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4 Women Who Impersonated Men in Order to Fight in Wars
Amazing stories of four women who went on gender-bending sprees in order to fight in wars
Prior to the 20th century, women’s acceptance into fighting forces had been patently restrictive on a global scale. The vast majority of countries considered women the ‘weaker sex’, consequently relegating them to the duties of childbearing, raising children, domestic work, and caretaking.
In the 1800s, there were some exceptions to this rule. One notable example is an all-female rebel group during the Venezuelan War of Independence in the 1810s, led by Juana Ramirez. This 100-strong artillery unit was instrumental in resisting Spanish soldiers in their attempt to reconquer Venezuela. Another example was Pelaghia Rosu, a Romanian revolutionary who participated in the Wallachian Revolution of 1848 and commanded an all-woman battalion in defense of her village.
The 20th Century
The 20th century, however, ushered in a new era in which women were allowed to join military fighting units. Some of the countries pioneering this concept have been those in Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Russia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cuba and Israel.
