Stories of women who chose themselves — against everything.
Gargi Vachaknavi
700 BCE · Videha (now Mithila), India
She walked into a hall of 1,000 male scholars and dared to debate the nature of the universe.
Mirabai
1498–1547 · Merta, Rajasthan, India
A princess who gave up her palace, her reputation, and her life for the freedom to love as she chose.
Kalpana Chawla
1962–2003 · Karnal, Haryana, India
From a small town in Haryana, she flew to space — twice.
Maya Angelou
1928–2014 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA
She didn't speak for 5 years. When she finally found her voice, she became one of the greatest writers in history.
Frida Kahlo
1907–1954 · Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
She was in a full-body cast when she started painting. She painted her pain until it became beauty.