Activists & Reformers

Activists and Reformers

The women on this page were women who worked towards the improvement of the lives of other women, for society and the world. They set the foundations on which we are able to carry out our own activism and our careers. We owe them a huge debt.

Click on the names below for links to websites with more info.

or Click here to return to Occupations list

Judith Sargent Murray, Writer and Women's Rights Advocate, born 1st May 1751

Jeanne Manon Roland, French Revolutionary, born 17th March 1754

Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck, British Anti-Slavery Writer, born 25th November 1778

Elizabeth Fry, British Prison Reformer, born 21st May 1780

Emma Willard, American Women's Rights Activist & Educator, born 23rd February 1787

Sarah Grimké, American Abolitionist & Reformer, born 26th November 1792

Lucretia Mott, American Abolitionist, Activist & Reformer, born 3rd January 1793

Frances Wright, Scottish American Abolitionist & Reformer, born 6th September 1795

Sojourner Truth, African American Abolitionist & Reformer, born 1797 (date of birth uncertain, possibly 18th Nov)

Lydia Child, American Abolitionist & Women's Rights Activist, born 11th February 1802

Dorothea Dix, American Mental Health Activist, born 4th April 1802

Flora Tristan, French Socialist Writer & Activist, born 7th April 1803

Angelina Grimké, American Politician, abolitionist, suffragist, born 20th February 1805

Sarah Bagley, American Women's Rights Advocate, born 19th April 1805

Mary Carpenter, British Educational & Social Reformer, born 3rd April 1807

Laura Smith Haviland, Canadian American Abolitionist, born 20th December 1808

Melchora Aquino, Filipina Revolutionary, born 6th January 1812

Angela Burdett-Coutts, British Philanthropist and Reformer, born 21st April 1814

Myrtilla Miner, American Abolitionist & Educator, born 4th March 1815

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American Activist & Abolitionist, born 12th November 1815

Amelia Bloomer, American Women's Rights & Temperance Advocate, born 27th May 1818

Lucy Stone, American Abolitionist and Suffragist, born 13th August 1818

Louise Otto-Peters, German Writer, Poet & Activist, born 26th March 1819

Susan B Anthony, American Civil Rights leader, born 15th February 1820

Florence Nightingale, British Statistician, Nurse and Social Reformer, born 12th May 1820

Mary Livermore, American Journalist & Activist, born 19th December 1820

Clara Barton, American teacher & Humanitarian, born 25th December 1821

Jane Elgee Wilde, Irish Poet & Activist, born 27th December 1821

Esther Pariseau, Canadian Nun and Social Reformer, born 16th April 1823

Mary Ann Shadd, American/Canadian anti-slavery activist, born 9th October 1823

Frances E. Watkins Harper, Black American Poet and Abolitionist, born 24th September 1825

Adelaide Anne Procter, British Poet and Philanthropist, born 30th October 1825

Matilda Joslyn Gage, American Activist, born 24th March 1826

Sarah Parker Remond, Black American Physician & Abolitionist, born 6th June 1826

Barbara Bodichon, British women's rights activist, born 8th April 1827

Frances Buss, British Education Reformer, born 16th August 1827

Josephine Butler, British Feminist & Social Reformer, born 13th May 1828

Phebe Ann Coffin, American ordained Minister, born 6th May 1829

Bessie Rayner Parkes, British Feminist & Campaigner, born 16th June 1829

Emily Davis, British Feminist and Activist, born 22nd April 1830

Emily Stowe, Canadian Physician & Suffragist, born 1st May 1831

Eliza Ann Gardner, American Abolitionist & "Underground Railroad" worker, born 28th May 1831

Lucy Stanton, African American Abolitionist, born 16th October 1831

Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Hawaiian Philanthropist, born 19th December 1831

Mary Edwards Walker, American Abolitionist & Doctor, born 26th November 1832

Anna Jarvis, American Reformer and Community Organizer, born 30th September 1832

Sarah Robinson, British founder of the Soldier's Institute, born 1st August 1834

Mary Harris Jones, Irish/American Activist, born 1st Aug 1837

Victoria Woodhull, American Women's Rights Activist, born 23rd September 1838

Octavia Hill, British Housing Reformer, born 3rd December 1838

Frances Willard, American Temperance Activist, born 28th September 1839

Agnes Weston, British Founder of the Sailor's Rests, born 28th March 1840

Josephine Ruffin, Black American Publisher & Activist, born 31st August 1842

Bertha von Suttner, Austrian Nobel Peace prize winner, born 9th June 1843

Isabel Barrows, American Administrator and Reformer, born 17th April 1845

Carrie Nation, American "Saloon Smasher", born 25th November 1846

Anna Howard Shaw, American Suffrage/Temperance Activist, born 14th February 1847

Catherine Courtney, British social worker, born 4th April 1847

Alice Stopford Green, Irish Historian & Nationalist, born 30th May 1847

Millicent Fawcett, British Suffragist and Reformer, born 11th June 1847

Wilhelmina Drucker, Dutch Feminist and Activist, born 30th September 1847

Annie Besant, British women's rights activist and writer, born 1st October 1847

Rose Scott, Australian Women's Rights Activist, born 8th October 1847

Helene Lange, German Teacher & Women's Rights Advocate, born 9th April 1848

Elizabeth Webb Nicholls, Australian Temperance worker & Justice of the Peace, born 21st February 1850

