Women in Mahabharata - Kunigarga's Daughter
(Kaunigaargi?) It's a pity that her name has not been documented in the epic. She is described as the rishi Kunigarga's daughter, who is an austere rishi herself.
When she tries to ascend to heaven, she is rebuked by Narada who tells her that unlike male rishis, women are not allowed in svarga unless married (in some other documents it goes: women are not allowed in heaven at all).
Roped into the sunk cost fallacy, she 'sells' 50% of her punyah to Galava's son Shringavat, so that he may spend one night with her as a 'married woman' and then she may be allowed to leave towards heaven.
Shringavat according to the story, falls in love with her despite their transactional relationship, and also ascends, funnily, succeeding in doing so with only her half of the punyah.
It is clearly an example of how women were treated in that society where a highly accomplished woman, who did everything the right way, is still denigrated, in a much different fashion to her male counterparts.