EDITORIAL
Welcome to Issue #2 of the Athena Society Journal – the publication for student work on new perspectives in Classics, History, Art, Literatureand Politicsacross theworld
Last year we launched this initiative on International Women’s Day to inspire readers to seethehugevarietyofstories–bothpositiveand negative – that women have been a part of throughout history but are so often left unacknowledged. We were proud to be highlightedbyBoldVoicesasa‘spotlightproject’ andtowintheTalkEducationInnovationAward forthiswork.
OurlatestresearchthisyearontheEdexcel,AQA and OCR GCSE and A level specifications has shown a shocking average of less than 10% named female characters compared to male characters across all 186 courses – a statistic which is also mirrored in corresponding textbooks Our aim at Athena Society is to help correct this and put women back into the historical picture – where they have always existed but been ignored!
We are very pleased that this year we have had student entries from schools in London, Brighton, Staffordshire and even Hangzhou in China - Athena Society truly has gone global! It really is fantastic toseeso manyyoung menand womenwithacuriositytoconductresearch into lesser-knowncharactersinhistorywhoareoften ignored in theschool curriculum – thankyou so much fortaking part.
In this issue, our articles cover a whole range of historical periods and countries – from Ancient Greece and Persia to Tang dynasty China, the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, Revolutionary America, Victorian England, 19th century Germany, the Partition of India, the 1970s dictatorship in Argentina and even a recent protest in Bangladesh last year – to name just a few!
I have been really impressed with how students from ages 13-18 have had so many brilliant ideas and thought-provoking stories that can widen ourunderstandingaboutstrugglesfacedaround theworld. I hopethatthestudentswhotookthe effort to write to us, as well as everyone who reads the journal, can feel a sense of solidarity that there are so many young people out there whowant totryand understand moreabout the world around them and to uncover new and surprising storiesabout the past.
Formoreinformationabouthowtogetinvolved, gotowww.athenasocietyofficial.comandusethe contact form tosubmityourarticle proposal.
We hopeyou enjoy Issue #2 and look forward to collaborating with morestudents in the issues to followaswecontinue to bring new perspectiveson old stories.
Laura Aitken-Burt
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
The Athena Society
CONTENTS
p.3 How does the Parthenon display Athena’s fame?
p.4 Does Homer blame Helen for the Trojan War?
p.5 To what extent was Amestris a cruel queen and reckless politician in ancient Persia?
p.7 Why should we remember Hypatia?
p. 8 How does the Chinese folk song ‘Mulan Ci’ remember a female soldier?
p.9 Why was Princess Pingyang a trailblazing heroine of the Tang Dynasty?
p.11 What does the Legend of Bà Triệu tell us about the role of women in Vietnam?
p.12 How did Queen Melisende maintain power in Jerusalem?
p.13 How did Italy’s most notorious 16th century assassin get caught by a bowl of soup?
p.14 Why was Wang Zhenyi an impressive scientist in 18th century China?
p.15 What has the term ‘hysteria’ meant through time?
p.17 How can needlework be a form of protest?
p.18 Why did American history overlook Eliza Hamilton?
p.19 Why was Clara Schumann’s musical legacy more than just as a maestro’s wife?
p.21 How did Jane Austen and Alfred Tennyson write about feminism differently in the 19th century?
p.22 What was Mary Jane Kelly’s life like before she was murdered by Jack the Ripper?
p.23 Who was the Indian suffragette princess?
p.25 How did Alexandra David-Néel become the first Western woman to enter Tibet in 1924?
p.26 Who was the ‘forgotten aviatrix’ Lores Bonney?
p.27 How does Frida Kahlo’s art reflect her life and identity?
p.29 How far did women impact Chinese politics in the 20th century?
p.31 What role did female snipers play in the USSR army during World War Two?
p.32 How did Chien Shiung-Wu’s work change Physics?
p.33 What role did Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister play in the fight for Indian independence?
p.35 How did the Partition of India have a devastating impact on women’s bodies?
p.36 Witch, Weapon or Wonder - Who was the real radio star at the heart of the Vietnam War?
p.38 What did the women on Greenham Common achieve?
p.39 How did Hebe María Pastor de Bonafini become a human rights leader in Argentina?
p.41 How did Marta Minujín influence feminist art in Argentina?
p.42 How significant was Madeleine Albright’s career in international politics?
p.44 What does Mir Mughdo’s tragic death in the 2024 quota movement protests in Bangladesh tell us about social solidarity?
p.45 How influential have the novels of Ailing Zhang been in China?
p.47 Book Review: Is ‘Murder on a School Night’ by Kate Weston an example of hollow feminism?
p.48 Exhibition review: How do Medieval books change our assumptions about women’s rights in the past?
How does the Parthenon display Athena’s fame?
Aidan, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
The ancient Athenians believed that during the founding of their city, both Athena and Poseidon desiredpatronageofthecity.Tosettle the dispute, a contest began where each god provided offerings to the people of Athens, and they would decide who would become the patron god of the city based on which offering was superior. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident, creating a saltwater spring as he was the God of the sea. Athena touched the ground withherspearandgiftedthemanolivetree.The olive tree was determined to be a more useful gift due to the reliance of the ancient Greeks on olives not only for eating but for oil that was used as fuel in lamps, for cooking, and to moisturise the skin, The Erechtheion temple was later constructed on the spot on the acropolis where the contest was believed to have taken place. Equally, the story of the contest for Athens was displayed on the west pediment of the Parthenon due to its cultural importance to the Athenians.
The Parthenon was commissioned in 447 BC, 33 years after the Persian invasion in 480 BC. The Persian invaders destroyed the temple that predated the Parthenon as an act of vengeance against the Athenians who had destroyed Persian holy sites on the Ionic coast (modern Türkiye) whilst assisting Greek city states during the Ionian revolt in 499-494 BC. After defeating the Persians in 479 BC at the battle of Plataea, in honour of Athena and to celebrate their victory over the Persians, the general
Pericles persuaded the democratic assembly to construct a new temple. The famous sculptor Phidias would lead the artistic design.
Architects Iktinos and Kallikrates placed a special focus on the optical perfection of the structure utilising a technique known as entasis where the flat planes of the Parthenon were rounded with convex curves and the column diametersweretapered.Thisservedtoreinforce the structural integrity of the temple dispersing the weight of the roof into thefoundation of the temple. Perhaps even more importantly, due to the optical structure of the eye as objects get further away, straight lines become distorted and curved. This was a significant concern for the Parthenon due to its location on top of the acropolis as it was viewed from great distances within the city at all times, so if this technique had not been implemented it would have caused the Parthenon to appear distorted.
The Parthenon not only acts as an offering in thanks to the goddess Athena but also as a display of power and wealth to visitors and citizens, emphasised by the Parthenon’s architectural, artistic and optical perfection.
Does Homer blame Helen for the Trojan War?
Carrie, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
Helen of Sparta - or Helen of Troy - is a rather contentious topic in regard to the Trojan war. Some blame her as an adulteress and traitor to her husband. Some blame Paris for kidnapping her against her will. Others blame the gods for distortingthefreewillofbothparties.However, arguably the most important opinion comes from the author of our most famous version, Homer, and how he portrays and sympathises with Helen. It is important to note that her willingness to be at Troy is the hinge upon which blaming her sits and yet Homer shows her utter reluctance to be at Troy and yet her Odyssey character seems very flippant about the war and the destruction of Troy.
In the Iliad, Helen is a sympathetic character, despite featuring sparsely. Hated by most of the Trojans, she spends most of her time upset by her circumstances and, surprisingly, insulting Paris to the extent that she says she ‘was hoping [he] had fallen’ on the battlefield. This lends great insight to Helen as a character and her strained relationship with Paris, especially when viewed in the context of the insult; Aphrodite had threatened her to be with Paris or else face her wrath. This definitively demonstrates that Helen is reluctant to be in Troy or else she would not need divine intervention to keep her in Troy and with Paris.
An important factor to discuss within the Iliad is whether Homer wants us as an audience to blame Helen. It is tempting to say yes – that Achilles names Helen the cause of the war and as the Epic is intended for a Greek audience, we must agree with him as he is Greek. However, this neglects the pathos created with some Trojan characters that allows them to be credible to the audience. Hector becomes credible as we empathise with his relationship
with Andromache and Priam becomes credible as he is an old king worthy of respect. As credible characters, the audience is supposed to respect their opinions, Trojan or not. And so, when Priam overtly tells Helen he ‘do[es] not hold [her] responsible’ for the war and when Hector deflects blame from her to Paris when she’s blaming herself, these are views that we are supposed to trust and relate with rather than the Greek views. Indeed the Greeks rarely bring her up as a topic, rather favouring κλεος and τιμη (glory and honour). As such, we can see from the Iliad that Helen is not blamed for the war, merely acknowledged as the cause.
The Odyssey, however, is a different story. Appearing only twice, she establishes herself as rather flippantly uncaring about the war. Upon her entrance, she brushes off being the cause for the war by calling herself ‘formerly shameless’,asifattemptingtosaythatsheisnot so anymore. Yet this also implies that the war was a result of her own character flaws as opposed to Aphrodite, whom she blames in the Iliad. She does refer to herself as ‘shameless’ within the Iliad, but the tone there seems much more sincere than the off-handed remarks of the Odyssey.
Furthermore, her entire presence in the Odyssey appears to be her attempt to re-assert a positive reputation. She tells a story of Odysseus sneaking into Troy to give her information on how the Greeks were to save her, a tale attempting to highlight good character traits for her. Yet Menelaus counters thisbydescribingherattemptedsabotageofthe Trojan horse by deceiving the men inside, throwing a more questionable light on her nature. This is especially true as she’s described as being in the company of Deiphobus, her second Trojan lover after the death of Hector. Helen does not come across as favourably from Book 4 of the Odyssey as in the Iliad, although not necessarily fully incriminating. At most, Helen is characterised as insensitive and uncaring, yet Homer does not overtly make her to blame, while in the Iliad he overtly removed her from blame.
Overall, despite the differences in her depictions, Homer doesnot make Helen a focus of blame for the Trojan war. Instead he favours placing blame on the gods and Paris, while making Helen a more sympathetic character, if somewhat insensitive and self-pitying. Her character flaws and deflection in the Odyssey do not overrule the pathos and helplessness of her character in the Iliad and as such, we can conclude that Homer does not blame Helen for the war, despite her being the cause.
To what extent was Amestris a cruel queen and reckless politician in ancient Persia?
Jolie, Y13, Emanuel School (London)
Amestris is best known as the wife to Achaemenid ruler Xerxes I (who continued the Persian Wars against the Greeks in 480BCE) and the mother of Artaxerxes I. She is mentioned in Herodotus’ Histories, fragments of Ctesias, and Plutarch’s De superstitione, however these passages do not shine a favourable light on her part in history.
In her lifetime she was documented as achieving a few notable things. As a member of the Achaemenid dynasty, texts describe her complicated relationship with her husband, Xerxes I. He betrothed their son Daraios to Artaynte the daughter of his brother Masistes. However, Xerxes had only done this to start an affair with the young woman because he had been obsessed with Artaynte’s mother (his brother’s wife) who rejected Xerxes in an act of loyalty to her husband. He grew to hold the same obsession with his daughter-in-law (and niece) that he held for her mother and offered
her anything she ever wanted. Artaynte, knowing that her father was eager to overthrow hisbrotherandtakethepower,askedforacloak that Amestris had made for Xerxes. This cloak was so well made that it made the Achaemenid king look regal and gave him the confidence that was required for his station which meant that if Xerxes gave Artaynte the cloak (who would in turn give it to her father), he would be symbolically handing over the empire.
At this point in time, Amestris found out about her husband’s affair and wanted to send a powerful message to both sides. She could not do anything to Artaynte, because she was married to Amestris’ beloved son and could be an asset to the empire if Daraios ever came to power. So, on a festive day for the Persians (where it was tradition for the king to grant the wishes of his subjects) she asked for her sisterin-law to be brought to Amestris in chains, as a prisoner.Thiswasahighlypoliticalandruthless move in this imperial chess match, as Xerxes could not deny his wife as it would be contrary to tradition, it informed him that his wife knew about the affair, it disposed of the woman that Xerxes was once so fond of, and it punished someone who was on the same political level as Amestris
Amestris ordered the woman’s ears, nose and lips to be cut off and her tongue ripped off and breasts to be fed to dogs. She then ordered the body to be sent to Masistes (Xerxes’ brother) in that mangled state and kept alive until she arrived before him. Whether she was alive or dead when she arrived at his doorstep, Masistes still saw her disfigured body and attempted to overthrow Xerxes in response. However, Masistesreceivednosupportfromothersatraps (local rulers) in this endeavour, which may be partly because of the strong impression that Amestris’ mutilation put in their minds. Did Amestris make the right political move by manglingthiswoman? Andwouldouropinions of her change if she was a man at that time?
Later in her life, after Xerxes died, Artaxerxes I (her youngest son) took the throne. While he was on the throne an Egyptian rebel, named
Inarus, attempted to fight back against Persian control and enlisted the help of some Greeks who remained resentful about the Persian Wars. Artaxerxes royally pardoned the Greeks and Inarus which Amestris did not deem sufficient as Artaxerxes’ uncle, Achaemenes, was killed while fighting them. Amestris demanded retribution and wanted to show power against such attacks to the empire so similar rebellions would not reoccur. After five years of his mother’s begging, Artaxerxes finally relentedandAmestriswasallowedtobehead50 Greeks and impale Inarus on a spike until he died after many days of pain. Artaxerxes was then criticised for having a weaker stomach than his mother, as it was seen as cowardly that he let her carry out this punishment rather than executing it himself.
Laterstill,when,Amestris’daughter Amytiswas ill, Apollonides, a Hippocratic doctor, prescribed her ‘regular sexual intercourse’ as a treatment and carried this out himself. We can clearly see that he exploited his position as her doctor and on her deathbed, Amytis told her mother and asked her to take revenge on him Amestris tortured Apollonides for two months and on the day that Amytis died, Amestris buried him alive.
WhilstAmestris’actionsareundeniablyviolent, was she behaving any differently than a king would at the time? Have her actions been remembered as particularly cruel and reckless because she was a woman enacting them?
Why should we remember Hypatia?
Lizzie, Y9, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
Hypatia is a particularly significant role model to younger women today as she became one of the first women to study, teach maths and astronomy.
