Born into a farming family, Ada Nield Chew moved to the city when her family could no longer afford to work the land.  Nield found work in a Clothing Factory in Crewe.

Nield was outraged by the poor working conditions where piecework made it difficult to earn a living wage, men were paid more than women, the women had to buy their own threads and other materials and the work was given out according to the favouritism of the male supervisors.  She wrote to the press about conditions in the factory under the name of “A Crewe Factory Girl”
and the paper asked her to write more.  She did so until forced to admit her identity and forced to leave her job.

 Nield carried on as a Trade Union and Political Activist, Suffrage Speaker, and Writer.


Ada Nield Chew was, in my opinion, a true working class heroine speaking up for herself and others in spite of the risk to her own wellbeing. 

I can thoroughly recommend reading “Ada Nield Chew, The Life and Writings of a Working Woman”  (Virago Press, 1982)

Gertrude Elion was an American Biochemist who won the Nobel Prize for

Beatrice Webb was an English Economist and Social Reformer.

Webb was one of the co-founders of the London School of Economics and, with her cousin Charles Booth, conducted an important survey of Victorian slums.  She was responsible for the publication of the "Minority Report" which called for radical changes to the existing Poor Law.

Webb's experience was not just theoretical as she had worked for Katherine Buildings (part of the social housing of the day) as a rent collector. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_report_(Poor_Law)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/19/beatrice-webb-tribute

Sophie Jex-Blake was one of the first female doctors in the UK.  She also campaigned for medical training for women and was involved in setting up two medical schools for women and a women's hospital.

Jex-Blake had to fight for her education, first against her father's wishes then against the system which didn't allow women to enter medical schools.  She was finally awarded her MD in 1877.

http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/history/19/jex.htm

Anne Clough was born in Liverpool but lived in the USA from the age of 2 - 16.  She became known as one of the foremost leaders of the women's educational movement.

The daughter of a cotton merchant, Clough initially visited and taught the poor.  When her father's business failed in 1841, she opened her own school to help pay off the family's debts. 

Clough was involved in setting up the London Society for Women's Suffrage and the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and was a founder of the North of England Council for Promoting the Higher Education of Women.

Clough was the first Principal of the hall of residence for women at Cambridge University which later became Newnham Hall.

American Anne Hummert started her career as a journalist and travelled to Paris as a correspondent. Following her first marriage and divorce, she returned to the US and took a job in an advertising agency as assistant to Frank Hummert who she would later marry.  Within two years Hummert became a vice president of the company.

Together the Hummerts set up a Radio Production Company and are credited with being the creators of the Soap Opera.

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/21/nyregion/anne-hummert-91-dies-creator-of-soap-operas.html?src=pm

Clara Nordström was born in Sweden but moved to Germany at the age of 17 to learn German.

After a short marriage Nordström moved to Berlin to become a photographer but had to stop due to ill health (which had plagued most of her young life).  She published her first book in 1923.

Nordström's ill health throughout her life caused her to question her faith and this was to be a recurring theme throughout her writing.

Edith Green was a member of the US House of Representatives from 1955 - 1974.

Green started out as a teacher and maintained a particular interest in education throughout her political career.  In addition to education, she was known for advancing women's issues and social reform issues.

http://www.examiner.com/article/edith-starrett-green-1910-1987

Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who spent 18 years studying gorillas in Rwanda.

At 31, Fossey took out a loan to finance a 7 week trip to Africa, thus beginning a life-long connection with gorillas.  3 years later, Fossey returned to Africa to work for Louis Leakey as his "gorilla girl"
 
Fossey was murdered in Rwanda in 1985.