Alice Brown Davis, First female Native American Chief, born 10th September 1852

Anna Adams Gordon, American Temperance Worker, born 21st July 1853

Mary Eliza McDowell, American Social Reformer, born 30th November 1854

Eleanor Marx, British Socialist Feminist Activist, born 16th January 1855

Olive Schreiner, South African Writer & Anti-War Campaigner, born 24th March 1855

Isabella Ford, British Social Reformer & Suffragist, born 23rd May 1855

Madeleine Ellicott, American Suffragist & Reformer, born 14th November 1856

Helen Barton, "Queen of Scottish Orators", born 17th December 1856

Jessie Ackermann, American Social Reformer, born 4th July 1857

Clara Zetkin, German Activist, organised 1st International Women's Day, born 5th July 1857

Pandita Ramabai, Indian Social Reformer and Activist, born 23rd April 1858

Ethel Smyth, British Suffragist and Composer, born 23rd April 1858

Julia Lathrop, American Social Reformer, born 29th June 1858

Emmeline Pankhurst, British Activist & Suffragette, born 15th July 1858

Kate Booth, Salvation Army Captain, born 18th September 1858

Carrie Chapman Catt, American Women's Rights Activist, born 9th January 1859

Bertha Pappenheim, Austrian Feminist, born 27th February 1859

Susanna Salter, American Politician, Activist & 1st female mayor, born 2nd March 1860

Emily Hobhouse, British welfare campaigner, born 9th April 1860

Jane Addams, Settlement house reformer, pacifist, women's rights advocate, born 6th September 1860

Juliette Gordon Low, Founder of American Girl Scouts, born 31st October 1860

Emily Bissell, American Social Worker & Activist, born 31st May 1861

Kate M Gordon, American Suffragist & Activist, born 14th July 1861

Ramabai Ranade, Indian Social Worker and Activist, born 25th January 1862

Mary Church Terrell, African American Activist, born 23rd September 1863

Mary Kenney O'Sullivan, American Union Organiser, born 8th January 1864

Johanna Elberskirchen, German Feminist and Activist, born 11th April 1864

Kamini Roy, Indian poet, social worker and feminist, born 12th October 1864

Margaret Murray Washington, African American Educator and Activist, born 9th March 1865

Helen Marot, American Social Reformer, born 9th June 1865

Susan La Flesche, Native American Doctor & Reformer, born 17th June 1865

Nina Boyle, British Journalist & Welfare Worker, born 21st December 1865

Maud Gonne, Irish Nationalist, born 21st December 1866

Margaret Noble/ Sister Nivedita, Irish reformer in India, born 28th October 1867

Emily Balch, American Nobel Peace Prize Winner, born 8th January 1867

Margaret (Molly) Brown, American "unsinkable" Activist, born 18th July 1867

Evelina Haverfield, British Suffragette & Activist, born 9th August 1867

Emily Murphy, Canadian Women's Rights Activist, born 14th March 1868

Lucy Booth, Salvation Army Commander, born 28th April 1868

Helen Miller Shepard, American Philanthropist, born 20th June 1868

Louise McKinney, Canadian Women's Rights Activist, born 22nd September 1868

Nadezhda Krupskaya, Russian Revolutionary, born 26th February 1869

Kasturba Gandhi, Indian Activist and Teacher, born 11th April 1869

Helene Stöcker, German Feminist, Pacifist & Reformer, born 13th November 1869

Ada Chew, British Union Organiser and Suffragist, born 28th January 1870

Lugenia Burns Hope, African American Social Reformer, born 19th February 1871

Rosa Luxemburg, Polish/German Philosopher, Economist & Activist, born 5th March 1871

Christabel Marshall, British Playwright & Campaigner, born 24th October 1871

Chrystal Macmillan, Scottish lawyer, feminist & pacifist, born 13th June 1872

Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, Indian Social Reformer, born 9th September 1872

