Women Who DaredFrom the Infamous to the Forgotten

The long line of rebellious, outspoken and daring women gathered in this anthology transforms the meaning of the word 'dangerous' from its fear-laden connotation into necessary audacity. These numerous essays across times, places and perspectives also illuminate that to write is to disrupt, and these women have all done precisely that.

The pieces in this collection are not only intensely readable, they are extremely moving. Here we have fascinating glimpses into the lives of courageous and remarkable women who, often in the face of adversity, have fought for justice and a whole lot of other important values.

This is a book we all need to read. Though few of them are household names, each and every one of the nearly fifty women portrayed here, from an Egyptian pharaoh to Lancashire ‘witches’, from a Croatian investigative journalist to an Indian independence activist is at the heart of an exceptional story. Many of them, through their courage and defiance made the world a better place.

This book brings vital attention to the incredible women that have pushed boundaries and improved humanity whether through political, creative, intellectual or societal contributions. Congratulations to Ben Fletcher-Watson and Jo Shaw for editing such a unique and important collection.

This important collection of subversive cis-women’s biographies joins its predecessors from the Dangerous Women Project to remind us that danger and deviance are conflated categories that are used to further isolate those we do not wish to understand. As we consider contestations in current gender equality debates, there are essential parallels here that illustrate how violence is a living and reinforcing mechanism that histories consistently warn us about and give clues to help abate.

Women Who Dared shines a lantern-beam on the forgotten, occluded or misrepresented histories of 'dangerous' women—activists, creatives, visionaries, intellectuals and leaders — from Ancient Egypt to the contemporary era. A compelling, inspirational (and occasionally heart-rending) read that makes a resounding case for bringing a more inclusive perspective on the past into our present moment.

An impressive and important corrective to historical accounts which have forgotten, silenced, or purposefully sideline so many women for being too "dangerous." Broad in scope and engagingly written, this book goes far to complete the story and inspire us during this difficult global moment.

This collection is a delight — women from antiquity to the present are animated for a reader by what, how, when and where they dared. Every reader will find value in these narratives, because it is also pedagogical in another key. It bares for our political gaze the complexities of what daring might entail, by weaving different genres of daring together. Daring that challenged some parts of worlds, political economies, social conventions, while ceding to others is laid alongside daring that upended the worlds that women inhabited. Now, when each of us is called upon to dare, Women Who Dared stands as a primer for our times.