What Maria Sibylla Merian, Marie Curie, and Beatrix Potter Taught Me about What it Means to be a Powerful Woman
Maria Sibylla Merian - a German Naturalist from the 17th century. Marie Curie - a Polish scientist from the 19th century Beatrix Potter - a British children's book author from the 20th century What can these three women teach me about being strong, smart, and powerful? 1. All three women found a way to graciously, but firmly challenge the social norms and expectations of their time. Maria, as a single mother, always found a way to support herself and her two young daughters even in cities that often forbade women from owning businesses and allowed only certain occupations to be open to women. Marie endured constant resistance and discouragement in the field of science, much of her own achievements being credited for her husband's. She was rejected many positions because of her sex. However, her love and passion for scientific discovery enabled her to persist in her efforts. Beatrix battled blatant sexism as her work in mycology was largely ignored and discredited. S...