She was born around 350 AD in Alexandra, Egypt. She had more freedom than most girls in her time as her father Theon, who was a mathematician and latest attested member of the Museum of Alexandria, decided to educate her. Hypatia always had a gift for breaking down problems into things similar for understanding, this made her extremely popular with other scholars who invited her to many discussions around her best subjects like mathematics. She was also a very valued teacher to many students who attended all her public speeches and lectures. She also taught many people how to use a portable device called an astrolabe which was used to measure the angle between the horizon and a star or a planet. This would be used for many centuries in the future by sailors to find their location. She also built a device called a hydrometer which would prove to be especially useful to people for many years.
Even though her teachings were extremely useful,theyintroducedideasthatweredifferent from Christianity which was the religion most people followed at that time. This was controversial as many devout Christians became very protective of their religion. One of her students Synesius would eventually become a bishop in the Christian church. Since she
refused to convert to Christianity, and she was a pagan who spoke publicly spoke about a non – Christian philosophy, she became a target for protesting Christians in particular as women were also not allowed to engage in any form of politicsatthistime.SomeChristiansweremade tobelievethatthat astronomyandmathematics were magical arts, which were also outlawed. She taught pagan beliefs to many people and caused many disagreements between different religions and beliefs. One day on the streets Hypatia was part of a normal lecture when a mob of Christians (who were led by Peter the Lector) dragged Hypatia from her carriage into a church to strip herof her clothes and violently beat her to death using roof tiles in the streets. The people who murdered her claimed she was a heretic using lots of dark magic, methods, and applications of astronomy.
This story is important because it proves how much one woman can change people's opinions by expressing and by following their beliefs. Hypatia changed lots of religious views and helped many people later in the future due to her extraordinary findings and research that may have been overlooked before. She had a terrible death but proved a point as she was helping gain awareness of the world around her and how it works. Being a woman meant that her views were often overlooked or ignored despite her father being particularly important and a wellknown figure at the time. At a noticeably youthful age Hypatia was very smart and frequently went to the famous library at Alexandria, accompanied by her father and scholarstodiscussimportantmatterswhichshe understood in a great amount of detail.
How does the Chinese folk song ‘Mulan Ci’ remember a
female soldier?
Olivia, Y9, Hiba Academy (Hangzhou)
In ancient China lived an awesome girl named Mulan. One day, the emperor sent out important scrolls, calling all the fathers and elder brothers to join the army to fight. Mulan’s family got one of these scrolls too, but her dad was old and he was not in great shape and Mulan didn’t haveanybrotherswhocouldgoin his place.
So Mulan saw her dad coughing, weak, and she thought, “There’s no way he can go to war like this!” That’s when she came up with this amazing plan - instead ofjust staying home, she cut her hair short, put on some armour, and dresseduplikeamanandsecretlysignedupher name on the soldier list without anyone noticing.
Mulan then joined the army and was absolutely incredible at it! For 10 years she fought bravely and became a legendary warrior. She impressed everyone so much that even the emperor noticed her brilliance. When he wanted to give her lots of gold and land she said "Thank you, but all I want is a good horse to take me home."
So Mulan got the horse and journeyed back home.Whenshearrived,herfamilywasbeyond thrilled to see her again. However, during the whole time nobody knew that she was a woman and they were shocked! Since then, her story has been remembered in a Chinese Folk song from the 5th century which is called ‘Mulan Ci’.
From Song Nan Zhang’s 1998 translation:
WhatasurpriseitwaswhenMulanappeared at the door! Her comrades were astonished and amazed. “How is this possible?” They asked. “How could we have fought side by side with you for ten years and not have known you were a woman?”
Mulan replied “They say the male rabbit likes to hop and leap while the female rabbit prefers to sit still. But in times of danger, when the two rabbits scurry by, who can tell male from female?”
Why was Princess Pingyang a trailblazing heroine of the Tang Dynasty?
William, Y12, Hiba Academy (Hangzhou)
Throughout Chinese history, many powerful women have remained hidden in the shadows of their male counterparts, their stories often forgotten or overlooked. Yet, some figures, like Princess Pingyang, refuse to be relegated to obscurity. A military leader of extraordinary ability, Pingyang’s story is one of courage, resilience, and strategic brilliance that challenges conventional notions of what women could achieve in ancient China.As a key figure in the early Tang Dynasty, her legacy continuestoresonatetoday,notjustforherrole in the history of China, but as a symbol of strength and leadership for women across the world.
Princess Pingyang had a royal birthandamilitarylife.Shewas born in 598 AD as the third daughter of Emperor Li Yuan, the founder of the Tang Dynasty, and his consort, Empress Dou. Her family was deeply embedded in the fabric of Chinese history, and her father, Li Yuan, would eventuallyascendtothethrone, founding one of China’s most prosperous and powerful dynasties. Her elder brother, Li Shimin, would go on to become Emperor Taizong, one of China’s most famous and revered emperors. Pingyang’s upbringingwasoneofprivilege,
but her abilities far exceeded the expectations for royal women at the time.
Raised in the imperial court, Pingyang was educated not only in the arts of governance and literature but also in the martial arts, a practice more commonly reserved for men. Her sharp intellect, keen strategic mind, and natural leadership abilities set her apart as an exceptional individual in a time when women were often confined to domestic roles. She married Chai Shao, a talented and brave general, at the age of 16. The couple’s shared love for strategy and military affairs would later prove to be a defining factor in Pingyang’s rise as one of China’s greatest military leaders.
BythetimePingyangwasinhertwenties,China was embroiledin civil war. The oppressive reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty had led to widespread unrest, famine, and rebellion. As the Sui Dynasty crumbled, Li Yuan saw an opportunity to seize power and declare the establishment of a new dynasty. In 617 AD, he began his rebellion against the Sui regime, and his forces quickly gathered momentum.
Pingyang was far from a passive observer in this turbulent time. When her father raised the banner of revolt, Pingyang and her husband Chai Shao were called upon to support his cause. Instead of waiting for her husband to return from battle, Pingyang took matters into her own hands. She sold off her family’s properties and used the funds to recruit and train an army. What is truly remarkable is the composition of this army:it was primarily made up of refugees, displaced persons, and women, many of whom were part of the growing ranks of disenfranchised peasants affected by the collapse of the Sui Dynasty. In a time when women were typically excluded from military endeavours, Pingyang’s leadership in assembling and commanding this force was revolutionary.
Her army, known as the Niangzi Jun (Women’s Army), was built not only on the strength of its fighters but also on Pingyang’s unwavering leadership. With great strategic foresight, she quickly transformed the army into a highly disciplined and effective fighting force, capturing territory and winning key battles. Pingyang demonstrated exceptional command skills, establishing military codes of conduct andfosteringaspiritofcamaraderieandrespect amonghersoldiers.Herleadershipwasasource of inspiration to both her troops and the common people, many of whom rallied to her cause.
One of Pingyang’s most significant military achievements was her role in the siege of the capital city of Chang’an, which was under the control of the Sui forces. As her father’s rebellion advanced, Pingyang’s forces helped to secure important strategic locations, allowing her father’s army to push toward Chang’an. However, it was at the critical area later known as Niangzi Guan (Women’s Pass) where Pingyang truly demonstrated her ingenuity as a military tactician.
When faced with a superior enemy force, Pingyang executed a brilliant psychological warfare strategy. Realizing that reinforcements were still far from arriving, she instructed her
soldiers to pour rice soup into the dry riverbed surroundingthefortifications.Whentheenemy scouts saw the water flowing in the riverbed, they mistakenly believed that reinforcements had arrived, and thus, they retreated in fear. This clever tactic bought Pingyang the time needed to fortify her position and successfully defend the pass which remains a symbol of her remarkable leadership in Chinese history.
PrincessPingyangwasnot onlyamilitaryleader but also a symbol of what a woman could achieve in a male-dominated society. Her bravery and tactical genius had far-reaching consequences insecuringthefutureof theTang Dynasty. Her contributions were recognized by her father, who, upon ascending the throne as Emperor Gaozu, officially granted her the honorictitle Princess.Heraccomplishmentson the battlefield were unmatched by most men of her time, and she was the first female figure in Chinese history to be honoured with a military funeral.
Pingyang’s legacy remains an enduring source of inspiration. In a society where women’s roles were traditionally restricted to the home, her life and military success proved that women could play vital roles in the leadership and defence of their nation. The "Women’s Army" she created proved that women’s strength, resilience, and leadership should not be underestimated on the battlefield.
Her life also challenges modern preconceptions of gender roles in ancient China. Pingyang’s remarkable military prowess and her ability to commandanarmyofthousandsareatestament to the fact that leadership, courage, and intelligence are not limited by gender. In the same way that the Tang Dynasty flourished under the combined efforts of men and women like Pingyang, the world today can continue to thrive when all people, regardless of gender, are allowed to reach their full potential.
What does the Legend of Bà Triệu tell us about the role of women in Vietnam?
Finn, Y12, King’s College School, Wimbledon (London)
In the Thanh Hóa province in the north of Vietnam, on the side of one of the main roads from the city of Thanh Hóa to Nam Định there is a reasonable-sized temple to a woman named Bà Triệu. She is noted as husbandless, with golden robes, brave, intelligent and inspiring, rallying tens of thousands of Vietnamese to defend their homeland from a Chinese invasion in 248 CE. Whether she was killed in battle or committed suicide after defeat depends on who is telling the story and ultimately does not matterastheybothshowherdefiance,hermost key characteristic.
This defiance would come to define the people of Vietnam, shown throughout Vietnamese history as they struggled for independence againsttheChineseforalmostathousandyears, and later when France and America attempted to subjugate them again. Bà Triệu was not the first nor the last woman to be remembered as a Vietnamese war hero, the Trưng sisters 200 years before her and Bùi Thị Xuân 1500 years after are also recognised for their bravery and military competence, but uniquely she was unmarried, a fact repeatedly pointed out in ancient sources. Bà Triệu, despite her famed beauty, chose not to marry, defying male authority as she eluded the Chinese inspector Lu Yin for a time and rebelled despite her brother begging her not to, and even convinced him to join her.
Her most famous quote goes: “I wish to ride storms, kill orcas in the open sea, drive out the aggressors,reconquerthecountry,undotheties
of serfdom, and never bend my back to be the concubine of any man.”
The legend of Bà Triệu typically depicts her as nine foot tall, with breasts a metre long tied behind her back as she rode into battle on the back of an elephant. Whilst this artistic depiction is more fantastical and she is said to have been granted immortality, she is known to have been a historical character in a similar way to Jesus. Bà Triệu was given the title of “Most Noble, Heroic and Virgin Lady” but her image was later changed to fit the ideology of NeoConfucianism (which dictated women must obey their husbands and exist only domestically) 1200 years after her death.
However, these manipulations of her character to fit a perception of what women were supposed to be have not altered the core idea of what Bà Triệu fought for, and are minor details in a story about defiance, courage and inspiration. Bà Triệu lives on in the spirit of Vietnam,thestrugglesofallwomen,andpeople fighting for liberation worldwide. Her message of freedom should persist in our minds forever.
How did Queen Melisende maintain power in Jerusalem?
Zara, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
Queen Melisende was the daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Morphia of Melitene, who was an Armenian princess. Due toMorphiahavingnosonsandMelisendebeing theoldest offourdaughters,thismeantthatshe was raised as an heir and prepared to rule Jerusalem. Despite this, in hopes of strengthening Melisende’s claim to the throne Baldwin II married her to the Count of Anjou, FulkV. TherewerealsohopesFulkVwouldend up ruling rather than Melisende. However, Melisende was still named as heir to secure succession in 1131.
Melisende gave birth to a son in 1130, Baldwin III, who Baldwin II decided that Melisende would be the only guardian of. This shows that Baldwin II did not trust Fulk to protect Baldwin III’s future position. When Baldwin II died in 1131, Fulk and Melisende ascended to the throne together.Thiscausesignificant tensionsintheir relationship as Fulk tried to limit Melisende’s powers. As well as these tensions, Melisende was accused of having an affair with her cousin, Count Hugh of Jaffa. This accusation is believed by many historians to be false. Although Hugh
was a significant supporter of Melisende there are no records of Melisende and Hugh ever being intimate. It is more likely that Fulk fabricated these rumours to dispose of one of his biggest threats.
In 1134, Melisende’s supporters, mostly the native Frankish nobility, revolted against Fulk. They felt that he was limiting her powers and had the support of the Church. This meant that by 1135, Fulk was forced to step down. This led to Melisende ruling as effectively the sole monarch as Fulk was too scared to go against her. However, the pair seemed to reconcile and resolve tensions and had another child, Amalric, before Fulk died in a hunting accident in 1143.
After her husband’s death, Melisende ruled Jerusalem as regent for her son. She ruled very effectively and managed to defend Jerusalem from the Second crusade. However, by 1152 when Baldwin III turned 21 he wanted to rule independently but Melisende did not want to hand over power as she believed she was more experienced and should retain rule over the crusader kingdom. This caused a significant divide - Jerusalem, in the south, mostly sided with Melisende while Antioch in the north, mostly sided with Baldwin. The royal council decided that Melisende should rule the south and Baldwin should rule the north. However, after this Baldwin III invaded Jerusalem and took power and gave his mother a very small plot of land to rule as long as she did not try to reclaim power. Even though her son seized her power, Melisende and Baldwin seemed to have mended their relationship and he made her one of his important advisors
Melisende faced numerous obstacles throughout her reign, particularly from men who doubted her ability to rule, including her own husband and son.While her initial support stemmed largely from respect for her royal bloodlineandBaldwinII’slegacy,sheultimately proved herself as an effective and capable ruler and solidified her legacy as one of the most powerful women of the medieval period.
How did Italy’s most notorious 16th century assassin get caught by a bowl of soup?
Maisie, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
In Italy in 1633 and little standing in society due to the forc male authority structures main choices a woman had for her life, she could marry and hope her husband treated her well, remain single and sex-work to survive or they could become a widow.
So, what is the easiest way to become a widow? Murde obviously. To their husband’s death, many turned to the help of a woman named Giulia Tofana.
Giulia was born in 1620 in Palmero where her mother Thofania d’Amado was later executed for murdering her own husband in 1633. It is rumoured passed on her poison recipe to her daughter who was also skilled in brewing and cosmetics. Giulia had a successful apothecary business where women would regularly go to purchase cosmetics to enhance their beauty.
belladonna among other standard cosmetic ingredients.
