I’ve moved my newest writing to Substack so I can share more stories, more research, and more connection with readers. While this site will continue to host past articles, all new Women Without Limits content and subscriber features are now published on Substack.
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Who Are These Women?
Courage takes many forms, and the women whose stories I tell often showed more than one, as they conquered the limits imposed upon them. These four faces of courage offer a way to explore their lives.
The Courage to Defy
Sometimes courage began with a change of clothing. Women put on trousers or adopted a male identity to gain opportunities denied to them, escape restrictions, or stand up for their convictions. Jane Dieulafoy insisted on wearing comfortable clothing for her work as an archaeologist, while Sarah Emma Edmonds entered the Union Army as a man, and Charlotte (Charley) Parker lived most of her life as a man. Their choices challenged expectations about how women should dress and live.
The Courage to Fight
These women chose to enter the struggle—as warriors, pirates, spies, resistance fighters, or journalists reporting under fire. Weetamoo fought to defend her people and their homeland. Grace O’Malley commanded ships and defended her interests at sea. And Zenobia of Palmyra fought against a Roman Emperor. Their weapons and purposes differed, but each took risks to influence events rather than stand aside. Grace O’Malley commanded ships and defended her interests at sea; Joey Guerrero carried vital information during World War II. Their weapons and purposes differed, but each took risks to influence events rather than stand aside.
The Courage to Endure
Some women found themselves facing dangers they could never have imagined. War, captivity, shipwreck, and disaster demanded difficult decisions, resourcefulness, and the strength to keep going. Ada Blackjack struggled to survive alone on an Arctic island, and Sarah Graves endured the Donner Party disaster. Isabel Godin, stranded in the Amazon forest, survived an ordeal that killed her companions. Courage could mean simply taking the next step.
The Courage to Explore
For these women, curiosity and ambition made the unknown irresistible. They crossed oceans, traveled through unfamiliar lands, and pursued discoveries despite obstacles placed in their way. Mary Kingsley explored West Africa, Osa Johnson traveled with a camera to document distant places around the world, and Maria Sibylla Merian journeyed to Suriname to study insects. They wanted to see, understand, and record more of the world—and were willing to risk much to do it.
If you want to get started, consider one or more of the women described above, or this article about
9 Amazing Women You’ve Never Heard Of