Emily Davison, British Militant Suffragette, born 11th October 1872

Nellie McClung, Canadian Feminist and Activist, born 20th October 1873

Charlotte Maxeke, South African Rights Activist, born 7th April 1874

Abigail Aldrich Rockefeller, American Philanthropist, born 26th October 1874

Marie Marvingt, French Aviator, Mountaineer & Athlete, born 20th February 1875

Mary Barbour, Scottish Activist & Peace Crusader, born 22nd February 1875

Katharine McCormick, American Biologist, Suffragist & Philanthropist, born 27th August 1875

Zitkala-Sa, Sioux Writer, Editor, Musician and Activist, born 22nd February 1876

Harriet Shaw Weaver, British Editor & Political Activist, born 1st September 1876

Edith Abbott, American Economist & Social Worker, born 26th September 1876

Ettie Rout, Australia/New Zealand Activist, born 24th February 1877

Grace Abbott, American Social Reformer, born 17th November 1878

Sarojini Naidu, Indian Freedom Fighter & Politician, born 13th February 1879

Raden Ajeng Kartini, Indonesian Women's Rights Activist, born 21st April 1879

Lucy Burns, American Suffragist, born 28th July 1879

Margaret Sanger, American Nurse and birth control activist, born 14th September 1879

Radclyffe Hall, British Poet, Writer and Activist, born 12th August 1880

Marie Stopes, British Women's Rights Campaigner, born 15th October 1880

Dora Marsden, British Feminist and Suffragette, born 5th March 1882

Rose Schneiderman, American Union Leader & Feminist, born 6th April 1882

Mabel Vernon, American Pacifist and Suffragist, born 19th September 1883

Maria Baers, Belgian Social Worker & Feminist, born 20th September 1883

Katherine Prichard, Australian Author and Activist, born 4th December 1883

Elena Arizmendi Mejia, Mexican Feminist & Founder of the Neutral White Cross, born 18th January 1884

Clara Meijer-Wichmann, German Anarchist & Feminist, born 17th August 1885

Anna Hedvig Büll, Estonian Missionary & Humanitarian, born 4th February 1887

Saroj Nalini Dutt, Indian Feminist and Social Reformer, born 9th October 1887

Elsa Brändström, Swedish Nurse & Philanthropist, born 26th March 1888

Salme Dutt, Estonian British Political Activist, born 29th August 1888

Lucy Tayiah Eads, Native American Tribal Chief, born 4th October 1888

Olave Baden Powell, British Founder of the Girl Guides, born 22nd February 1889

Jessie Street, Australian Feminist & Human Rights Campaigner, born 18th April 1889

Doris Blackburn, Australian Activist and Politician, born 18th September 1889

Sarah Delany, African American Civil Rights Activist, born 19th September 1889

Lila Wallace, American Publisher & Philanthropist, born 25th December 1889

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American Writer, Activist and Environmentalist, born 7th April 1890

Elizabeth Flynn, American labor leader, activist, and feminist, born 7th August 1890

Kate Roberts, Welsh Nationalist & Author, born 13th February 1891

Vera Brittain, British writer, feminist and pacifist, born 29th December 1893

Muna Lee, American/Puerto Rican Poet and Activist, born 29th January 1895

Thérèse Casgrain, Canadian Reformer & Politician, born 10th July 1896

Shirley Graham Du Bois, Black American Writer & Activist, born 11th November 1896

Rose Pesotta, 1896 - American feminist labor organizer, born 20th November 1896

Dorothy Day, American Journalist & Social Activist, born 8th November 1897

Mollie Steimer, Russian-American Anarchist & Trade Unionist, born 21st November 1897

Mary Brooksbank, Scottish Activist, Musician and Poet, born 15th December 1897

Septima Clark, African American Civil Rights Activist, born 3rd May 1898

Kamla Nehru, Indian Freedom Fighter, born 1st Aug 1899

Malvina Reynolds, American singer-songwriter and activist, born 23rd August 1900

Anna Seghers, German Writer and Activist, born 19th November 1900

Helenka Pantaleoni, American Actress & Humanitarian, born 22nd November 1900

Regina M. Anderson, African American Librarian & Activist, born 21st May 1901

Alva Myrdal, Swedish Sociologist & Nobel Prize winner, born 31st January 1902

Kay Boyle, American Writer and Political Activist, born 19th February 1902

Gladys Aylward, British Missionary in China, born 24th February 1902

Regina Jonas, German Rabbi, born 3rd August 1902

Alice Tully, American music promoter & philanthropist, born 14th September 1902

Margaret K. Knight, British Psychologist & Humanist, born 23rd November 1903

Ella Baker, African American Civil Rights Activist, born 13th December 1903

Barbara Moore, Russian-born health enthusiast, born 22nd December 1903

Ava Helen Pauling, American Human Rights Activist, born 24th December 1903

Margaret Tucker, Indigenous Australian Activist, born 18th March 1904

Eniola McMillan, 1st Woman President of the NAACP, born 20th October 1904

Helen Joseph, South African anti-apartheid activist, born 8th April 1905

Maggie Kuhn, American Founder of the Grey Panthers, born 3rd August 1905

Clara Breed, American Librarian & Humanitarian, born 19th March 1906

Grace Towns, African American Activist and Politician, born 10th February 1907

Verda Welcome, African American Politician & Civil Rights Activist, born 18th March 1907