The dosage also made it very effective as it appeared as though the man was gradually dying of some unknown illness, which helped reduce suspicions. The first dose caused extreme fatigue and sickness, the second would bring stomach aches and vomiting. The third dose led to their death.
This shows the immense skill of Giulia Tofana as the poison was expertly balanced to ensure it killed its victim slowly, her underground business also required high organisation and trust between her and her clients. Guila only ould trust through recommendations from previous clients.
However, this business also had an alternative purpose. She additionally sold toxins to these women to escape their abusive husbands disguised as popular ointments for blemishes that were easily camouflaged in a woman's vanity closet. The poison was called Aqua Tofana and was a mixture of lead, arsenic and
So how did she get caught? A lady who was so careful to be discreet and whose business was flourishing despite the risks? It was a woman who had mixed the poison into her husband’s soup but tried to stop him from drinking it by begging him. This led to her being forced to confess to attempting to murder him and reveal where she got the poison from. The authorities became involved,
Giulia confessed to killing over 600 men in , though this statement came after being subjected to torture. She was executed in 1651 and all the other women included in the scheme were subsequently arrested and executed.
Legend has it that Aqua Tofana stayed in circulation for years after her death, saving many women from abuse and maltreatment within their marriages…if they could get away with murder.
Why was Wang Zhenyi an impressive scientist in 18th century China?
Daniella, Y9, Hiba Academy (Hangzhou)
There is a woman that has been “left out” in the whole of Chinese history. Her name is Wang Zhenyi, and she is very famous for her study in astronomy and mathematics. Wang had her nameprintedon‘Nature’,anauthorizedscience magazine, for setting the base for future scientific development. In 2000, IAU (International Astronomy Union) named a newly found asteroid by her name, Wang Zhenyi. However, when we look at our textbooks, there is not even a trace of her name. Why? Because she was born in the ‘grand’ 18th century Qing dynasty.
When Wang was young, she used to read all her grandfather’s research about medical science. Inherteenageyearsshetraveledwithherfather to study medical science. From the ages of 18 to 24, she continuously observed the moon every day and finally wrote five books and three of thembecamefamousandwerestudiedbymany people over and over again. She wrote and published a book all about why lunar eclipses formandshealsohadalwayssaidthattheEarth was actually a sphere.
This might not sound a magnificent success however it meant a lot fora woman living in the Qing dynasty. In the first place it was common during the Qing dynasty for girls at a young age to be expected to study books like “Women traits” which tells women to marry whenever theirfathertellsthemtoandbea‘perfect’house wife and servant for their husband which often restricted them from studying maths and science even if they were extremely talented in these areas. However, Wang fought against this
principle and fought against the patriarchal society. She rejected her planned engagement butshehadtosteponhersciencepathallalone. Moreover, she had to deal with the pressure from all around society for not conforming to what was expected of her.
In Qing beliefs, a lunar eclipse represents misfortune, so when she published the book scientifically explaining lunar eclipses, she was seen as ‘negative and dirty’ and that writing would bring bad luck to people. Initially when Wang suggested that the world was round maybe people did not believe her! Luckily, all her books were preserved and her research was passed down, so that we are finally able to get her out of the cover and let her shine in the public.
What has the term ‘hysteria’ meant through time?
Verity, Y13, Emanuel School (London)
Ther term ‘hysteria’ is often used to mean ‘uncontrollable emotions’ but the plethora of symptoms that have been ascribed to this supposed condition, particularly for women, range from physical to mental. The nuanced referencestoitthathavebeengiventhroughout history reflect the ambiguity of both its medical truth and symbolic significance.
Theword ‘hysteria’ isderivedfromtheGreekfor ‘belonging to the womb’ and it was Greek philosophers that first thought women’s perceived ‘melancholicmadness’ camefromthe ‘wandering womb’ – the idea that the womb literally ‘wandered’ around to different parts of the body to cause illness. This was also known by the concept of ‘vapours’ - a name that can be traced to the idea of vapours rising from the uterus to corrupt the brain. This makes it clear, it would seem, that hysteria pertained to the female body and condition, that it was a metaphor for the ‘weakness’ and ‘dangerous excesses ’ ofthefemalesex.Thelinkbetweenthe concept of hysteria and female madness is incredibly strong and while the affliction certainly has roots in contrived physical causes and symptoms, the use of the disease as a descriptor of female mental health alone has become more common since the times of the ancient Greeks. It is from this that the feminist lens defines hysteria as a repressive tool - the victims of a repressive patriarchy are women, and the tool used against them is psychiatry.
The attitude towards female malady during the English Tudor and Stuart period prove especially fascinating. Neither period’s institutional structure or cultural precedents lent themselves to the use of psychiatry to repress and stigmatise particular groups - the idea of the medical discipline as we perceive it
today was only beginning and there were few devoted to psychiatry as a course of study. During this period, the oppression of women was sustained by the societal pillars of authority, custom and status-quo – madness was used primarily to denounce religious fanatics or revolutionaries and typically bore a male face. This is not to say that some women were not also diagnosed as mad, just that for every woman committed to the local house of correction or incarcerated in madhouses for being a danger to her community, several men suffered the same fate. Even the distinct link of madness to melancholy was, during the 17th and 18th centuries, seen as something that the young distraught romantic or celibate scholar suffered from.
However, this is not to say that the idea of a female mental weakness did not prevail. “Tudor and Stuart men seldom used madness as an instrument of social and sexual control” writes Michael MacDonald, “but their attitudes to women affected profoundly their conception of female psychology, normal and abnormal. Women were regarded as mental weaklings.”. It is through this perceived weakness that the symptoms characteristic of hysteria appears; Tudor and Stuart women were thought to be vulnerable to the passions of pride, envy and inconstancy. The separation of these symptoms from a mental affliction, lent itself to physical reasons. During the period there was a lack of attention paidtofemale illnesses which was not due to any newly found respect for the female condition but rather a sexism rooted in the dismissal of women’s suffering as deserving less attention and being less valid than men’s. However, in the later years of the 17th century the idea of female hysteria did appear. The melancholy seemingly exhibited by ‘sexually frustrated’ women gained increasing attention with symptoms being heavily associated with signs of possession and bewitchment characteristic of witchcraft.
On Victorian women and insanity, Elaine Showalter writes that during the Victorian period is when the increasing focus on psychiatry as well as its institutionalisation
“coincides with the period in which the predominance of women among those categorised as ‘insane’ becomes a statistically verifiable phenomenon”. Throughout the Victorian period the number of women committed to asylums increased at a greater rate than that of men. By 1871, for every 1,000 male lunatics, there were 1,182 female lunatics –according to the census of that year. Just one year later, out of the 58,640 certified lunatics of England and Wales, 31,822 were women. Statistics show that women had an average stay of 6 years – more than the male 3.7. The link made between an increasing frequency of lunacy and the Victorian period lies with the role of poverty and economic anxiety. ‘The causation of insanity everywhere” wrote Joseph Granville, “is an affair of three w’s – worry, want and wickedness” . Women had even greater economic insecurity due to societal oppression thatrestrictedtheirabilitytoworkaswellasget paid equally to men. Furthermore, the use of lunacy as away of containingsocietal renegades was widely applied to women in this period and this trend continued to the decades following. The suffragettes, for example, were commonly dismissed or critiqued as hysterical, mad, fanatic women.
Perhaps what is more interesting is the idea of malehysteria.Whilelesscommonanailment in history – only really becoming a popularised term during the early 20th century – male hysteria makes an appearance in historical diagnoses as early as 1859. With the recognition that hysteria did not have a physical cause
linked to the female reproductive system, Paul Briquet assertedthatnot onlywasmale hysteria possible,itwascommon.Freud,oneofthemost controversial thinkers on female hysteria, diagnosed both himself and his brother with hysertia before reverting back to the condition being purely female. Following the PTSD and trauma experienced during WW1, hysteria became associated with extremely bad mental health and, in turn, became completely separated from its previously specific female physical associations – lending its diagnosis to be applied to all genders. This application of hysteria as a male affliction as well as female changes the interpretation of hysteria in the past. In Tudor and Stuart England, when males weremorecommonlydeemedasinsane,theuse of hysteria as a simply female disorder canmore strongly be seen as an oppressive tool. The extentofhysteriaasatoolofoppressionismade more significant in this respect as when applied to the male condition, it was after considered psychological analysis, for women the term was ascribed much more commonly as a blanket, easydiagnosis.Thedismissalofrevolutionaryor recusant women as hysterical as well as the belittlingthatexaggeratingandscorningfemale emotions served to perpetuate the perceived inferiority of women as a tool to maintain the inequality.
Socially constructed femininity and hysteria as a symbol of the systematic subjugation of women highlights the deep-rooted misogyny that existed historically and was caused by women’s oppressed social roles rather than their bodies or psyches. This is derived from the belief that hysteria was a form of pre-feminist rebellion against the oppressive defined social roles placed on women. Whether or not hysteria is a legitimate condition is not the question to consider, instead we perhaps can examine hysteria as a symptom of female strength as well as their harsh oppression.
How can needlework be a form of protest?
Robyn, Y11, Emanuel School (London)
Needlework as a form of art has frequently been overlooked and thought of as simply functional ‘women's work’ instead of something to be admired and valued by wider society. Particularly in the past, it was an expectation that women would craft using needlework during their day-to-day lives which were often forcibly spent in domestic spaces. This meant it was often dismissed and seen considered a less worthy than other art mediums, such as painting or sculpture. However, because it was thought of as a women’s pursuit, it has become a powerful form of protest and expressing opinions, particularly about women’s rights.
Women’s access was much more limited than men’s to traditional art materials. Instead, many women found other ways to channel their creativity through tools and products which were more accessible, such as needlework. There have been many examples of these less traditional art forms that didn’t receive the attention they deserved due to the reputation associated with them.
Perhaps a particularly famous example of this more subversive role of needlework was Penelope’sresistancetoherunwantedsuitorsin Homer’s Odyssey. She promised to marry one when she had finished weaving her lost husband’s funeral shroud, but every night she unravelled her work so the shroud was never finished.
Quilts are another example of needlework as both protest and a record of day-to-day life
which makes them an important source of social history. They also had the practical bonus of keeping people warm which meant they would be seen in a domestic setting. This was important because other forms of art by women weren’t often displayed anywhere public, such as in galleries, unless under the name of a man (or in the rare occasion when the woman was the wife or daughter of a famous artist).
Emma Civey Stahl’s quilt, made in 1875, depicts the soldiers of the American Civil war alongside scenes of social activism in the fight for women’s rights. This places the role of men and women in history nexttoeachothertodepictthemasequals.One of the applique circles also depicts a man taking care of the house, which reverses the traditional stereotypes. The house is shown in disarray to emphasise that the role a woman traditionally takes isn’t easy and requires skill.
Between 1908 and 1913 the Artists' Suffrage Leagueembroideredover150protest bannersto support the women's suffrage movement. The large scale of these works of embroidery meant their messages, asserting the rights of women, were highly visible at protests.
In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in the historical influence of needlework and a growth in this medium as a formofprotestaswellasagrowingappreciation for the skill required to create such artwork. Textile art has also become less gendered with more male artists also exploring these mediums. It is welcome to see modern artists such as Natalie Baxter (born in 1985) continue to find new ways to marry artistic skills with social commentary, in her case drawing attention to the growth of gun violence in the US. I think that needlework will continue to playaroleinshapingsocietyandgivingvoiceto artists into the future.
Why did American history overlook Eliza Hamilton?
Amber, Y9, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
WhenyouseeorhearthenameHamilton,most people's minds go to Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers, but not his wife Eliza, who made his legacy known after his sudden death. She also made many contributions of her own to the United States. So, who was she?
Elizabeth Schuyler, bornon August 9th, 1757, to warheroPhilipSchuylerandsocialiteCatherine VanRensselaer,grewupasoneofeightchildren in a comfortable household. In 1780, she married Alexander Hamilton, a match that the paperswouldhave viewed as undesirabledueto Hamilton’s status as a poor immigrant, and her background of being in a well-established family. Hamilton gave her the nickname “Eliza” which would become synonymous with her legacy in her later life.
In 1797, Hamilton published Reynold’s pamphlet,whichtoldtheworldofhisaffairwith Maria Reynolds. In doing so he publicly humiliated his wife by admitting to his selfish act of adultery. Despite Eliza's embarrassment, remarkablyshestoodbyhimuntiltheendofhis life and continued to preserve his legacy after his death. Much of what we know about Alexander Hamilton is derived from her careful preservation of his correspondence.
Eliza had her own views on politics and was awareoftheeventsoftherevolutionhappening. Most of her life was spent bringing up her eight children in a loving household. An interesting and remarkable fact about Eliza’s story is that most of her correspondence did not survive throughout history. Her story is passed down because of the powerful and lasting impact she
had on those around her at the time, leaving an unforgettable legacy.
Hamilton had been in debt before his death ($50,000 to $60,000) meaning when he died, his widow Eliza was left to pay it off. This left Eliza in an unstable situation as her inheritance from her father's death had been diminished. Fortunately, after Hamilton’s death, a group of his friends took action to help Eliza by setting up a secret fund. They even bought her house for $30,000 and sold it back to her for $15,000. This shows us how much of a strong woman she was - even though she was going through a challenging time she managed to pushthrough. She died on November 9th, 1854, of natural causes and had been suffering from short term memory loss. Before her death she had remained a widow for 50 years.
Eliza is seen as one of America’s early female philanthropists, making many valuable contributions to the country. In 1806, she worked alongside Isabella Graham and Sarah Hoffman, to play a crucial role in establishing the orphan asylum society, and the first private orphanage through her dedicated volunteer efforts. This placed the foreground for many orphanages today in America. Without her vital contribution many orphanages would not be as they are today. She helped to care for over 700 children. She chose to honour her husband's
famous legacy by calling the children ‘little Alexanders’. Amazingly the organization, today knownasGrahamWindham,stillexistsoffering support and outreach to youth and families.
Inrecentyears,theElizaProjectwasfoundedby Morgan Marcell and Phillipa Soo to further honour her legacy. Another way her legacy has been shared is through the Broadway hit Hamilton, which tells us the story of Alexander Hamilton's life through catchy songs and amazing dances. Just like in real life, Eliza is present for most of the show, like she would have been in his life. Phillipa Soo who helped co-found the Eliza Project, also played her on stage. This shows how remarkable her legacy and achievements are and that they still are honoured and shared to this day.
