body shape
Roaring Twenties (c. 1920s)
– Flat-chested – Downplayed waist – Short bob hairstyle – Boyish figure
Golden Age Of Hollywood (c. 1930s – 1950s)
Curvy – Hourglass figure – Large breasts – Slim waist
Swinging Sixties (c. 1960s)
– Willowy – Thin – Long, slim legs – Adolescent physique
Supermodel Era (c. 1980s)
– Athletic – Svelte, but curvy – Tall – Toned arms
Heroin Chic (c. 1990s)
– Waifish – Extremely thin – Translucent skin – Androgynous
Postmodern Beauty (c. 2000s-Today)
– Flat stomach – “Healthy” skinny – Large breasts and butt – Thigh gap – Women regularly get plastic surgery to achieve their desired look
California’s first woman structural engineer, Ruth Gordon Schnapp, 1970s