Incredible women

 

I love book/calendars such as those that give a different word's etymology or a historical fact for each day of the year.

I also have seethed when I read about women throughout history who have gone above and beyond their limits to achieve what might be impossible yet the credit goes to a man.

I decided to find at least one woman for each day of the year that was remarkable in some way. They could be remarkable in chemistry, physics, astronomy, astrology engineering, literature, painting, civil rights, women's rights which are civil rights, social work, education ... you get the idea.

I also thought of women who did things that were wonderful for their societies but not ours such as communist revolutionaries. 

Or women who were spies, jumped out of airplanes into war zones.

What about women criminals? Witches? What about women who fought for things like temperance.

For the past year I've been immersed in ferreting out these women. At first I wanted one for each day, but on some days there were 2, 3, 10. 

My second requirement is that the woman is no longer living.

My third is that she may not be well known outside her sphere of reference and perhaps not known at all. Someone from Ecuador or Ghana may be unknown in the rest of the world but should be. The same writer who helped start a movement may be forgotten by the majority of people living today.

I decided for each day one woman wasn't enough. I decided to do a write up for three with mentions of others.

I had help from Isabel in Canada, my former housemate, my husband, fellow writers who knew of the project. Names would be sent me sometimes daily sometimes sporadically.

My notes for the project is now over 400 pages. It contains dates, accomplishments, barriers. I have jotted down the opening line for the write ups in some. 

I've spent the last two months, going month by month on lists of potential candidates. Today I start on December. After I finish, I will start the write ups.

I can hardly wait.