#matriarchymarch

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch is the amazing Hannah Szenes. Hannah was a special ops executive and paratrooper of Mandate Palestine for the British Army during WWII. The group was comprised of Jewish volunteers whose mission was to organize resistance against the German forces, and to aid in the rescue of allied personnel. Hannah was a Hungarian who immigrated to Nahalal and joined a paramilitary group that would later lay the foundation for the Israeli Defense Forces. In 1943 she enlisted in the British Army's Women's Auxiliary Air Force and began her training in Egypt. A year later she and her colleagues parachuted into Yugoslavia to join a partisan group (communist led resistance), to aid in the rescue of Hungarian Jews being deported to Auschwitz. However it was discovered that the Germans now occupied Hungary, and it was deemed too dangerous to continue with the rescue. Despite this, Hannah and her colleagues decided to continue on alone. They were arrested at the Hungarian border, and her British transmitter was discovered. She was taken to a prison, stripped and beaten for three days, loosing several teeth in the process. Her captors wanted the codes for the transmitter in order to find out who these three prisoners were and how they could find and trap others like them. Hannah was resolute, and so was sent to a prison in Budapest where she would continue to be interrogated and beaten for information. She only revealed her name. In October of 1944 she was charged and convicted of treason, and on November 7th she was executed by firing squad. In 1946 her diary was published in Hebrew. In 1950 her remains were brought to Israel and burried in Jerusalem. After the Cold War she was officially exonerated by the Hungarian military court. Hannah is considered to be a national heroine in Israel. #matriarch #matriarchy #herstory #history #shero #heroine #mightygirl #womenempoweringwomen #femalewarrior #servicebeforeself #jewishheroine #womenshistorymonth #womenshistory #solider #airman #wwiihero #portrait #womenpaintingwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/Buzu1KVlxeE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ugohg0ekjl3l

[katgbirmelin]

Up next for #matriarchymarch is the Chinese Warrior, Wang Cong'er. She started out as a preformer skilled in martial arts and acrobatics. Wang would eventually join and become a leader of the White Lotus Society (a rebel group opposing the Qing Dynasty). Her mastery of both the physical and mental demands of King Fu was extremely rare for a woman to take up at the time, and earned her a lot of respect among her peers. Her husband was a government official, and secret member of the WLS, who was killed alongside many other members after plans to launch an attack against the government were leaked by a spy. Wang was suicidal with grief, spent time in a monastary, and eventually returned to lead the WLS to both honor and avenge her husband. Wang was much loved among the WLS. She was a brilliant commander who excelled at guerilla warfare, and would lead her troops from the front. However, Wang wasn't infallible, and after being ambushed by the Qing army and suffering severe loss, she was faced with deciding between dishonor in capture, or death. It's said she chose death, jumping from a cliff with the WLS banner in her hands, followed by her companions. She was 22. Despite the failure of the rebellion, Wand is remembered for her heroics, resourcefulness, and courage. Her legend would live on and inspire future rebellions, eventually leading to the end of the empire. It's debated whether or not the story of Mulan was based in part on the life of Wang Cong'er. #marchofthematriarchs #matriarchy #badasswomen #femmefatal #femalewarrior #mightygirl #girlsempowergirls #herstory #womenofhistory #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth #portrait #rebel #womenpaintingwomen #womenempoweringwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/BukicZhFIcg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17te9iyzull5p

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch post is all about Murasaki Shinkibu, famous Heian era poet, novelist, and Imperial lady-in-waiting. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, and her writings are considered an important reflection on Heian court society. Many if her works gave been interpreted through ukiyo-e woodblock illustrations. Murasaki most likely descended from the Fujiwara clan, an old lineage well respected for it's literary illuminaries despite having fallen from prominence to the lowest levels of noble houses. She showed an aptitude for Chinese writing, which was not taught to women at the time. Her invitation to court was likely due to her reputation as a writer, a career she continued while in service to Empress Soshi. #matriarch #matriarchy #genji #writer #womenwhowrite #inspiration #womenwhowritepoetry #poet #japan #japanese #muse #femaleauthor #thepenismightierthanthesword #herstory #history #womenofhistory #womenshistorymonth #womenshistory #mightygirl #ladyinwaiting #heian #portrait #sketchdaylies #womenpaintingwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/BvnXoMKFIR6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ollzredydyzu

[katgbirmelin]

I forgot to put list this post yesterday, so here it is. This #matriarchymarch is a childhood hero of mine: English fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist, Mary Anning! She searched for fossils on the cliffsides of Blue Lias, particulary during winter when landslides exposed new finds. (She almost died during a rockslide, which killed her dog 😭). Her early discoveries included the first ichthyosaur skeleton correctly identified, the first two most complete plesiosaur skeletons, and the first pterosaur skeleton discovered outside of Germany. While she was well known in Western geological circles, and was often consulted about anatomy and fossils, she was denied entry into the Geographic Society of London, and often did not receive credit for her scientific contributions (perhaps the most important being evidence for extinction). In 2010 the Royal Society included Mary in a list of 10 British women who most influenced the history of science. One last note: it's said the tongue twister She Sells Seashells was inspired by Mary. #matriarch #matriarchy #fossilqueen #fossils #paleontology #paleontologist #dinosaurs #skeletons #herstory #history #shesellsseashells #mightygirl #collector #heroine #womenofscience #smartgirls #clevergirl #womenofhistory #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth #portrait #womenpaintingwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvfe5AdFo-t/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nlfbtjy3blbv

