To mark the recent World Women's Rights Day, Villanovo wanted to celebrate these women whose incredible journeys around the world and discoveries have changed history. For a long time, these pioneering explorers in their fields such as transport, geography and biology have helped to advance our knowledge of the world and launched great expeditions to conquer it.
A great botanist, Jeanne Baré was the first woman to travel around the world, disguised as a man when it was still forbidden for a woman to go on an expedition. Accompanied by her husband, her true identity was discovered by the captain who let them continue the journey. After her husband's death during the expedition, she continued her journey to Mauritius and a few years later the value of her work was recognized by King Louis XVI.
Esther Stanhope (1776-1839)
This British woman led the first archaeological excavations in Palestine. She travelled unveiled and disguised as a man, a country that was still rarely visited at that time. Idolized by the tribes a few years later, she was named Queen of Palmyra. Esther then went on to end her life in Lebanon.
Shaaw Tlàa (1857-1920)
Known as Kate Carmack, she was the only woman to go on an expedition with her husband and brother where she discovered a large quantity of gold in Canada. After being left penniless by her husband a few years later, she will never be credited for the discovery she made.
Fanny Bullock Workman (1859-1925)
American explorer and geographer, Fanny is one of the first professional mountaineers and has broken several altitude records, notably during her ascent of Mont Blanc. She has written a book on her travels and the status of women in it.
Nelly Blie (1864-1922)
An investigative journalist, this woman's goal was to break the record for the round-the-world trip in 80 days, as in Jules Verne's masterpiece. Although her company refused to help her with this project because it seemed impossible for a woman to set off without a man, she set off a year later and completed her round-the-world trip in 72 days, which led to the writing of her book "Around the world in 72 days" which became a bestseller.
Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969)
Nicknamed the tireless explorer, but also a Franco-Belgian journalist and writer, Alexandra became the first woman in 1924 to stay in Lhasa, Tibet. At that time, Tibet was a country forbidden to foreigners, which made her journey admirable.
Amelia Mary Earhart (1897-1937)
A pioneer of American aviation, Amelia has always been driven by freedom. After marrying the explorer George Putnam, whose promise of obedience to her husband was to withdraw from the civil ceremony, Amelia was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a single plane. However, her disappearance at sea in 1937 remains an unsolved mystery.
Ada Blackjack (1898-1983)
The only woman to take part in Vilhjalmur Stefansson's expedition to the Arctic Ocean, she was also the only survivor of the journey that lasted several months alone on Wrangel Island in extreme conditions before she was found.
Anita Conti (1899-1997)
The first French oceanographer, but also a writer and photographer, Anita Conti was the first person to warn of the over-exploitation of the oceans as early as the 1930s as a result of these expeditions at sea.
Junko Tabei (1939-2016)
Japanese and passionate about mountaineering from a very young age, Junko founded a mountaineering club reserved for women in 1969 in order to make the activity more accessible to women. Junko Tabei was notably the first woman to climb Everest in 1975.