Overall, her story shows us that although she was overlookedEliza stayed strong andplayeda vital part in preserving and sharing her husband's legacy. After Alexander Hamilton’s death, she faced many struggles yet was able to overcome them, and have her own accomplishments, such as co-founding the orphan asylum society and providing care for hundreds of children. Her legacy is celebrated and shared today by the Eliza Project and the Broadway musical Hamilton.
Why was Clara Schumann’s musical legacy more
than just as a maestro’s wife?
Tallulah, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
Clara Schumann was a German composer, arranger, and pianist, who was one of the first and only female composers of her generation. Throughout her life, she made considerable musical achievements, in both the composition and performanceworld,yet it is almost guaranteed that you are more familiar with Robert Schumann, her husband. So why is this? Was it really to do with musical aptitude, or could therebeamoreunjustreason?Thisarticleseeks to promote the recognition of Clara Schumann as an extremely talented and influential composer in her own right, not just with the patriarchally dismissive label of ‘Schumann’s wife,’ that she still often carries today.
Clara Schumann was born as Clara Wieck in 1819 to musician Frederick Wieck, and Marianne Tromlitz. In 1924, however, Frederick and Marianne separated, and Frederick was givencustodyofClara.Fromthispointon,Clara began an extremely pressurised upbringingher father refused to see gender as a disadvantage when it came to musical creation and focused a huge amount of his time into training Clara to be an exceptional young musician. She was able to read and write music long before she could even speak and had lessons from Friedrick in piano and violin
playing,singing,theory,harmony,composition, and counterpoint every day. This vast quantity of hard work became apparent for the first time when Clara became one of the first pianists to perform from memory at the age of thirteen, something that is now standard practice for most professional pianists. By the age of 16, she had established herself as an impressive child prodigy across Europe, and her career began to take off.
Things couldn’t be going better for Clara, until a major turning point came in her life: her marriage with Robert Schumann in 1840. It was from now that her life became much more complicated and challenging. By 1854, she had eight children to look after, a difficult task in itself, without having to maintain an extremely time consuming career as well. What’s more, Clara was left to manage this almost entirely on her own, since at the time, it was expected for thewomantostayathomeashousewiveswhilst the men were responsible for the family’s financial sustainment. However, she managed to continue her career, teaching at the Leipzig Conservatory, composing, and even touring.
Despite this, Clara went on to live for another 40 years , keeping up her job as a composer all the way up until her death in 1896. She had a close relationship with fellow composer Johannes Brahms, whom she is thought to have taken much inspiration from (though I would argue that it wasmorelikely to betheother way around, since she was a successful musician before him).
Overall, Clara Schumann’s wide range of musical and personal achievements demonstrates her profound influence on gender norms in both the music world and broader society too. Reclaiming her legacy means recognising her as a talented and influential composer in her own right, rather than a mere supporting figure. By defying the constraints of a male-dominated field with resilience and determination, she proved that women were just as capable as men, an achievement that surely deserves equal acknowledgement and celebration alongside her fellow male composers in today’s musical community.
Yet, as if her task wasn’t already large enough, Robert’s mental health began to deteriorate, and soon, Clara had the welfare of her husband to worry about too. After an attempted suicide, he was admitted to an asylum, and died there in 1856, only in his 40s.
How did Jane Austen and Alfred Tennyson write about feminism differently in the 19th century?
Lil, Y9, Emanuel School (London)
Feminism is a multi-faceted concept which has created debate amongst authors for centuries. The concept has been part of the thematic structure of texts since the earliest works of literature which addressed the social disparity between men and women.
Criticising social inequality became a characteristic of literature in the 19th century, with authors such as Dickens and the Brontës creating fictitious circumstances which exaggerated the faults of society. One of the recognised societal faults was the antagonization of women. Until this period, women were portrayed as social burdens and restricted in literature by commercially appeasing tropes. Their voices were discredited by the skewed preconceptions of critics, who believed in feminism being a mutually exclusive concept, reserved solely for women who opposed the actions of wider society. A prominent example of this is Jane Austen’s Emma; published in 1815, it focused on the romantic interests of the ‘rich and clever’, Emma Woodhouse. In the novel, the protagonist is criticised for her influence on Harriet Smith’s refusal of Mr Martin's proposal, deeming him a, ‘...gross, vulgar farmer’, who is concentrated on, ‘nothing but profit and loss’. This statement is reflective of Emma’s selfregard, which is implied as an effect of thelegalinjusticeof marriageand ownership of property. At the time of the novel’s publication, the law prevented married women from
owning property, regardless of her husband’s class or profession. This was changed in 1882 by the Married Women’s Property Act, the first of a series of laws to be altered in favour of women’s political rights. By criticising female expectations and legal inequality regarding marriage, Austen’s novels served as a major inflexion point in feminist literature. Her portrayal of self-advocating heroines provoked a revival of female authors who wrote about the experience of injustice.
Another example of a prominent feminist text of the 19th Century is Alfred Tennyson’s, The Princess, a satirical narrative poem, published in 1847. The Princess was published in response to the founding of Queen’s College, London, Britain’s first college for women. In contrast to Austen, Tennyson compares the rationality of feminine ambition to the humorous desires of men. The protagonist establishes a university solely for theeducationofwomen afterrefusingaprince’s proposal.Thisideaismockedbytheprince,and he seeks admission to the university, to convince the protagonist of the benefits of their union. However, the prince’s pre-conceptions change after witnessing the success of the institution. This text portrayed women as sharing aspirations which are no different from their male counterparts, justifying equality in education. Tennyson critiques society’s preconceptions of social order and writes, ‘There sinks the nebulous star we call the Sun, if that hypothesis of theirs be sound’. By questioning the existence of the sun, Tennyson is questioning a scientific thesis that is one of the most certain astronomical truths of human discovery. Tennyson writes this as a hyperbolic metaphor for the perceived anarchy that would occur through women accessing education, when the reality of this contradicts this idea.
Therefore, feminist literature has been used for the purpose of promoting societal change for centuries. It is not a mutually exclusive concept restricted solely to female authors but is a theme that has been explored by men too and continues to inspire readers.
What was Mary Jane Kelly’s life like before she was murdered by Jack the Ripper?
Claudia, Y9, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
People question why Mary Jane Kelly, Jack the Ripper’s final victim after four other murders, decided to go out on the 8th November 1888. The answer is she had no choice...
Mary Jane Kelly may have fabricated many details of her early life, as there is no documentary evidence, but there is no evidence for the contrary either. According to Joseph Barnett, the man she had most recently lived withpriortohermurder,Kellyhadtoldhimshe was born in Limerick, Ireland, in around 1863 and that her family moved to Wales when she was a child. Kelly said that she was disowned by her parents but remained close to her sister.
When Kelly was aged approximately sixteen in 1879, she, married a coal miner named Davis or Davies, who was killed two or three years later in a mining explosion. Kelly moved to Cardiff and moved in with her cousin. Although there are no contemporary records of Kelly'spresence in Cardiff, it is at this stage in her life that Kelly is considered to have begun her career as a prostitute, being introduced to this profession by her cousin. However, no South Wales police records exist to show Kelly was arrested for prostitution. In 1884, Kelly left Cardiff and moved to London, where she briefly worked as a tobacconist in Chelsea before securing employment as a domestic servant while lodging in Crispin Street, Spitalfields.
In 1885, Kelly briefly lived with Mrs. Buki in lodgings near the London Docks. In the brief period she lodged with Buki, the two are known
to have visited the home of a French lady living in Knightsbridge to demand the return of a box of expensive dresses belonging to Kelly. This information suggests Kelly's descent into the criminal underworld of East End life was markedly rapid and may have been influenced by her efforts to avoid retribution from a procurer. It is believed to be at this stage in her life when Kelly began drinking heavily.
On 8 April 1887, she became acquainted with 28-year-old Joseph Barnett, whom she first met on Commercial Street. Barnett who worked as a fish porter at Billingsgate Market took Kelly for a drink before arranging to meet her the following day. In early 1888, Kelly and Barnett moved into 13 Miller's Court, a small, sparsely furnished single room at the back of 26 Dorset Street, Spitalfields.
Kelly had lost her door key so instead of bolting and unbolting the door from the outside, she put her hand through a broken window beside the door. Kelly had supposedly broken this window when drunk, and a man's coat was placed in this broken windowpane to both function as a curtain and prevent draught from entering the room.
On November 8, 1888, Barnett visited Kelly for the last time. He stayed with her for about an hour, between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Barnett occasionally would give Kelly money during his visits, but on this night, he had none to give. He left the apartment around the same time, with Barnett returning to his lodging house to play cards until roughly 12:30 a.m.
Shortly after, Mary Jane Kelly was seen at the Ten Bells public house with another woman, Elizabeth Foster, and she was later seen drinking with two others at the Horn of Plenty pub on Dorset Street. Her whereabouts for the rest of the evening are unknown. Some say they saw her drunk with another woman at around 11:00 p.m., a neighbour claimed to see her with a short man in his thirties.
On the morning of 9th November, Thomas Bowyer discovered Kelly's corpse lying on the bed. Thomas Bowyer's statement given to the police said “I knocked at the door and got no answer. I knocked again, and as there was no reply, I went around to the window. There was a broken pane in the glass, which had been covered with a coat or something. Pushing this aside and looking in, I saw two pieces of flesh lying on the table. The second time I looked, I saw a body on the bed. I then went very quietly back to my master and told him what I had seen." She had died between three and nine hours before the discovery. The mutilation of Kelly's corpse was the most extensive of any of the Whitechapel murders.
Kelly was only about 25 years old, the youngest of Jack the Ripper’s victims. I have written this piece to shine a well-deserved light on Mary Jane Kelly as she shouldn't just be remembered as a prostitute killed by Jack the Ripper. Rather, her story shows the struggles many Victorian women faced in Whitechapel.
Who was the Indian suffragette princess?
Christopher, Y9, Emanuel School (London)
Sophia Jindan Alexandrovna Duleep Singh was born on the 8th of August 1876, as the daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh and his first wife, Bamba Müller - she was the fifth of six children that he had with her. She was named Sophia after her maternal grandmother and Alexandrovna after her godmother, Queen Victoria. Her mother was the illegitimate daughter of a German banker and an enslaved Ethiopian woman and died in 1887 from typhoid. Her father, Maharaja Duleep Singh, was the last Maharaja of Lahore - he was declared Maharaja at just 5 years old. He was overthrown and lost his Sikh Empire to the Punjab Province of British India and was then subsequently exiled to England. When he came to England, he was naturalised as a British Citizen and given a pension of £25,000 a year, which he was granted provided he 'remain obedient to the British Government'. He spent the last six years of his life (from 1877 – until 1893, when he died) in Paris, campaigning to be returned to the throne of Lahore.
Much of Sophia's early childhood was spent in Elvedon Hall in Suffolk, which was purchased by her father in 1863. Sophia was named as the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, and in 1896, Queen Victoria gave her Faraday House, then part of the Hampton Court Estate, as a graceand-favour residence. She also granted her an allowance of £200 a year to maintain it.
Princess Sophia is best known as a suffragette and campaigner for women's rights. As the daughter of a Maharaja and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, she used her fame and
position to fight for gender equality. Her campaigning attracted the attention of both the press and the government. During her campaigning, she even reportedly threw herself in front of the Prime Minister’s car, with a “Give Women the Vote!” sign. She was even arrested for taking part in physical and violent protests but was never sent to prison because of her status and name.
In 1908, Sophia met Una Dugdale, a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) who caused controversy in 1912 for refusing to say ‘I will obey’ to her husband during her wedding vows. According to another suffragette, Mary Blathwayt, Sophia was persuaded by Una’s arguments and joined the WSPU. She was an active and prominent member of the WSPU’s Richmond and Kingston-upon-Thames district branches. Sophia's older sister, Catherine, was also an active member of the suffrage movement but for the more peaceful campaigns as a member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).
She was present and a prominent figure in the 'Black Friday', on the 18th of November 1910. On this day, more than 300 suffragettes, led by both Sophia and Emmeline Pankhurst, marched to Parliament Square and demanded to see the Prime Minister to convince the government to pass a limited suffrage bill. When the Prime Minister, Henry Asquith, refused to see them and the campaigners refused to disperse, the police responded with brutality. When violence erupted, Sophia rescued ‘a sister suffragette’ from a police officer who was ‘battering’ her. The day resulted in injuries to more than 200 womenincluding two women who died from them
She was also a prominent member of the Women’s Tax Reform League (WTRL), which campaigned on the principle of 'No Vote, No tax!’ She protested that taxation without representation was not right and famously said: "When ... the state acknowledges me as a citizen I shall, of course, pay my share willingly towards its upkeep." In 1911, as an act of
protest, Sophia refused to sign the census, and instead wrote, “No Vote, No Census. As women do not count, they refuse to be counted. I have a conscientious objection to filling up this form.”
In May 1911, Sophia was summoned to court and fined £3 for keeping a servant, five dogs and a carriage without licence. In 1913, she was summoned again, for keeping more dogs and a carriage without a licence. Another time, Sophia was fined £12 and 10 shillings. Her refusal to pay resulted in some jewels being confiscated and auctioned at Twickenham Town Hall. A further diamond ring was also confiscated and auctioned. When it was auctioned, the ring was bought by Mrs Jopling Rowe, who presented it back to the Princess.
During the First World War, the WSPU and WTRL temporarily ceased activity to support the war efforts. Princess Sophia was part of the 10,000 strong Women's War Work Procession led by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1915. During this time, she became a Red Cross nurse, tending to the British Indian troops at a hospital in Brighton. She volunteered as a nurse from October 1915 to January 1917, where she worked for approximately 2,300 hours.
She lived until 1948 and so was able to see the success of her protesting efforts with women being granted the right to vote on the same basis as men in 1928 as well as the independence of India from the British Empire in 1947.
How did Alexandra David-Néel become the first Western woman to enter Tibet in 1924?
Thea, Y11, Emanuel School (London)
Alexandra David-Néel, born Louise Eugénie Alexandrine Marie David, was born in 1868 in Paris. She was raised in a household of contrasting ideologies. Her father was a journalist with republican values, whilst her mother was a conservative Belgian Catholic. Her exposure to these very different influences may have played a role in her inquisitive and independent nature. One of her earliest and striking memories consisted of seeingtheCommunards’Wall, where 19officers were executed. This was an experience that remained imprinted in her mind during the course of her adventurous life. Two years later, her family relocated to Belgium.
