Born in 1946 in Meerut, India, Fahmida Riaz was a human rights activist, feminist, and one of Pakistan’s best known progressive writers and Urdu poets. Author of over a dozen books on poetry and fiction, she was often regarded as a controversial figure for her use of erotic and sensual themes and allusions in her …

Anna Costanza Baldry was an Italian psychologist, criminologist and academic researcher who dedicated most of her life to women who have suffered violence and abuse, and to the protection of femicide victims’ children. Her work contributed to shedding light upon gender-based intimate partner violence, and to fostering the empowerment of the survivors. She prematurely passed …

Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a political and human rights activist from Guatemala, belonging to the K’iche’ ethnic group. Born in 1959 to a poor family in a small Mayan community, Menchú has devoted her life to defending the rights of Guatemalan indigenous feminists during and after the Civil War (1960–1996), and to the promotion of …

During the French Revolution of 1789, almost 400 women were executed by the guillotine. The most famous among them is, of course, Marie Antoinette; however, aside from the queen, another relevant female figure who died for her ideals is Olympe de Gouges. Playwright and political activist, she advocated for the emancipation of women and against …