15 rare photos of women who changed history

As incredible as it may seem nowadays, it isn’t so long ago that women were not allowed to vote, run marathons or play football. And although we have come a long way, we still don’t have equality. When we consider that there are still women in Iran who are forbidden from attending football matches or women in Saudi Arabia who are not allowed to drive, we see that we still have a very long way to go. Here are 15 figureheads who let nothing get in their way.

1/ Hitting a neo-Nazi with her handbag (Sweden)

2/ Kathrine Switzer, the first woman in the world to run the Boston marathon, being attacked by one of the organisers

3/ The first samurai warrior of the Upper Bushi in feudal Japan

4/ Female firefighters at Pearl Harbour, trying to put out the fires of war

5/ Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to be sent into space aboard the Vostok 6

6/ Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo above the Atlantic ocean

7/ A 106 year old Armenian woman who didn’t hesitate to protect her home, by brandishing a rifle