Women's history

Discover notable women and their work throughout history

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Women, society and the history of photography

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Female pioneers of electronic music

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Making contributions to both art and science

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Fashion

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Forging a path for Irish designers

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'The perfect review for women and girls’

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The Antonia Suardi collection showcases the creative independence and activism of embroidery.

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Stories of women's aspirations, support for one another and hidden power

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Suits for women, designed by women: questioning the status quo through fashion

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Kimono's social history represents a unique cultural exchange between Japan and Europe

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Pioneered by designer Madeleine Vionnet, bias cut fashion turned a technical innovation into curvaceous silhouettes

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Declaring feminine willpower through fashion, Elsa Schiaparelli is one of fashion history's most renowned personalities.

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Discover the changing silhouettes of women's fashion in the 20th century.

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Bridal dresses in traditional Greek culture are colourful, rich and varied.

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How Dutch women turned post-war upcycling into a symbol of female solidarity

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A female fashion family affair. Callot Soeurs was one of the most influential fashion houses of the 20th century.

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Active in the Dutch reform dress movement, Marie-Jeanette de Lange left a legacy on female fashion and society

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For centuries, women have worn corsets as part of their wardrobes, despite becoming less popular during the 20th century

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How the Vivandières' uniforms reflected their role

Literature & writers

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Three women writing Caribbean and European stories

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as illustrated by Paula Rego

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Portugal's first female journalist who was a mixed race and lesbian writer and activist

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How Audre Lorde made Black and feminist history in Germany

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Celebrating an early ecofeminist

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Female literacy during the Middle Ages was surprisingly high and many women encouraged reading and learning.

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India's renowned poet and freedom fighter

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Meet the female authors and illustrators who brought the fairy tale to life

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Portraits of poets, authors, journalists and writers from across Europe.

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Serbia’s first feminist author: a writer and traveller who led a remarkable life

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Writer, republican, literary theoretician and philosopher.

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Three Black authors from the Americas who have lived in Europe

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Learn about the life of the Swedish author and activist who wrote beloved children's books.

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Meet the women who taught Europe to cook.

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Travelling in our minds with books, like Selma Lagerlöf's The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

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World War I diaries of a journalist and novelist who was Italy's first female newspaper editor

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Read about female characters in European literature who broke the mould.

Person

van Schurman was a humanist, writer, and poet in the 17th Century. Se was the first female Dutch university student.

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One of Bulgaria’s most cherished poets during her lifetime

Performing arts

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Popular Spanish soprano singer and actor in the early 20th century

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Women on Greek public television from the late 1960s to today

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Meet 'the Queen of Montmartre', the French can-can dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris

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Beloved Italian entertainment icon: a singer, dancer, actor and television star

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Clémentine Delait was a French bearded lady who found fame in the early 20th century

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Black women's jazz legacies in Europe

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Learn about the Austrian ballerina, one of the finest dancers of the Romantic era

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From Hollywood glamour to the Siberian gulag, explore this Lithuanian actor and director's life

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The first Danish ballerina to became internationally famous and pursue a ballet career

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Alice Guy-Blaché was a cinema pioneer: the first female film director and the first woman to run her own studio

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Singer, actor and activist known for her distinctive singing style and voice

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Hugely talented Swedish opera singer who enjoyed worldwide fame in the mid-19th century

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Singer-songwriter and advocate for the rights of Black people across the world

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From Folies Bergère to Order of Saint Dominic - the incredible story of one woman: a courtesan, a princess and a saint

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Meet the singer and actress who was the first Swede to hit the US charts

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The cinematic life of Poland’s first film star

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Lesbian entrepreneur, actress, singer and 'the most painted woman in the world

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Challenging the stereotypes of Hollywood

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Swedish jazz singer and actress Monica Zetterlund’s long career lasted for several decades.

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Dancer, spy and freedom fighter - Josephine Baker was a force throughout her life as a performer and activist.

Society & politics

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Four women who helped change the world we live in

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Four Indian women who brought about change in Britain and India

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Her passion for revolution and justice sent shockwaves through German society

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Activist, feminist, politician and Holocaust survivor, whose life reflects high and low points of the 20th century

Organisation

Browse the collections of Atria, an Amsterdam-based institute on gender equality and women's history

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What visual representations of women working tell us about women’s history

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African-American political activist, philosopher and author combatting racism, sexism and homophobia

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Long before the home office was invented, working at home was already commonplace for one group within society: women.

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Women's work has long been overlooked, raising questions of equality, rights and work-life balance.

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The long and hard battle for social reform and a voice for women in politics.

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How many statues in your hometown represent women?

