04/27/2025
“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” -- Mary Wollstonecraft
Today in Mighty Girl history, British writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first pioneers for women's rights, was born in 1759. Due to her groundbreaking work, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," Wollstonecraft is considered one of the founding feminist philosophers. In her treatise, Wollstonecraft argues that women should have access to education and that women are not naturally inferior to men but only appear to be because they lack the same education and opportunities afforded to men. As she famously asserted, "Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience."
Wollstonecraft further asserted that as humans, women were deserving of the same basic rights as men; a radical notion in 18th century. She intended to expand upon her writing on women's rights but died at the age of 38 due to childbirth-related complications before having the opportunity to do so. Though her life was cut tragically short, Wollstonecraft left behind an important legacy through her contributions to early feminist philosophy and in her daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who went on to become the celebrated author of the novel "Frankenstein."
To learn more about Wollstonecraft's famous work, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," visit https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780199555468 (Bookshop) and http://amzn.to/1J26rYk (Amazon)
For a beautifully told historical fiction novel about Wollstonecraft's life, we highly recommend "Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft" at https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9781250159120 (Bookshop) and https://amzn.to/3Xb1nND (Amazon)
To inspire young readers with the true stories of women who stood up for women's rights and the rights of others throughout history, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364
For books for children and teens about both real-life and fictional girls and women who confronted s*x discrimination in a multitude of forms, visit our "S*x Discrimination" book section at http://amgrl.co/1jdxKIy
For a powerful short book by acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on raising her young daughter to be a feminist, we also recommend "Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions" at https://www.amightygirl.com/dear-ijeawele
And for our favorite t-shirt honoring women throughout history who were willing to shake up the system, check out the "Well behaved women seldom make history" t-shirt -- available in a variety of styles and colors for all ages -- at https://www.amightygirl.com/well-behaved-women-history-shirt