From a young age, David-Néel displayed a profound interest and curiosity in philosophy, religion and Eastern ideas. Along with this, she experimented with fasting and corporal torments, taking inspiration from saints she had read about. After the age of 18, she had joined multiple secret societies and visited various countries such as England, Switzerland and Spain. She also sparked an interest in anarchist philosophy, particularly being associated with the wellknown geographer and anarchist Élisée Reclus. Later in her life she also attended the Conservatoire de Musique de Bruxelles, where she trained as an opera singer. She then became the first singer atthe HanoiOpera House, Vietnam, in order to help her parents financially.
In her early twenties, she continued her exploration adventures, particularly embarking on solo trips across Europe and North Africa. Whilst working in the opera of Tunis, she met Philippe Néel, who would later become her husband. Whilst continuing her intellectual studies, she stopped singing and began to help run a casino in Tunis. In 1904, Alexandra was married to Philippe, a railway engineer. However, after a few years she departed for her third trip to India in 1911. Whilst there, she travelled to many Buddhist monasteries to deepen her knowledge. She met young Aphur Yongden, 15 years old, in one of these monasteries in 1914. He would later come to be adopted by her.
Ultimately, her most adventurous and famous trip was in 1924, when she disguised herself as a beggar, accompanied by her adopted son, Yongden. They made their way to Lhasa, undertaking an extremely perilous journey across the Himalayas. During this time, it was forbidden for foreigners to visit Tibet, making
David-Néel’s successful trip particularly impressive, especially since she was a woman. They only stayed in Lhasa for two months, before fleeing due to having been unmasked.
In 1927, she produced a now-renowned account of her expedition - ‘’My Journey to Lhasa’’. David-Néel returned to France between 1925 and 1937, before leaving for China with Yongden. When there, she found herself attending to the horrors of the Second SinoJapanese War, and therefore then fled the combat.AfterthisChinesejourneywhichlasted over a year, she returned to Tibet for a retreatof five years. She very impressively lived to her 100th birthday, leaving a marvellous legacy behind her. Over the course of her life, she wrote over 30 published books and won numerous honours. After her death, her ashes and those of Yongden’s were scattered on the Ganges River near Benares. Currently, her house in Digne is the Alexandra David Museum.
Although nowadays very few countries are forbidden to foreigners, and women have the chance to travel justasmuchasmendo, David-Néel's story still remains one of great determination.
Throughout her many travelsandexplorations,shebrokeboth social and cultural barriers in pursuit of discovering new traditions and cultures. To this day, her journey to Lhasa remains her most famous one. However, what is so inspiring about her lifetime, is that she perpetually continuedtoact onhercuriosities,regardlessof what was considered to be socially acceptable. Furthermore, her interest in other religions and cultures serves to highlight the importance of cultural understanding, and how much there is todiscover.Sheshowedtheworldthatthereare many things to uncover, and what others think should never come in the way of passion and exploration.
Who was the ‘forgotten aviatrix’ Lores Bonney?
Christopher, Y8, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
Do you know who the extraordinary person Lores Bonney is or how she broke several records during the 1930s, even narrowly escaping death several times? For a person who dodged death and succeeded with many solo flights across the globe it might confuse you why she has not been noticed around the world. She was the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England but she is not known very well. Come with me where I will show you the series of events which changed give you a better understanding of who she is and why she famous today.
Lores Bonney was born with the Maude Rose Rubens on 20th November 1897 in Pretoria, South Africathe only child of her family. Her father was a businessperson during the Boer (conflicts between the British Empire and Boer republics in South Africa) and later he traded stamps throughout the world before the family settled in Melbourne. She was later sent to a German school. It was when she was helping with World War I in 1917, as a member of the Red Cross,that shefell in love with aman named Harry Bonney – a successful leather goods manufacturer from Brisbane.
Bonney was bored and lonely, but an evening party at their home was interrupted by the intrepid Australian aviator Bert Hinkler was to prove life changing. He was Harry’s first cousin once removed (his father and Bert’sgrandfather were brothers) and in 1928 the Australian pilot hadjustmadethefirst soloEnglandtoAustralia
flight, cutting the record from 28 days to a little under 15 and a half. The day after their next meeting, Lores was sitting in his Avro Avian aircraft! Flying was expensive during these years, but thanks to her husband’s business, Bonney could afford it. She began to take lessonsandatage33,shewasflyingsolo.Within months, Harry bought Lores her own Gipsy Moth biplane
Bonney wanted to have a Christmas Day in 1931 with her husband in Brisbane and then be with her father in Wangaratta (1173km south) on Boxing Day. If she wanted to succeed in getting this mission accomplished, then it would take skilful and careful thinking. This was not just for a family Christmas, it was a record-breaking attempt! Bonney was aware that if she succeeded, it would be the longest one-day solo flight by a female pilot. It was an amazing trip and when she stepped out of the plane at the final landing field, she also stepped into the history books by completing the longest flight by a woman!
Men are seen in historic documents quite frequently but are women really seen as much? In the school curriculum, we have students learning about men in history most of the time. Whether it be a war, religion, or royalty, we often only see men. It is good that we can expand on our knowledge researching about women we did not recently know about.
Due to Lores Bonney not being recognised for this achievement it has caused her to be forgotten. I believe that anyone who completes such amazing goals should be recognised for what they do. We need to appreciate the achievements that people do, no matter their gender or race or our future will never get better. Lores Bonney showed great determination which deserves to be noticed.
How does Frida Kahlo’s art reflect her life and identity?
Coco, Y12, BHASVIC College (Brighton)
In 2018 I visited a V&A exhibit which displayed many of Frida Kahlo’s paintings as well as clothes and personal items from her home called the Blue House in Mexico. The exhibit fuelled my interest in Kahlo’s life by revealing how every element of her art was the purist extension of herself.
Two predominant emotions defined Kahlo's early life – joy and pain. These are feelings that would persist throughout her life of only 47 years.Shewasanactiveandplayfulchild,taking up football, boxing and even becoming a swimming champion. Kahlo and her father Guillermo were remarkably close, he was a photographer and taught her to develop and tint photographs. He also taught her about Mexican history and architecture through his photos, influencing Kahlo's focus on Mexican culture in much of her work.
However,Kahlo'schildhoodwasalsomarkedby ill health and cruelty. At the age of six she contracted polio and whilst she was able to overcome the illness, she was left with a permanent limp. Although she never let her handicap hold her back and continued to take part in sports and academics, she was unable to escape bullying from her classmates who called her “pata de palo” (wooden leg). The impact of this treatment is evident in the development of Kahlo's defiant identity. Art historian Gannit Ankori writes, “as a disabled child, Kahlo was
forced into a position of ‘otherness’ - one of her coping mechanisms was to enhance her distinctiveness, embellish it and eventually construct unique and unconventional identities.”
Tragedy struck again when at age 18 Kahlo was involved in a nearly fatal bus accident. She broke several bones including her collarbone, her spine, ribs and her leg in 11 places. The consequences of the accident were severe, impacting her physical health for the rest of her life and likely resulting in her early death. However, the accident also changed Kahlo's life in other ways. Although she had to give up her goal of becoming a doctor, she found a new passion of painting. Her mother created a special easel so she could paint lying down. She was in the hospital for three months and during that time found her talent.
Kahlo identified throughout her life with political and personal revolution advocating for “Rebellion against everything that chains you”. Shewasbornin1907butfrequentlyliedthatshe was bornin1910 becausethis was the yearofthe Mexican revolution – she often called herself a child of the revolution. This developed into her interest in communism through which she met her husband Diego Rivera, a famous Mexican muralist. Their relationship was passionate and dramatic with both having numerous affairs. Famously Kahlo had an affair withLeon Trotsky
and Rivera had an affair with Kahlo's sister Maria. Kahlo was bisexual and also had several alleged affairs with women thought her life, including the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture – the French actress Josephine Baker. She was also alleged to have had affairs with many women Rivera was also romantically involved with, such as Latin AmericanactressDoloresdelRio,photographer Tina Modotti and actress Paulette Goddard. Kahlo and Rivera divorced in 1939 yet remarried a year later, unable to stay apart - the emotional intensity of their relationship is a strong influence on much of Kahlo's work.
Kahlo’s identity was a unique hybrid of deeply personal elements including her interest in preColumbian Mexican culture, the struggles of her early life, the long-lasting effects of her bus accident, her relationship with Diego Rivera, her complex sexuality and gender-defying image. Prior to her discovery of her classic style of floral headdresses and traditional Mexican dresses, Kahlo experimented with her personal style. In her early life she was often photographed wearing a men's three-piece suit reminiscent of those worn by her father.
Whilst many have attempted to categorise Kahlo's work by labelling it surrealist, Kahlo always rejected this term. Despite her work having much in common with surrealist painters like Dali and Ernst, especially through their defiance of rules and rationalism in their
depiction of the world, Kahlo saw her work differently and said that the worlds created in her paintings were not a surrealist fantasy but were simply herreality- “Idon't paint dreams or nightmares I paint my own reality”. Kahlo’s work is an extension of herself, reflecting her persistent struggles with physical and mental health. Creating 55 selfportraits during her lifetime, nearly all of Frida Kahlo's work is a deeply personal insight into her life and mind, making her such a timeless figure.
During her life Kahlo reached only limited critical success and was overshadowed by the immense fame of her husband, but she never livedintheshadows.Shemadeartrightupuntil her death and had strong faith in the work she created, and today it is she who overshadows Rivera as one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. The nature of her work has far more compelling character then Rivera’s as it is intrinsically linked to her identity, as Art Historian Nancy Deffebach says “Kahlo’s selfportraits are the opposite of the master narratives of muralism. In her self-portraits she articulated her views in a first-person singular voice, insisting on the subjective viewpoint of a specific woman”.
What I think makes her such a compelling figureformeandmany others is her willingness to confront her emotions and pain and her ability to transform them into art which captures her identity in a very raw way. She almost becomes a piece of art herself through her natural defiance of everything around her. Frida Kahlo lived only a short life but one without regret saying before her death “I hope the exit is joyful and I hope never to return”.
How far did women impact Chinese politics in the 20th century?
Sam, Y11, Emanuel School (London)
The traditional position of women as subordinates in Chinese culture is often attributed to Confucianism (the way of life propagatedbyConfuciusinthe6th–5thcentury BCE and followed by the Chinese people for more than two millennia), which was oppressive towards women in its rigid hierarchical structure. The laws of China permitted arranged marriages which women could not dispute. The birth of a son was widely seen as a success, whilst a daughter was another expense as women could not carry on the family’s name once married and were committed to raising a large family.
Many of China’s most trumpeted heroes from throughout the centuries are male, such as Dr Sun Yat-sen, who spread radical ideas and sparked the revolution of 1911, spelling the end of the nearly three-hundred-year rule of the Qing dynasty. Women were equally as influential, but are not nearly so celebrated. For example, Lin Qiu was executed after an earlier failed revolution attempt in 1907, yet is still remembered today as a feminist hero of China, calling for women’s rights and the abolition of foot-binding during her powerful speeches. Tang Qunying and Shen Peizhen, along with countless others, advocated women's studies and played a role in the 1911 revolution. This ushered in Yuan Shikai’s government, which quickly fell apart and was succeeded by first the warlords, then the nationalist Guomindang, followed finally by the Communists.
The fall of the Qing brought about few improvements. Foot binding was thepractice of bending young girls’ toes under the feet before being compressed with bandages, leaving
women with lifelong disabilities and an overreliance on men, as they could seldom even leave their homes due to the intense pain. This cruel practice, which adhered to the beauty standards of the past millennia in China, was finally banned by Yuan Shikai in 1912, however it was only truly eradicated by 1949. Activists such as Lin Zongsu and Chen Xiefen continued to push for change surrounding women’s right to vote in China during the 1920s and 1930s, though this took many more years to come to fruition.
Mao Zedong recognised the importance of women whilst in the Yanan Soviet. He realised that in order to create an equal communist society, women would have to possess equal rights to men, which was then strived for with relative success. Gender norms were quickly broken as women were recruited to the CCP’s Red Army during the Chinese Civil War, in the face of significant discrimination. Hard work from countless men and women meant the Red Army triumphed in the three-year war, and the CCP came to power in October 1949 with Mao as its leader.
Change was slow. Only by 1950 were arranged marriage, infanticide and concubinage banned by Mao Zedong, as part of the Marriage Law. Women were finally also given equal rights to men in terms of divorce, voting and buying and selling of property.
The position of women in society gradually improved. The First Five Year Plan and Great LeapForwardbothencouragedtheinvolvement of men and women in increasing China’s industrial and agricultural output. Indeed, the proportion of women in the workforce rose from 8% to 29% between 1949 and the mid 1960s, yielding prosperous economic development. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s quotes such as ‘women hold up half the sky’ and ‘Times are different now; women are equaltomenandcandowhatmencan’, became extremely popular. ‘Iron women’ were seen in propaganda as labouring heroically in front of furnaces whilst caring for their family. This set the standard for many women, and the roles of
eachgenderwasrapidlyblurredinto ‘oneChina’ which would maximise its strength and output.
Women also became more involved in politics. Soong Ching-ling held prestigious positions throughout her political life, serving as Vice ChairmanofthePRC1and Vice Chairmanofthe Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The first Justice and Health Ministers werewomen – ShiLiangandMadamLiDequan Autobiographies such as Jung Chang’s Wild Swans, published in 1991, shone a light on the lives of women before and during Mao’s rule.
Although giant strides were made towards the emancipation of women throughout early Communist rule, further action was, and still is, required in order to achieve a truly equal society. Recognition of the work of women towards achieving not only their fundamental rights, but also China’s aims, is still much needed for many of these unsung heroines of the 20th century.
What role did female snipers play in the USSR army during World War Two?
Ruby, Y10, Emanuel School (London)
During the Second World War, hundreds of armies and brave soldiers risked (and gave) their lives to free the people of the USSR caught under Hitler's regime after the launch of Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Despite more than 8 million of the 34 million soldiers being non-Slavic minority soldiers, there was also anotherlesser-knowncategorythatwerehugely involved in the efforts that caused Russia to become such a useful ally: women.
