Maggie Lena Walker was grand secretary of the Independent Order of St. Luke, an organization dedicated to the social and financial advancement of African Americans.
1864-1934
Mary Walker was a physician and women's rights activist who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for her service during the Civil War.
1832-1919
Julia Ward Howe was a women's rights activist, abolitionist and writer who penned the poem "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
1819-1910
Kerry Washington has appeared in such films as Ray, She Hate Me, The Last King of Scotland and Django Unchained (2013). She also stars on the TV series Scandal.
1977-
Faye Wattleton, former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood—as well as the first African-American, first female and youngest president in the organization's history—has been one of the strongest champions of women's rights and reproductive health for more than four decades.
1943-
Simone Weil was a French intellectual, activist and Christian Mystic.
1909-1943
Ida B. Wells was an African-American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890s.
1862-1931
Betty White is a comedic actress who has been in show business, from TV to film, since the 1950s, most notably on The Golden Girls.
1922-
Pearl White was an American silent film actress best known for her role in The Perils of Pauline, in which she did her own stunt work.
1889-1938
1950-
Sarah Winnemucca was a member of the Native American Paiutes nation, an activist for her people and the first Native woman to publish in the English language.
1844-1891
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer who advocated for women's equality. Her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman pressed for educational reforms.
1759-1797
1871-1955
Victoria Woodhull was a spiritualist, activist, politician and author who was the first woman to run for the presidency of the United States.
1838-1927