4 great women you should know

History forgets, forgives, condemns and recovers idols of the past. Today it is impossible to think of a time without Caravaggio, but the painter who rocked the ideas of the Baroque was forgotten for more than two centuries until his work was rediscovered and he earned the place he occupies today among the greatest artists in history.

Unfortunately, many women who have tried to change the world and even those who have succeeded have suffered worse fates. Relegated to oblivion that will not be recovered, because in their time the men who considered them a threat took it upon themselves to destroy all evidence of their work, life and thought.

Despite this, there are some women who, although they are not considered part of a wave of feminism, are precursors, they are those whose work and ideas have been preserved despite the passage of time and knowing them today is more important than ever.

Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673)

The Duchess of Newcastle was also a writer, she can be considered one of the forerunners of feminism and science fiction. Her prolific work includes the play “Love’s Adventures” in which the protagonist is a woman who dresses as a man and in addition to saving people, lovers and giving theology lessons, she wins entire wars. Her work is known for addressing women’s problems, lack of opportunity and power, as well as encouraging them to fulfill her ambitions.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648 – 1695)

Octavio Paz, Ramón Xirau, Dorothy Schons and more considered, without preamble, that the tenth muse was a feminist. Sor Juana, who learned to read from the age of three thanks to her grandfather’s library, could have had a glorious life in the nobility, but she chose to become a nun and dedicate herself to theology because it was the only place where women they were free to read and study. Her plays, her prose and poetry are full of issues that today are considered feminist. One of her most famous works is “Respuesta a Sor Filotea” which she published as a defense against the bishop of Puebla and in which she defends the right of women to be educated.

Hypatia of Alexandria (355 – 415)

Although Hypatia did not write texts in favor of women’s rights, she suffered the consequences of being an educated woman with her own ideas. Before Christianity was established in the West, women had much more freedom and she, in addition to being a member, was the head of the Neoplatonic School of Alexandria.

She is the first woman known to have been versed in science and is also remembered for her cruel murder at the hands of a group of Christians who fought to silence the knowledge of Hypatia.

Mary of France (c. 12th century)

It is believed that he was born in France and lived in England. Little is known about her life and there are those who doubt her existence, however some works by María de Francia still persist. The odes to the gentlemen was what occupied the lyricists of the time and therefore chivalry was the most important thing.

That turned women into objects and not people, they were just treasures and rewards in the hero’s story, and although she didn’t stray too far from that, she did give women a voice, as well as humanize them and show that they weren’t just objects of passion, but people with ideas and feelings.

Since the 19th century we have memories of women who have fought for their rights and those of other people, but it is important not to forget those who, without even knowing it, were tracing a path of change for women who would be born centuries and even millennia later.