History has its share of amazing women whose contributions to the world have been overshadowed by more recognized names. Although people like Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, and Frida Kahlo are widely recognized, millions of others have created massive impacts with little to no acknowledgement. Here are five lesser-known heroines whose stories need to be told.

The Chemist Who Discovered a Cure for Leprosy

Alice Augusta Ball was an early African American chemist whose pioneering work laid the foundation for the first effective leprosy treatment. She was only 23 when she invented the “Ball Method,” which enabled chaulmoogra oil — once an ineffective treatment — to be successfully injected and absorbed by the body. Her finding offered hope to thousands of patients who had been sentenced to permanent solitude. Sadly, Ball passed away before she could publish her research, and the credit for the work initially went to a male colleague. It has only recently begun getting her the recognition she deserves.

The Spy Who Stood Up to the Nazis: Noor Inayat Khan (1914–1944)

Noor Inayat Khan was a British-Indian spy who became one of the most daring agents of World War II. Of Indian royal descent and a Sufi pacifist, she dared to break with her family traditions by joining the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a wireless operator in Nazi-occupied France. Even when she was compromised and facing extreme danger, she never left her post.

Eventually betrayed and captured, she was tortured savagely but gave away no secrets. She was executed at the Dachau concentration camp, and before she was killed, her last word was “Liberté.” She received the George Cross after her death for her bravery.

Tye Leung Schulze (1887–1972) — The First Chinese American Woman to Vote

In an era when both women and Asian Americans were the subjects of extreme discrimination, Tye Leung Schulze was a political pioneer. She was the first Chinese American woman to cast a vote in a U.S. election in 1912—eight years before the 19th Amendment gave most women the right to vote. A civil rights warrior, she served as a translator and an advocate for victims of human trafficking in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite tremendous personal and professional challenges, she dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice.

Jovita Idar (1885–1946) — The Journalist Who Fought for Mexican American Rights

Jovita Idar was a fearless journalist, activist, and educator who used her voice to push for racial justice. Born in Texas, she wrote scathing pieces about discrimination against Mexican Americans and advocated for bilingual education and women’s rights. When government agents tried to close down her newspaper for reporting government malfeasance, she stood at the door and was ready to block their entry. Idar, often unseen, was a matriarch in the battle for civil rights in the early 1900s.

Emmy Noether (1882–1935) – The Mathematician Who Changed Physics Forever

Albert Einstein referred to Emmy Noether as the “most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women began.” Yet few beyond the academic world know her name. Noether’s theorem is central to modern physics, relating symmetry and conservation laws in a way that underlies quantum mechanics and relativity. Though brilliant,  she faced prejudice as a woman and frequently worked for free. Her share of the credit has since been established as vital to some of the most outstanding scientific achievements in history.

Why Their Stories Matter

These five women broke the mould, fought injustice, and made an indelible mark. Their stories remind us that it’s the victors who write history. However, the contributions of individuals, especially those from oppressed communities, cannot be erased, as their echoes carry forward. It’s time to put these unsung heroines in the spotlight where they belong.

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