Elżbieta Zawacka, Polish Freedom Fighter & Professor, born 19th March 1909

Katherine Dunham, African American Dancer, Choreographer & Activist, born 22nd June 1909

Doris Haddock, American Political Activist, born 24th January 1910

Olga Bergholz, Russian Poet and Activist, born 16th May 1910

Anna Pauline(Pauli) Murray, Black American civil rights activist, born 20th November 1910

Pritilata Waddedar, Indian Revolutionary, born 5th May 1911

Dorothy Height, African American Activist & Organiser, born 24th March 1912

Mary McCarthy, American Writer and Political Activist, born 21st June 1912

Maria de la Cruz, Chilean Activist, Journalist, Politician, born 18th September 1912

Rosa Parks, African American Civil Rights Activist, born 4th February 1913

Muriel Rukeyser, American Poet and Political Activist, born 15th December 1913

Winifred Lubell, American Illustrator and Activist, born 14th June 1914

Jane Jacobs, American/Canadian Urban Journalist and Activist, born 4th May 1916

Halet Çambel, Turkish Athlete, Activist, Archaeologist, born 27th August 1916

Winson Hudson, Black American Civil Rights activist, born 17th November 1916

Lena Horne, American Singer & Civil Rights Activist, born 30th June 1917

Phyllis Frost, Australian Welfare Worker, born 14th September 1917

Fannie Lou Hamer, American civil rights leader, born 6th October 1917

Annapurna Maharana, Indian independence activist, born 3rd November 1917

Helen Suzman, South African Anti-Apartheid Activist, born 7th November 1917

Cicely Saunders, British founder of the Hospice, born 22nd June 1918

Olga Lopes-Seale, Guyanese Barbadian Humanitarian, born 26th December 1918

Bella Abzug, American Lawyer & Social Activist, born 24th July 1920

Jeanne Manford, American Teacher and Activist, born 4th December 1920

Dachine Rainer, American British Anarchist and Poet, born 13th January 1921

Betty Friedan, American Feminist, Writer & Activist, born 4th February 1921

Elena Lacková, Roma/Slovak Writer and Activist, born 22nd March 1921

Sophie Scholl, German Resistance worker, born 9th May 1921

Yuri Kochiyama, Japanese American Activist, born 19th May 1921

Phyllis Ann Wallace, Black American Economist and Activist, born 9th June 1921

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder of Special Olympics, born 10th July 1921

Margherita Hack, Italian Astrophysicist & Activist, born 12th June 1922

Clara Fraser, American Political Organiser, born 12th March 1923

Nadine Gordimer, South African Writer and Activist, born 20th November 1923

June Callwood, Canadian Journalist & Social Activist, born 2nd June 1924

Moturo Udayam, Indian Politician & Women's Rights Activist, born 13th October 1924

Vina Mazumdar, Indian Academic and Activist, born 28th March 1927

Coretta Scott King, 1927 - African American Musician and Civil Rights Activist, born 27th April 1927

Maya Angelou, African American Writer & Activist, born 4th April 1928

Audrey Hepburn, British/Belgian Actress and Humanitarian, born 4th May 1929

Dolores Alexander, American Activist and Writer, born 10th August 1931

Katerina Taikon, Swedish Roma Writer and Activist, born 29th July 1932

Jayaben Desai, Indian/British Workers' Activist, born 2nd April 1933

Audre Lorde, Caribbean-American writer and civil rights activist, born 18th February 1934

Hazel Dickens, American Feminist, Activist, Bluegrass Singer, born 1st June 1935

Mercedes Sosa, Argentinian Folk Singer & Activist, born 9th July 1935

Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental & political activist, born 1st April 1940

Essie Coffey, Aboriginal Aussie Activist & Film Maker, born 25th February 1941

Merata Mita, Māori Film Maker and Activist, born 19th June 1942

Esma Redžepova, Macedonian Romani Singer and Humanitarian, born 8th August 1943

Margaret Hassan, Murdered Irish-Iraqi Aid Worker, born 18th April 1945

Lisa Bellear, Aboriginal Australian Writer, Photographer and Activist, born 2nd May 1961

Stella Young, Australian Comedian, Journalist & Disability Activist, born 24th February 1982