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Political pioneer who was a leader in the fight for Ireland’s independence

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Learn about pioneering American ornithologists and their early environmental activism

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India's renowned poet and freedom fighter

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Discover the story of the first woman in Liverpool to convert to Islam

Sport

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Gallery of propaganda images for sport events where women had to confront idealised stereotypes of their bodies.

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Icon of Czech gymnastics who subtly protested Soviet invasion at the 1968 Olympics

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Champion figure skater who was the first Dutch gold medal winner at the Winter Olympic Games

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Irish-Australian who won the first women’s Olympic swimming medal

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German swimmer in the Paralympic Games who won multiple medals

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Champion tennis player in the 1920s who won Olympic medals and Wimbledon titles

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Norwegian figure skater who has won more Olympic and World titles than any other female figure skater

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Explore archive photographs of sporting activities at a girls school in Dublin

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Table tennis world champions from Vienna

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Russian speed skater who won six Olympic gold medals

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Hungary's first female pilot who conqueried the skies in 1912

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Hungarian Olympic gold medallist who survived the Holocaust and lived through the 1956 Revolution

Pioneers

A special exhibition on eight remarkable European women in the arts, sciences and society.

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Discover the stories of pioneering female archaeologists from across Europe

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The famous scientist is remembered for her discoveries and pioneering research on radioactivity.

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Aletta Jacobs was one of the women involved in fighting for suffrage who had a profound impact on Dutch society.

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Born Elisa Leonida in 1887, this pioneer had engineering in her blood.

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America's first female nature writer

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Contributed to the bird welfare movement of the 19th century by protesting against Victorian taxidermy fashion

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Self-taught scientist leading research at the margin of the male-dominated sphere of formal academic associations.

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First female associate member of the American Ornithologists’ Union and an activist against the plumage trade

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Ornithologist and folklorist who was a supporter of the democratisation of science

Photography

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Women, society and the history of photography

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Documenting the The Great Depression and Japanese American internment

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Photographer documenting two decades in a Finnish town

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Photographer sisters who chronicled early 20th century life in Suriname

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British botanist and photographer, Anna Atkins was a pioneer in photography and cyanotypes

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Explore photographs by pioneering women photographers from across Europe

Art

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Making contributions to both art and science

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Renowned painter of the Republic of Venice

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Explore the art of a 19th century Austrian Impressionist who was known for landscape studies

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Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is a role model for generations of artists, bisexual women and people with disabilities.

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Celebrating artworks by a selection of significant female artists from across Europe and throughout history

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Exploring public art in Dublin by three female sculptors

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A life devoted to art

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How Art Nouveau reflects women’s changing roles and status in the late 19th century.

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One of the most intriguing and influential women in Belle Époque Paris.

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Pioneering Art Nouveau collector

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Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Frankfurt in 1647 and raised in a family of artists.

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Italian Renaissance painter Sofonisba Anguissola was the first female artist to achieve international recognition

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Amalia Euphrosyne Lindegren was one of Sweden’s most popular 19th century artists and painters.

Learning scenarios about women

Cooperative learning, Cultural awareness and expression, Language - Upper Secondary Education

English, French, History, Philosophy - Secondary school, Upper secondary

English, History, Language subjects - Upper secondary

English, History - Upper secondary

A Learning Scenario on why girls often refrain from taking up education in STEM

Women at Work

In this learning scenario learn how the position of women in the labour market has changed significantly over the centuries. Discover how women transcended traditional roles associated with household work and domestic tasks.

This learning scenario illustrates the importance of human rights and women’s rights in the context of feminism.

Gender inequality in workplaces

This learning scenario is about the problem of gender inequality and workplace diversity in Serbia and possibly in other European countries.

Art, English - Upper secondary, VET

Art, English, History - Primary School

The Powerful Women in Europe

When trying to connect Cultural Heritage and Primary school, some difficulties might arise due to the difficulty in adapting the lesson to the level of the students or making them realize the importance of History and its impact in our lives. Working with…

Art, English, History - Secondary Schools

Blogs

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How Swede Beda Hallberg battled a pandemic with small paper flowers

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How Charles stole Lizzie’s idea and made his fortune

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From earth goddess festival to family feast - did you know that Mother’s Day has its roots in ancient traditions?

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Discover the history of the Singer company and their world-changing sewing machines.

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Christina of Sweden was one of the most learned women and benefactors in Rome.

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The Fàbrica Gròber textile factory is a landmark of Girona history even today, 40 years after its closure.

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It is hard to imagine that a little over a century ago, women were discouraged from riding their bicycles.

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The Women's Peace Party was founded in 1915 as a reaction to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914.

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As long as there have been babies, there has been breastfeeding