In such a high-stakes war, the jobs needed to keep the well-oiled machine of the USSR’s army was never-ending. They needed pilots, medics, engineers, spies, strategists, as well as just the average common soldier who fought on the frontline. Among these jobs were snipers who shoot targets from hiding spaces, normally higher up and at long range. 428,000 soldiers were given sniper training, although only around 9500 obtained higher-level
qualifications. Of those 9500, 2000 of those were women. Deployed to some of the most dangerous battlegrounds, where they would be forced to sit still for hours so as not to not be detected as they awaited the prefect shot, many women were volunteers and regular women who had decided to help the war efforts.
Tatyana Baramzina wss a nursery teacher turned sniper who was able to shoot more than 30 confirmed kills behind enemy lines before she was captured and executed in 1944. In her death, she was awarded a ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ award for her sacrifice to defend the wounded Red Army soldiers.
Roza Shanina, a lively 20-year-old sniper, left her designated position to get closer to the battlefield to defend the Red Army troops two times When reprimanded for disobeying orders, she said she was ‘bored in the back’ and had ‘wanted to see the real war.’ She managed tokill54GermansandbringbackthreeGerman prisoners with her Roza died on the 28th of January 1945, after an injury on the battlefield. She wrote in her diary ‘If I must, for general happiness, fall, I am ready.’
However perhaps the most notable female sniper was Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who dropped out of her college to volunteer in the army and petitioned her supervisor until she was able to trainasasniper.Bytheendofhercareerin1942, she had amassed 309 recorded kills which almost beat the record of 400 held by Captain
Vasily Zaytsev. She was sent on a propaganda tour after an injury to the face. However, even afterthat shewas stillnot taken seriously bythe press, who asked her only questions about fashion and hair, asking if she had ‘worn makeup into battle.’
Women faced a lot of unwanted advances and sexual aggression from their supervisors, ‘comrades', or even the Nazi soldiers if they were caught. Women were often given harsher jobs or lowered in rank if they rejected, and many women became known as ‘officer wives’, the mistresses of supervisors, to ensure their safety and positions.
On the return from the battlefront, many female snipers suffered from PTSD just like the male soldiers and had to begin to readjust themselves to a society that did not accept the female soldiers, due to their perceived lack of ‘femininity’ and ‘empathy’ for having done this job. It scared many of the public to think women had been capableof somuch death,and the once glorified snipers were ostracized and shunned from society.
In conclusion, this small glimpse into the remarkable lives of all the known (and unknown) female snipers who gave their lives, bodies andreputationstofightfortheircountry alongside the men we usually hear about truly shows the incredible bravery and hardships theyhavesufferedthatdeservetobeknownand honoured.
How did Chien Shiung-Wu’s work change Physics?
Renesmee, Y12, Hiba Academy (Hangzhou)
“I immerse myself in physics because particles don't distinguish between male and female, all are treated equally.” This was a quote left by an unpopular female physician who had a significant impact on Physics but spent most of her life working in obscurity. Chien-Shiung Wu, often referred to as "The First Lady of Physics," stands as one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century. Born in 1912 in China, Wu’s groundbreaking work in the field of nuclear physics, particularly her confirmation of the parity violation theory, changed the landscape of particle physics. Despite facing gender biases in a male-dominated field, her achievements have left an indelible mark on science, inspiring future generations of physicists, especially women in STEM.
Growing up in a family in which education was well valued, Wu carried with her the determination of being academically excellent. This was instilled in her by her father, a welleducated scholar who had identified her talent at a young age and catered to her inclination towards science. Wu was one of the very few women in China during the time who got a degree in Physics and in 1934, she graduated from National Central University (now Nanjing University, China), with Physics. Although she movedintoafieldthatwasstillmainlyoccupied by men, Wu proceeded to pursue her desire to seek knowledge. In 1936, she took the significant step of moving to the USA to pursue a doctorate in Physics at the University of California, Berkeley. There she worked under the guidance of the Nobel Prize physicist Ernest O. Lawrence.
In 1944, during the Second World War, Wu was connected to the project that was under strict secrecy - the US government intelligence project that dealt with research into the atomic bomb. At Columbia University, Wu rubbed shoulders with some of the notable figures that have made tremendous contributions in Physics, such as EnricoFermi.Hermainjob was to build on existing knowledge of nuclear decay and to apply improved techniques in uranium isotope production for use in the atomic bomb. Wu's role in the course of its completion was vital, contributing technologies that were also applied after the war in many more areas of science. Wu's work on the Manhattan Project became one of the major points in her career that not only contributed to her future research projects but also ensured her recognition in the scientific community. Development in the field of nuclear physics also meant that she could make use of cutting-edge experimental techniques to acquire both the skills and expertise required for her revolutionary research. Among many difficulties, Wu had to tacklethechallengesofbeingawomaninafield where her colleagues were mostly men who would not readily grant her support. She was practically sidelined when her work was recognized to be a milestone in science and yet she was not given the recognition she deserved. This became most apparent when in 1957 her male colleagues received the prize for their theory on parity violation, and yet Wu, who manifested their theory with her experimental work, was not considered for the Nobel Prize. Even though many scientists including Enrico Fermi and Tsung-Dao Lee supported her, Wu was excluded from her rightly deserved Nobel Prize.
Overall, Chien-Shiung Wu was a marvellous female physicist and her accomplishments were noteworthy. Her role in 20th-century developments in Physics remains crucial and her career story still serves as a driving force for women in science. The barrier-breaking she accomplished serves as a platform for the generation of scientists who will one day eradicate the barriers that still exist for women in many scientific fields
What role did Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister play in the fight for Indian independence?
Yousuf,
Y8, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
You might have heard about Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of independent India), but have you ever heard about Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (thesisterofNehru)?Probablynot!Even thoughsheplayedasignificantroleinmoulding theindependenceofIndia,sheisstilllargelynot recognized for her advocacy for the cause. But I am here to inform you of the background of the freedom movement, and how this woman played a crucial act which is thanked by many.
The fight for freedom in Southern Asia was a defining force in forming the new legislative landscape of the region. The pursuit for independence has been marked by both nonviolent resistance and revolutionary movements. The leaders of the early and mid20th century were not only fighting for self-rule but were fighting for social and economic justice, as well as their country's reputation on the global stage.
The separation of India and Pakistan was undertaken to segregate Muslim and Hindu majority areas due to the rise of communal tension and political differences between the religious communities. Poverty and high taxation facilitated by British colonization createdvulnerablecitizens. Thisledtowhathas become known as the Partition, resulting in the largest migration to occur in modern history. TheIndianNationalCongress(INC)becamethe central political point which promoted self-rule and Indian rights to gain control from the British Raj. They had a significant role in independence as they organized protests and negotiated with Britain, eventually winning their freedom.
A person who really stood out during this time is Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. She was an Indian freedom fighter, diplomat and politician who served as the 8th president of the United Nations General Assembly. She contributed actively to the Indian National Congress and took part in rebellious actions against British rule including through her leadership of the ‘Quit India Movement’ that supported the instantaneous end of British control. Additionally, she was arrested with the other
dominant leaders of the INC without trial in Allahabad (her hometown), yet she never gave up and continued her advocacy due to the ongoing efforts protesting her imprisonment, eventually freeing her from jail. Moreover, her diplomatic contributions had internationally brought awareness about India's independence. Also, as being a well-known female leader, she promoted female rights. As a result of this, she raised awareness to gender equality alongside political liberties. Finally, in the postindependence of India, she became a key person who constructed independent India’s policies.
In conclusion, this implies that women played a significant role in the freedom movements. Women are often sidelined in conversations regarding critical information. People should not be left out because of their gender or identity. We should teach others how important women are in history, and this should be embraced in the curriculum. We should see opinions and biographies of others so we have a sense and appreciation of other perspectives. We should not call attention only to men, but ensure that we consider women as crucial in history as well.
How did the Partition of India have a devastating impact on women’s bodies?
Anna, Y10, Emanuel School (London)
DuringthePartitionofIndia,itisestimatedthat 75,00 people, principally women and children, were abducted and raped. One of them was a member of my family. She was a young married Muslim woman fleeing to West Pakistan, taken and exploited by a Sikh man while she was wounded in the violence. She was forced to remain in India amongst the ‘non Muslim’ population and have children with his brother. After 16 years, having been immersed in an entirely different identity, religion and culture, she was found by police and presented with an impossible choice; remain with her children and the life she had rebuilt, or be reunited with her family she was viciously torn from so long ago. She returned to Pakistan with a very young baby, separated from her two other sons who would be raised in India. She could never cross the border that fractured so many families, drawn thousands of miles away with a pencil on paper.
When British troops swiftly withdrew from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, political and religious turmoil ensued. The area became divided into religion-based regions, leading to a forced mass movement of Muslims into West and East Pakistan, and ‘non Muslims’ to India. In total, 20 million people across the subcontinent were displaced.
In their ‘Women and War’ special report, the International Committee of the Red Cross identify women being particularly vulnerable if they are ‘held up as symbolic bearers of cultural and ethnic identity’. This was very much the case during Partition;the perceived honour and
purityofwomenbecamethefaceofeachfamily, community, and entire religion. Women became pawns, and atrocities like abduction, rape and mutilation of women from different religions or communities became incredibly prevalent. Women were violently forced to convert faiths, ripped from their families and often made to start another, abandoning everything they once knew.
In her 2019 book ‘Partition voices’ journalist Kavita Puri draws on sources to describe how women were defiled and violated with symbols of religion, such as having nationalist propaganda inscribed on their bodies. These acts of grotesque humiliation incited fear, including amongst male family members, that dishonour, impurity and shame would be brought upon their family. Particularly among Sikh families, women were killed by their relatives to prevent conversion to another religion. Women also took it upon themselves to spare their families of being ‘tarnished’ or ‘soiled’. ‘Partition voices’ describes how 90 women tragically jumped into a well in the village of Thoa Kalsa, to protect the ‘honour’ of their family, community and religion.
The governments of India and Pakistan finally responded to this ongoing crisis in December 1947, withthe‘InterDominion treaty’, declaring the forced return of all abducted and converted women to their families; arguably, this was merely a shift of control over women and their bodies from men to the government, rather than an act of freedom. However, many women refused to cooperate with the ‘social workers’ sent to the villages. Often women would be alienated and stigmatised in their communities upon return because they were perceived to be ‘impure’. In some cases, women had formed a connection withtheir abductor or children they may have had, as detailed in ‘Partition voices’
Today, ongoing conflict in Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine reveals the same thread of suffering and hardship amongst the same demographic: women. Sudan is currently stricken with one of the most severe internal displacement crises worldwide, with 53% of those directly affected
being women and girls, as recorded by the UN Women 2024 statement. This conflict has also facilitated an increase in sexual violence and trafficking, with survivors unable to reach support services or authorities. This phenomenon is also apparent in the UkraineRussia war, where due to mass destruction, healthcare and other crucial services for victims of sexual violence are inaccessible. In Palestine, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has estimated that 70% of civilians killed are women and children. It is also predominantly women who are compelled to remain in the face of danger, caring for relatives physically unable to flee.
Although at first events like these can seem incredibly distant from the comfort of a stable country in a time of peace, discovering my own personal connection to such an immense injustice against women has bridged the gap. It is particularly devastating to reflect on these horrors, knowing that such patterns have been repeated throughout history, and humanity has failed to learn from atrocities like the Partition.
Witch, Weapon or Wonder - Who was the real radio star at the heart of the Vietnam War?
Charlotte, Y9, Emanuel School (London)
“Goooood morning, Vietnam!”
This enthusiastic greeting will immediately recall Robin Williams as the American DJ Adrian Cronauer in the 1987 film immortalised by the famous quote. But another radio presenter in the Vietnam War might have had a bigger role in this long and costly conflict, even if she is now less well known.
Hanoi Hannah was a complex figure with descriptions ranging from a mild-mannered woman of privilege to a bloodthirsty weapon of war. Exploring her mysterious story does little to determine which is most accurate. Hanoi Hannah’s real name was Trịnh Thị Ngọ and she was born in 1931 in Hanoi, Vietnam (then French Indochina) to a family of wealthy glassmakers. Growing up, she enjoyed films like ‘Gone With The Wind,’ and had private English lessons: “I like English, a little better than French!” she once cheekily commented.
At just 24, her sharp intellect and wit led to her employment as a newsreader for the Voice of Vietnam(VOV)radiostation.TheVietnamWar raged from 1955 to 1975 with the North Vietnam and the Viet Cong guerilla forces fighting against a South Vietnamese government allied with the United States. It was a war of huge global consequence and one of the first battles to utilise popular radio as part of psychological warfare, following the concept that to ‘capture their minds, their hearts and souls will follow’.
One North Vietnamese station – Radio HanoiemployedHannahtoreadpropagandaspeeches
and warped statistics in English to exhausted, impressionable American troops. “Your government has betrayed you. There is nothing noble about your mission,” was a phrase Hannah would deliver, peppering propaganda between Rock and Roll hits and anti-war content from artists like Bob Dylan.
As a weapon, Hannah may not have always delivered – soldiers would cheer, laugh and throw beer cans at the radio when she spoke –but her popularity was greater than many expected. Veterans have since explained that they recognised the show’s intent but they preferred listening because “it played better music than ours” and “she had a soft soothing voice.” For soldiers, the “radio was, after their rifle, their most valued possession” and in dimly-lit tents surrounded by hostile, pitchblack jungle, her broadcasts and silky voice were a source of comfort. Her directness, sex appeal and musical taste were potentially even more popular than her American counterpart Cronauer.
Some sources depict Hannah as “the most prominent enemy”, “evil to the core” and recommended that authorities “find her and jail her... she’s no hero”. In the movie ‘Good Morning, Vietnam,’ Robin Williams even refers to her as “the Wicked Witch of the North” and suggests she is a prostitute. Yet, while many dismissed Hannah, one veteran noted that “whatshesaidmademethinkforabit. Butthen we would all laugh.” Too proud to admit it, homesick soldiers would return to bunks in the sweltering darkness and wonder if Hanoi Hannah might have a point. Hannah was the only presenter to accurately describe the shocking massacre of hundreds of civilians in the village of My Lai in 1968, correctly identifying the death toll and location. However, because she missed one detail about which division was involved, the Americans treated the report as disinformation. Whether or not Hannah knew her intelligence was correct, by hiding behind an ‘ignorant woman’ stereotype, both sides underestimated her. When later quizzed about her political beliefs,
she gave cryptic answers with a wide smile, as if to say that no one will ever truly know.