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch is German born naturalist and scientific illustrator, Maria Sibylla Merian. Maria received artistic tutalige from her stepfather. As a child she collected insects, and as a preteen had begun raising silk worms. At around 16 she published her first book of natural Illustrations, and two years later published one of two volumes of illustrations of caterpillars. She made her own engravings which documented the life cycle and plant hosts, and was the first to document metamorphosis. Maria traveled around tropical island colonies to collect, observe, and document a wide variety of plans, animals, and insect species at a time where only men did such things. She was a leading entomologist of her time, and is said to have greatly influenced other naturalist painters both of her time and after. David Attenborough has said she is among the most significant contributors to naturalism and entomology. Do read up on her, there's so many interesting things about Maria's life and contributions. And especially look up her artwork, you may be surprised to have seen it before without realizing who created it! #matriarchy #herstory #girlsandbugs #entomology #entomologist #naturalist #smartgirl #clevergirl #illustrator #femaleartists #history #womenofscience #womenofhistory #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth #girlsempowergirls #portrait #womenpaintingwomen #queenofcreepycrawlies #buglove https://www.instagram.com/p/BvlreV9F6CZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fef8rk4ujorm

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch is Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, and the first woman to reach all Seven Summits via ascending the highest peak on every continent. Junko started climbing as a hobby at 10, on school trips. In college she was part of a climbing club, and after graduating she went on to found The Ladies Climbing Club LLC of Japan in 1969, which was the first of it's kind. She said her reason for founding the club was a result of how she was treated by make climbers, who either didn't want a woman to accompany them, or thought she was only looking for a husband. Nevertheless she climbed Mt. Fuji and the Matterhorn, and by 1972 was recognized as a mountaineer in Japan. Junko and her LLC struggled to get funding for their Everest expedition, and had to resort to yennie pinching and making a lot of their in supplies, problems not faced by their make counterparts. While on the climb they suffered an avalanche, and Junko lost consciousness after being burried under snow. Her Sherpa dug her out, and 12 days later they reached the summit. Tabei died in 2016 at 77. Along with climbing she was an ecologist concerned with preserving her beloved mountain ranges, and lead clean up expeditions in Japan and the Himalayas. #matriarch #matriarchy #explorer #mountaineer #mightygirl #firstwomanoneverest #femalemountaineer #queenoftherock #herstory #history #womenofhistory #wonenshistory #womanshistorymonth #topoftheworld #sevensummits #portrait #womenpaintingwomen #sketchdaylies https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvin4VmFpdC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vqxtkj9hkwdv

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch is British explorer, writer, naturalust, and photographer, Isabella Bird. Isabella was frail and sickly from a young age, yet was encouraged to spend as much time outdoors as possible. She was educated by her parents in a wide and eclectic range of subject matter, was an avid reader, and was both quite intelligent and curious. She continued to suffer different ailments as she grew up, and was urged to take a sea voyage, for her health, by her doctors. So her father sent her to America a with her first cousins. Bird would use the letters if her experience to write and publish her first book, An Englishwoman in America. In her middle years she'd travel to Australia (which she disliked), Hawaii, and spent a great deal if time in Colorado, where she was said to have been courted by outlaw Jim Nugent (who was killed a year after she left the state). She returned home to England for a short while where she was pursued by a surgeon named John Bishop. But Isabella couldn't be bothered, and instead embarked to Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaya, and Singapore. After learning her sister had died, she returned home and married John. He would die a few years later, and Isabella would inherit from his passing. She began to study medicine with the intent of becoming a missionary and traveling to India. She was 60. The Maharajah of Kashmir gave her land, on which she founded a hospital in memory of her late husband. Isabella was well known for her exploits, and in 1890 became the first woman awarded an honorary fellowship with The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Two years later she was the first woman to gain membership with the Royal Geographical Society, and in 1897 was an elected member of the Royal Photographic Society. Isabella died after a trip home from Morocco, she had been planning another trip to China. She was 74. Seriously check her out, there's way more interesting things about her, and not enough space to type it out here. #matriarch #worldtraveler #herstory #themostinterestingwomanintheworld #history #womenofhistory #womenshistorymonth #womenshistory #naturalist #portrait #womenpaintingwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/BvgmGMTFgza/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jtqrpur4vxqg

[katgbirmelin]

Today's #matriarchymarch is American actress, singer, trans activist, and former WWII GI, Christine Jorgensen. Shortly after graduating high school, Christine was drafted into the army during WWII at 19. After being discharged from the service she attended several schools, bouncing around between majors, and briefly working for a news outlet. During this time she began taking a form of estrogen, and researching gender reassignment surgery. She then set out to Sweden, which at the time was the only place in the world where doctors were preforming the surgery. On her way she met Dr. Christian Hamburger, and underwent hormone therapy with him (also choosing her new given name after him). After receiving permission from the Danish MJ, she underwent a series of transformative surgeries. While in recovery she wrote in a letter to a friend that her shy, miserable former self was gone, and she couldn't be happier. She became an instant celebrity on her return home in 1953, and wrote an article about her experience for The American Weekly. She used her newfound publicly to advocate for transgender people. Christine suffered from two failed engagements, the later of which was the result in a denial for a marriage license because her birth certificate still stated her gender as make. Worse still, her second fiance list his job once it was discovered he was engaged to Christine. Christine continued to write and speak on behalf of her community, all while working at a nightclub and recording studio. She died in 1989 from bladder and lung cancer just before her 63rd birthday. She's known for giving the sexual revolution 'a good kick in the pants'. #matriarch #matriarchy #herstory #transgender #transactivist #heroine #mightygirl #womenempoweringwomen #queen #lgbtq #transwoman #celebrity #history #womenofhistory #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth #portrait #womenpaintingwomen https://www.instagram.com/p/BvbgXZDlN9x/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nqlee2n34q90