P R O W Illustration Project
Positive Representation Of Women
How we represent women will shape the reality of how women are regarded in society.
Gallery
Mary Somerville, from Scotland, translated several scientific texts from Latin to English, and wrote her own books on science. She studied math and astronomy and was one of the two first female members of the Royal Astronomical Society. I admire her for her love of learning, the effort she put into studying despite being discouraged by society and close family.
Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and went back to help many family and friends escape as well. Later she also supported the suffragette movement. I admire her greatly for the bravery it took to keep going back, her compassion and love for others and her belief that she could act and succeed.
JK is the world known author of the Harry Potter series and has recently branched out into adult crime novels. I love her books and she made me believe that I could become an author one day. I admire her for her imagination, her strong opinions and her courage in publicly standing up for her beliefs and opinions.
Joan of Arc was an impressive girl. Despite lack of - well anything apart from a vision - she had a huge impact on medieval Europe, as demonstrated in that she is one of the few women of the period that is recognised in history. I admire her fearlessness, her faith and her determination against all odds.
I know it's almost a bit cliche, but Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors. I adore Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park and Pride & Prejudice. Jane Austen is able to create strong female characters, as different and yet similar as Fanny and Elizabeth. I admire her writing skills, her varied strong female characters and her relationship with her sister.
Zitkala-Sa was a native American author, violinist and political activist for Native American rights. She also co-produced the first Native American opera. I admire her for her proactive nature, her beautiful prose and her musical talent.
Agatha Christie is a well-known British crime novelist. She is one of my mothers favourite writers and I remember growing up listening to Agatha Christie audiobooks when I was home ill from school. Agatha Christie is the inspiration of some of my own ventures into crime writing. I admire her for her imagination, her storycrafting skills and her bravery in trying new things.
Theodosia Elizabeth Throckmorton is the protagonist of R.L. LaFevers series set in Edwardian London in the Museum of Legends and Antiquities where Theodosia's parents work. Theodosia is eleven years old, so the adults never listen and she has to be sneaky. Because the ancient artefacts that her parents bring home from Egypt are typically laden with curses. And only Theodosia can sense them. I admire her resilience, brains and bravery.
Liza is the protagonist of Lauren Oliver's book 'The Spindlers'. The Spindlers steal her younger brothers soul, and Liza chooses to go below to save her brothers and countless other souls. I admire her for her perseverance, ability to apologise and to forgive.
September is the protagonist in Cathrynne M. Valente's novels in Fairyland. Her father is at war and her mother works in a factory. And September is more than a little bored when the Green Wind invites her on an adventure. I admire her questing spirit, her sense of duty and her love for others.
Marie Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist who pioneered research in radioactivity. She was the first woman to win the nobel prize twice, once in chemistry and once in physics. I admire her for her sense of cultural identity, her hard work ethic and her pioneering efforts in a field dominated by men.
Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman in space. She has a firm belief in being able to fulfil ones own dreams and holds nine honorary doctorates. She has also featured as an actress on Star Strek: Next Generation, which is a TV series I adore. I admire her for her spunk, bravery and hard work.
After the death of her husband (when she was 25) Christine de Pizan took up writing love ballads to support her family. She became court writer for the French Royal Court, became a literary critic, particularly about the role of women in literature which she felt was unjust. She wrote a book called 'The Book of the City of Ladies' about a symbolic city where women were appreciated and respected. I admire her for her literary skills, for publicly expressing her opinions and defending womanhood.
Jane Goodall has been my hero since I was five years old. She pioneered the studies of animal behaviour with the methods she used in studying chimpanzees. Today she still works tirelessly as an environmental activist. I admire her zeal, strong beliefs and work ethic.
When I was about 10-12, one of my heroes was Michelle Kwan. I got interested in figure skating because of her. She was a brilliant ice skater, and won a silver and a bronze medal in the 1998 and 2002 olympics. I admire her dedication, her grace and her passion.
Ada Lovelace was the only legitimate child of Lord Byron. Her mother, fearing that Ada would inherit her fathers insanity, focused Ada's education on mathematics and logic. Ada is most commonly known as the first computer programmer, having written an algorithm for Charles Babbage's analytical engine. I admire her love for learning, her imagination and passion.
Lucy Pevensie is one of the main characters of CS: Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. My sister and I used to be able to quote large parts of the Narnia books. Lucy has always been my favourite. I admire her for her faith, her open mind and her to firm desire to do good.