When veteran war correspondent Don North metherafterthewar,hewasshockedandwrote “Dragon Lady? Prophet? Psy-warrior? Or what? Like so many of the phantoms from the war she was not what she seemed”. In her later years, Hannah herself explained, “I don’t have any enmityfortheAmericansingeneral,”adding“of course, we must believe in something.”
Throughout history, women are frequently glamourised or slandered, but more often they end up being overlooked. Hannah experienced all of this. She was undeniably skilful with a talent for entertainment, even if stereotypes underplay the complexity of her role. She managed to stay safe even when 200,000 North Vietnamese people were imprisoned and 1,100,000 were killed. I wonder if Hanoi Hannah’s narrative would have been immortalised like Cronauer's if more of her story had been told by women.
What did the women on Greenham Common achieve?
Violet, Y11, Emanuel School (London)
Following the Second World War, nuclear weaponry became a source of global tension. In 1945, the United States launched two atomic bombs on Japan, targeting Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This marked the beginning of a nuclear arms race, as other nations rushed to develop their own nuclear capabilities. The first wave of nuclear disarmament campaigning lasted from 1957 to 1963. Decades later, in the 1980s, concerns over nuclear weapons resurfaced, sparking a resurgence in activism.
In the UK, tensions rose as 160 American nuclear missiles were stored at Greenham Common airbase. Public awareness of the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, both fromtheiruseinJapanandtheirtestinginareas like French Polynesia, led to widespread fear about health risks and nuclear war. Many people felt compelled to act, leading to the formation of the Greenham Peace Camp in August 1981 Around forty women marched 120 miles from Cardiff to the airbase in Berkshire This movement, led by Women for Life on Earth, aimed to raise awareness of the nuclear weapons stored there.
Upon arrival, the women demanded a public debate on nuclear disarmament, but their calls were ignored. In response, they chained themselves to the airbase fence, marking the beginning of a long-term occupation. Over time, the camp grew, becoming a symbol of feminist-led anti-nuclear activism. One of the marchers, Thalia Campbell, described their journey - "We all had Greenham scarves with suffrage ribbons in our hair, and we gained confidence in making public speeches. People welcomed and fed us, and we always made sure
to thank them." This sense of solidarity defined the movement. Lynette Edwell, another participant, reflected - "Because we were engaged in something of mutual interest, it bonded us together."
Life at the camp was difficult. Women faced frequent evictions, physical removals, and the constant need to relocate. However, many found themselves surprised by their own resilience. The women’s protests gained widespread media attention due to their creativity and symbolism. Key demonstrations included:
- Embrace the Base: 30,000 women formed a human chain around the airbase.
- Teddy Bear Picnic: Protesters dressed as teddy bears and climbed the fence.
- Silo-Dancing: Women danced on missile silos in defiance.
- 14-Mile Arm Link: A symbolic display of unity.
- Ululation: A high-pitched vocal protest used to disrupt military personnel.
By reclaiming traditional ideas of femininity, the Greenham Women legitimized their demands in a unique and compelling way.
Though often dismissed as "hippies," (or even "woolly women with woolly hats") the Greenham Women captured public imagination and inspired future activists. Their decade-long protest contributed to shifting opinions on nuclear weapons, leading to the removal of American cruise missiles from Greenham Common in 1991. Their nonviolent, creative approach to protest remains a powerful example of grassroots activism.
How did Hebe María Pastor de Bonafini become a human rights leader in Argentina?
Emma, Y12, Emanuel School (London)
HebeMaríaPastordeBonafini,bornDecember 4, 1928 in Ensenada, Buenos Aires Province, emerged as a formidable figure in Argentina’s human rights movement. As a co-founder and long-time president of Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo she became an emblem of resilience and activism in the face of systemic oppression.
Contextually, Bonafini’s activism was shaped by “La Guerra Sucía” (“The Dirty War”), a violent campaign of state-sponsored terrorism executed by the Argentine military regime under Jorge Rafael Videla, from 1976 to 1983. During this period of time, there were a series of extensive violations of human rights, which enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudical executions, primarily aimed at political opponents, students, intellectuals, and those percieved as “leftist sympathisers”. It is estimated that around 30,000 “desaparecidos” (those forcibly disappeared) were taken, with many of their fates remaining unknown today.
Thismilitarycoupsignifiedthecommencement of a dark period often referred to as the ‘NationalReorganisationProcess’.Amongthose who were abducted and subsequently vanished were Bonafini’s sons, Jorge Omar and Raúl Alfred, and in response to these personal tragedies, Bonafini, an apolitical housewife, together with other mourning mothers, commenced peaceful demonstrations which, following the regime’s collapse, were instrumental in demanding accountability for officials implicated in the repression. The
movement commenced on April 30, 1977, when fourteen mothers initiated the first demonstration inthePlaza de Mayo, situatedin front of the Presidential Casa Rosada. Despite beinginstructedtodisperse,Bonafini,alongside theseotherbravemothersbegantowalkslowly, linked arm-in-arm, around the square. With each passing week, more and more mothers bravely joined the protests as those accused of collusion continued to be forcibly disappeared.
Eventually, Las Madres garnered international attention through their emblematic white scarves,which symbolisedthedemandfortruth and justice, alongside the photographs and names of their missing children, as well as their urgent appeals for their safe return. In a bid to suppress their voice, the regime targeted various members within the organisation, through beatings and detentions, as well as assassinating three of its founding members. In December 1977, Azucena Villaflor de Vincenti, Mary Ponce de Bianco, and Esther Ballestrino deCareagawereabducted,torturedandthrown to their deaths from an aeroplane. However, thesetragediesdidnotput ahalttothepeaceful demonstrations of resistance. Las Madres
turned their focus to demanding justice for massive human rights abuses, a deteriorating economy and the loss of the Falklands War terminated the military regime in 1983.
Soon, these women in white headscarves became a powerful emblem of the advocation for truth and justice, which brought international attention to the atrocities committed during the dictatorship. Under Bonafini’s leadership, Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo had evolved from a group of mourning parents into a prominent human rights organisation. They worked relentlessly at bringing truth and justice to the centre stage of Argentina, reaching the rest of the world to the atrocious crimes committed by the dictatorship. After reaching the international stage, the organisation was awarded with the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in 1999.
However, Bonafini’s career did not come without controversy. Her loud and candid nature often led her to make statements which seemed to support all activist groups, including those that used violence. For example, after the tragic events of 9/11, she expressed sentiments that various people thought were extremely provocative. She expressed how she thought there were “many people in that moment who were happy and felt that the blood of so many inthat momentwereavenged”,standingbehind
organisations that were accused of terrorism. This led to widespread debate about her opinions and ideologies, reshaping her worldwide view as a woman of peace. Despite these controversies, Bonafini maintained significant influence in Argentine politics, developing close relations with Pope Francis andadministrationssuchasNéstorandCristina Fernández de Kirchner, which facilitated several social initiatives such as the “Sueños Compartidos” (Shared Dreams) housing programme aiming to house marginalised communities.
On November 20, 2022, Bonafini passed away aged 93, leaving a diversity of different reactions, stressing her controversial lifetime. Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner referred to her as "a global symbol of the fight for human rights, pride of Argentina.”, highlightingthenationalrespectshereceivedin arguing for the justice of the “desaparecidos” in hertime.Shortlyafterherdeath,inlinewithher wishes, Bonafini's ashes were buried in the Plaza de Mayo, the location where her activism commenced many years prior.
Collectively, Bonafini alongside Las Madres irrevocably improved the human rights conditions in Argentina. Their advocation for justice contributed to the fundamental change in Argentina’s political system and have ensured that the lives and voices of the unwarranted victimsof“LaGuerraSucía”are not to be silenced and forgotten. Yes, her approaches and remarksfrequently ignited discussions; however, her commitment to her mission was unswerving. As Argentina continues to confront the remnants of its history today, Bonafini's efforts stand as a powerful testament to the strength of resilience, the necessity of demanding accountability from those in power, and the persistent pursuit of truth and justice.
How did Marta Minujín influence feminist art in Argentina?
Chloe, Y13, Emanuel School (London)
Marta Minujín, born in 1943 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a renowned conceptual and performance artist known for her innovative and interactive works. In the 1960s, Minujín began creating ‘liveable sculptures’ and installations using unconventional materials, particularly mattresses and pillows but also using her own experiences to create ephemeral pieces that have inspired many other Latina artists to follow. These works, known as ‘Colchones’ (mattresses), were among her earliest experimental pieces.
In 1964, she created ‘¡Revuelquese y Viva!’ (Roll Around and Live!), inviting participants to physically engage with her art by rolling around in a sea of cushions. Minujin viewed mattresses as symbolic repositories of life's memories, stating, "We spend half of our lives on mattresses. We are born on one and one day we will most likely die on one". This perspective added depth to her interactive environments, which predated iconic feminist art installations by a decade.
In the early 1970s, Minujín's work took a bold turn with her ‘Frozen Sex’ series. These graphic paintings explicitly depicted sexuality, pushing boundaries and challenging censorship. ‘LongTerm Freeze’, a self-portrait of Minujín lying nude on a bed, painted entirely in warm tones, exemplifies this period. These works were so provocative that an exhibition in Buenos Aires was shut down by police just three hours after opening. During this deeply uncertain political state in Argentina, Minujín’ s work became much less desired. To her it was a process of exploration of sexuality and the body and in her art that resonated with her own motivations to pursue this. Her work contributed to a broader shift in perspective, presenting women as desiring subjects rather than just desired objects.
Minujín utilized malleable everyday materials such as cardboard, mattresses, stuffed fabric, or inflatable plastic dolls throughout the 1960s and early 1970s for soft sculptures and largescale closed-circuit environments. She often had shifting conceptions of soft form and was interested by sensorially enhanced ‘soft’ experience settings and situated her experience-based Pop experimental pieces in Paris, New York, and Buenos Aires. She had an intensifying antiauthoritarian (against the rigid form) proclivity for liveness and process in the artistic world. Denouncing the superficiality of Pop Art's surfaciality, Minujín's concern with the importance of pliability and softness of form presented a countercultural response to the normative media of painting and sculpture, film, television, and the mass media.
Without a doubt one of Minujín’s most inspiring pieces was her 1983 replica of the Parthenon made from over 25,000 banned books during the Argentinian dictatorship. This large-scale installation in Buenos Aires and later re-assembled in Kassel (Germany) in 2017, symbolised the resistance to censorship and the power of free expression. Books
that have been banned at various times in history were collected by all followers and were repurposed into an iconic symbol of democracy where Minujín highlights the ongoing struggle for intellectual freedom and the enduring impact of literature in challenging oppressive regimes.
Minujín's impact on the art world continues to be recognized. The recent exhibition "Arte! Arte! Arte!" at The Jewish Museum in New York (2024) showcases her development from the 1950s to the present day, highlighting her influence on Pop, feminist, and Latin American art. Darsie Alexander (curator of the exhibition) notes, "This timely exhibition responds to a renewed interest in feminist, Pop, and Latin American art by investigating one of their leading figures"
Marta Minujín's boundary-pushing art has consistently challenged norms, engaged audiences, and paved the way for future generations of artists. Her work stands as a testament to the power of art to provoke thought, inspire change, and redefine cultural landscapes.
How significant was Madeleine Albright’s career in international politics?
Alice, Y11, Emanuel School (London)
Whenever she wanted to express herself, Madeleine Albright always used a brooch. If she was optimistic, she chose butterflies and balloons; if she was frustrated, crabs and turtles made an appearance. When Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, called her an “unparalleled snake”, she decided on a serpent, one of her favourites. When the Russians hacked into her conference room, she wore an enormous bug, just to let them know she knew. Her brooches were a tool the other men in government did not have, and being the only woman on the United Nations Security Council, she used it to her advantage.
Madeleine Albright served as the US ambassador tothe UnitedNations from 1993-97 and was the first woman to hold the cabinet post of US secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 under Bill Clinton, making her the highestranking woman in the history of American government at the time.
The only skirt amongst fourteen suits, Albright stood out. When she was asked what advantages a woman brought to running foreign policy, she had many answers. She argued that women disliked direct arguments and were much less aggressive than men, preferring to talk things through. And being so small a minority in a world of politics
dominated by men, they got noticed much more. Madeleine Albright, short, round and blonde, was an unmistakable figure. When she called Slobodan Milošević of Serbia a murderer, it shocked people much more than if a man had said it. Aggression from a woman went a long way, and Madeleine Albright boldly pushed the boundaries placed on her and other women, challenging norms to achieve what she believed was right.
Nevertheless, she also felt women’s disadvantages. She encouraged female students to speak up when she was a teacher at Georgetown University, but she herself felt nervous when she interrupted someone in a debate dominated by men. A mother and wife, she wanted to balance both politics and family, but this proved a difficult challenge. When her husband, Joseph Albright, left her in her 40s for “looking too old”, she was so desperate to have him back that she was prepared to abandon her career.
But the world thanked her for not letting go of her influence in politics and using it for the good of people worldwide. Her proudest moment was when she convinced Clinton and the rest of NATO to take military action against Serbian forces in Kosovo, ending the murder of ethnic Albanians, which eventually led to Kosovo’s independence.
However, the rest of her years at the UN were traumatic for Albright. In Somalia, American troops were sent in to prevent a civil war and famine, but when 18 were killed, America felt humiliated and withdrew. In Rwanda, America was reluctant to interfere with the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans, mostly ethnic Tutsis. Albright later apologised, saying “My deepest regret from my years in public serviceisthefailureoftheUnitedStatesandthe international Community to act sooner to halt these crimes”. Although she argued hard for humanitarian aid, it was too late even for that, and no one even seemed to care. She concluded that the UN was both a wondrous result of international peacekeeping efforts and a
terrible bureaucracy that argued over punctuation whilst people were dying.
In Bosnia, she rallied against a reluctant organisation to interfere with the ethnic cleansing of Muslims. She eventually got her way, when limited NATO air strikes cleared the way for negotiated peace, but not until after the genocide of 8,000 Muslims by Bosnian Serbs in Srebrenica. This occurred due to a clash of political cultures: Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had experienced the failure of the Vietnam war, refused to send his troops to what he called “half-hearted warfare for half-baked reasons”. Albright, however, wanted to give freedom, peace and democracy to everyone.
This came from her discovery of her Jewish origins in 1997, which deeply impacted her. She was born in Prague in 1937, and her family fled first from Nazism then Communism. Her parents converted their family to Catholicism, baptised their children, and even made up Catholic memories to protect them. Albright grew up a devoted Catholic, completely oblivious to her past. Only after becoming Secretary of State did she learn, to her horror, that she had lost three grandparents in the Holocaust. Her scarred past made her determined to spread peace around the globe, and she worked hard to try to achieve this. As Secretary of State, she fostered European alliances and expanded NATO to eastern countries emerging from the Soviet rubble, which she saw as one of her most important successes.
Madeleine Albright was a woman who believed in peace, freedom and equality, and who challenged stereotypes to achieve this. She inspired a whole generation of women, supporting Hillary Clinton when she tried for president and urging women to make themselves heard. What brooch, one could wonder, would she have worn if she met the current president…?
What does Mir Mughdo’s tragic death during the 2024 quota movement protests in Bangladesh tell us about social solidarity?
Afifah, Y9, Thistley Hough Academy (Staffordshire)
The Quota Reform Movement was led by students to demand reform of the quota-based recruitment system in all types of government jobs in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina (incidentally the world’s longest serving female head of government) called the protesting students "RAZAKAR",atermhistoricallyusedtodescribe traitors who collaborated with Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War. The students, deeply offended by being labelled "RAZAKAR" shifted their focus from protesting the quota system to demanding her resignation.
The protest which began as a typical demonstration escalated when police officers and government-backed terror group Chhatra League (currently a banned organization),
began firing on innocent students and citizens. The violence led to the deaths of over 550 students including the innocent compassionate activist Mir Mugdho. This recent tragic event marked a turning point in Bangladesh's history, and it is essential for people around the world to know about it. I want to state how an exceptional mother, stunned by the sudden loss of her child, later turns her grief into strength and feels proud of her son's sacrifice for the country.
Mir Mugdho was a driven and ambitious young man, born a minute after his twin brother, Snigdho. A dedicated freelancer, he played a pivotal role in supporting his family financially. Raised by his mother, Mir Mugdho developed a strong sense of compassion and a deep commitment to helping those in need. Throughout his life, he actively participated in charity and social justice movements, diligently setting aside a portion of his earnings each monthtocontributetocausesclosetohisheart.
On July 18, 2024, Mugdho set out to distribute food and water to the quote reform protestors. His twin brother, Snigdho, had planned to join him but Mugdho asked him not to. He began handing out food and water at 4:00 pm. In a video filmed just fifteen minutes before his death, Mugdho can be seen giving out water bottles and boxes of cookies to the protestors. As he was handing out
refreshments, he shouted “Water, water, anyone needs water brother?” At around 5pm, when he was at the side of the road with his friend, he was shot dead at Azampur intersection in Uttara. The bullet entered through his forehead and exited through the right side of his head.
Mir Mugdho's mother, Shahanara Chowdhury, was in Cox's Bazar with her husband and elder son when she learned of Mugdho’s death the next morning as they arrived in Dhaka. Despite the many people who tried to console her, she felt as though it was not her son, but her, who had died. In an interview, she expressed, "Even though my son was lying in front of me, I felt proud knowing that he didn't die in vain." Shahanara didn’t want to look at Snigdho that much after this incident as he reminded her too much of Mugdho as a twin brother.
The tragic news quickly spread across the country and even internationally, sparking widespread discussion in both social and political circles. This event fuelled a stronger determination among students, motivating them to protest even more passionately in the pursuit of justice. After a few weeks of Mir Mugdho’s death, several water companies sought permission to print Mugdho’s name on their bottles, but Shahanara declined. She expressed that she didn’t want her son to be remembered through products, rather through the tragic event that would stay in people’s hearts.
Thestoryof MirMugdhoandtheQuotaReform Movement is important because it talks about the struggle for equal opportunities for all genders, especially those from underrepresented groups. It shows government oppression, even by a female head of state, on people who want justice. While many people believe that the world has evolved positively, this story proves them wrong. It also shows how men and women can work together for a better world. People should know about this because it highlights issues of fairness and justice that many countries face, encouraging global conversations on equality and inclusion.
How influential have the novels of Ailing Zhang been in China?
Tom, Y9, Hiba Academy (Hangzhou)
In the long river of literacy, therewasonceawomanwho heldherpenandwrotedown legendary stories. Even though she never fell in love herself, her stories were about love and she challenged human essence and the status quo. This woman is Ailing Zhang, the writer who has had the most impact on literature in China in recent history. Her writings surpassed other writings from her time.
Ailing was born in 1920, as Yin Zhang, and changed her name to Ailing when she was ten. Her father, Tingzhong Zhang, was the son of a very rich person, so her father inherited a huge about of money. However, like many of the second generation of a wealthy person in that time, her father had developed bad habits like gambling, taking illegal drugs, and going to illegal places.
Ailing’s mother could not stand Tingzhong’s bad habits, so they divorced. Ailing soon had a stepmother, who was very bad and impatient to Ailing just because she was a girl, and was treated much worse than her brother, Zijing. One particular incident with her stepmother was the trigger that started Ailing’s legendary life as a writer
One day, when Ailing came back to her father’s home from a visit to her mother, her stepmother asked her where she had been, and she said visiting her mother. This made her
stepmother very mad. Astonishingly, Ailing’s stepmother slapped Ailing on her face and yelled about Ailing never paying attention to her. Ailing soon became very angry, too, and hit her back. Her stepmother ran up the stairs, to Tingzhong’s room. Tingzhong ran down the stairs as soon as he heard what was happening and started beating up Ailing.
Ailing was soon locked up and caught dysentery, but was refused treatment by her abusive father and stepmother for six months. She recovered from her illness and desperately wanted to escape. She started to calculate when their guard would rest. One day, she successfully escaped and forever was away from her father and stepmother. Ailing used her whole life to recover mentally from this scar. This is why Ailing’s style of writing was always so sad, hesitant, and nervous.
Without these difficult experiences, Ailing may never have written books now renowned as classics. People once interviewed Ailing’s stepmother about her famous slap, but she just grinned, and said, “if everyone wants to blame meforthescartoAilingthatIgave,noproblem. But if she was grateful for me making her famous, I wouldn’t deny being helpful on the way.”
When she graduated from university in Hong Kong, this is when she published most of her best stories like “The Red and White Rose” which challenges the nature of male desire and marriage and “Love in a Fallen City” which addresses the difficulties of living between tradition and modernity. In a city deeply affectedbytheSecondWorldWar,mostwriters would write about war and peace but Ailing was different. At that time, when a story gets very famous in a newspaper, it could become a book. Ailing was like a dolphin leaping out of the sea, reaching far beyond the sea level, and truly reaching to where the stars are shining.
In her later years, Ailing Zhang became more reclusive - she never answered the door for anyoneand didn’t haveanyfurnitureotherthan a bed. She wrote by putting pen and paper on
her suitcase. She ate only a little every day and also developed eye disease. Ailing knew she could not live long with a lifestyle like this, but an unexpected disease in her circulatory system really broke through her last defence.
One day in 1955, Ailing’s landlord called one of Ailing’s friends as she had not paid her rent or answered her calls. He said, “you are the only person I know who knew Ailing, I thought she might have died.” When they came to Ailing’s home, she lay peacefully on her bed, eyes closed, a suitcase neatly packed up, and important things packed up. Ailing packed all these things when she knew she’s going to die.
In her will, she said she wanted her body to be burnt as soon as possible, she didn’t want to be seen by anyone, and the bone dust should be sent into the sea, where no one can see. Now, Ailing lies forever below the Pacific Ocean
At any time, regardless of race, nationality, and skin colour, all women have the right to pursue thelifetheywant. Iwishforallthewomen tobe enthusiastic, courageous, and free in the world - be what you want to be, be yourself and you will blossom.
Book Review: Is ‘Murder on a School Night’ by Kate Weston an example of hollow feminism?
Orla, Y9, Emanuel School (London)
‘Murder on a School Night’ by Kate Weston is a murder mystery filled with plot-holes, questionable writing and superficial character development. The narrative beats of this novel are very predictable but at the same time trying to set itself apart from other books which leads to a disappointing and hastily thrown together ending. Do not even attempt to figure out the murderer - it is too obscure and inconsistent with the rest of the story.
The story follows the main protagonist Kerry, who wants to be an investigative journalist, and her best friend Annie, who wants to be popular (in quite a cliché way that is never explored later). When Kerry stumbles across a dead body whiletryingtokisstheboysheobviouslyfallsin eternal love with (I was told that this book was meant to break stereotypes), she ends up taking on the case.
Found dead with a menstrual cup in her mouth, Selena was the best friendof Heather - the most popular girl who seems to completely own the school, just like in every other ‘Mean Girls’ situation. This trope feels so much shallower in this particular book as it is highly unoriginal and overused at this point. A girl being popular should not mean they automatically run the entire school, including staff! Furthermore, the story does not make any sort of comment on ‘Les Populaires’ (the name of the popular group), which is a missed opportunity and leaves their characters feeling empty and a bit unnecessary.
Ignoring the awful ending (which I won’t reveal as a spoiler), my main problem with the book is that, while claiming to be feminist, shocking and original, all it does is follow the same wornout narrative patterns every other mediocre murder mystery does. For example, completely under-developing one of the female characters, making her nothing more than something to move the plot forward and create half-baked drama for filler.
Kerry’s best friend Annie is poorly written in this book. She has nothing unique about her: she is conventionally attractive, supposedly quirky and feminist yet has the same perfectnever-ever-wrong-leader attributes that a million other detectives have (for example Daisyfrom‘MurderMostUnladylike’). Worst of all,Annie’sentirecharacterisbuiltonherdesire to be popular. And, of course, (minor spoiler) this leads to her choosing Heather over Kerry. But wait, the plot does not have enough time to care about her, therefore as soon as Kerry needs someone else to attempt at hiding some of the plot-holes, she pops back up again without a single jot of character growth, change or
explanation. This is a shame, as I would have been interested to know Annie’s motivations and insecurities. Sadly, we never findout and so I would not recommend this book.
If you are looking for more positive feminist messaging, I strongly suggest you read ‘The Burning’ by Laura Bates, ‘The Invocations’ by Krystal Sutherland, or any of Holly Bourne’s excellent novels including ‘Am I Normal Yet?’ and ‘The Yearbook’. If you want murder mysteries, then I urge you to check out ‘This Book Kills’ or ‘Catch Your Death’ both by Ravena Guron. These books contain much strongermessagesoffeminismduetothe better portrayal of characters and use of other themes in the novel.
For example, in ‘The Invocations’ each of the female protagonists has a completely distinct life and background but they are forced to decide to either go their separate ways or look past their differences and help each other. While in ‘Murder on a School Night’ Kerry and Annie have superficial, meaningless arguments, the female characters in ‘The Invocations’ behave like believable ‘girlbosses’ (something I had not seen done well in a long time) and are taking down the patriarchy by challenging the monsters created through inherited prejudices. Conflict that exists between the characters is the natural progression of their character arcs and drives the plot forward, rather than forgetting about their disagreement as soon as it is no longer convenient. I hope you read these alternative recommendations and enjoy them.
Exhibition review: How do Medieval books change our assumptions about women’s rights in the past?
Katie, Sofiya and Eleanor, Y13, Emanuel School (London)
Until 2nd March 2025, the British Library hosted an exhibition named ‘Medieval Women: In Their Own Words’. It covered women’s health, female rulers, nunneries, their private lives and relationships and their private correspondence which was extremely enlightening.
One artefact displayed was a book containing the genealogy of Joanna of Naples. Robert the Wise, The King of Naples, named his granddaughter Joanna his heir after her father (the previous heir) died. This was contested by other male members of the family. She had to create a family tree going back to the Romans, including Aeneas and the gods, to prove her place and capability to rule. This book shown in the exhibition was very intricate, showing all the connections between rulers of Naples and Italy.Forawomantobeinvolvedinthecreation of such a valuable document shows her influence. From a very young age, Joanna was engaged to Andrew of Hungary, and they had a tumultuous relationship, openly loathing each other. Andrew was murdered in a mysterious situation,andshehadtoflee,whilepregnant,as a widow at 19 years old. She was tormented by her cousins, Andrew and Charles of Durazzo, who sought to turn public opinion against the queen. She had four marriages, and three were unhappy as her husbands were often powerhungryandabusive.Towardstheendofherlife, she helped fund the papacy’s return to Rome. She was killed by Charles, the Duke of Durazzo, because he wanted to rule. However, this does
not neglect how impressive it was for her to be a queen in the 1300s. She also kept very intellectual company, including poets like Petrarch and Boccaccio.
Another artefact we enjoyed at the exhibition was a manuscript of Julian of Norwich’s ‘Revelations of Divine Love.’ It is one of the earliest surviving English-language works written by a woman. Julian of Norwich was an English anchoress of the Middle Ages who lived at the same time as the Black Death, the Peasant’s Revolt, and the suppression of the Lollards. In 14th century England, women were not allowed to hold important positions and tended to not have a profound knowledge of Latin. This therefore meant that many of them wrote in English. Julian’s choice to use a vernacular language made her revelations more authentic and perhaps a better reflection of her own thoughts, as she was not deliberately asked to write down something. She is listed in many references that churches use to this day and she and her works are remembered on multiple occasions such as the Lesser Festival.
Within the collection on display, the British Library had one of the four remaining copies of Primer by Anne of Brittany. The primer contains prayers, Biblical scenes and Anne’s own thoughts on what a woman should be and
how to act. This book was written for her daughter, Claude of Brittany. Anne of Brittany is a widely celebrated figure in Brittany for her constant fight for it to remain independent from France. She was twice queen consort of France after being forced into marriage with King Charles VIII of France after he became fearful that Brittany would pass into the hands of foreign powers. After Charles died, she married Louis XII. Under the conditions of this marriage, it was agreed that either Anne’s second son or eldest daughter would inherit the duchy of Brittany. Her daughter, Claude, inherited the Duchy and, in an attempt to keep Brittany independent, Anne arranged a marriage between Claude and Charles V of Austria. However, that engagement didn’t last leading Claude to marry Francis I of France and Brittany joining France, ending seven centuries of independence.
Overall, we enjoyed the chance to see these documents in person at the British Library –they shed important lightonthe livesof women in the Medieval period and we could really hear their voices ‘in their own words’ as the exhibition set out to achieve.
