Skip to content
History & The Arts
Featured content
Free courses
All content
Author:
  • Activity
  • 20 mins

How women changed the world

Updated Monday, 5th March 2018

Who wrote the first novel over 1000 years ago? Who disguised herself as a man to explore the new world? Take this interactive world tour to discover the stories the history books left out. 

Meet some extraordinary individuals who rewrote the rules rather than accept them; when you return from this voyage of discovery you won't see history in the same way again. Select the targets on the interactive map now to begin your journey and follow the links to hear that woman's story. 

Picture graphic of significant events for women and where they happened shown over a map. The map is pale blue sea and the land is yellow. The pictorial events are in orange bubbles with a linking line to the country they happened in.

To use this tour of how women changed the world:

  • Select the targets that appear on the map next to the illustrative clue.
  • Read the 'Did you know?' clue related to the woman who revolutionised her part of the world.
  • Follow the link 'www.open.edu' or image underneath the 'Did you know?' clue to find out the full story the history books left out. 

Alternatively you can view articles of the women's remarkable stories here.

Like this? Try a free history course

Copyrighted image Icon Used with permission History as commemoration
History as commemoration

Commemoration – remembering and marking your past – makes an important contribution to our sense of community. This free course, History as commemoration, considers ways in which written texts, memorials, letters and photographs can all serve to commemorate events, people and values we wish to remember from our past.

Learn more ❯History as commemoration

Copyrighted image Icon Used with permission The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment

The free course will examine the Enlightenment. To help understand the nature and scale of the cultural changes of the time, we offer a 'map' of the conceptual territory and the intellectual and cultural climate. We will examine the impact of Enlightenment on a variety of areas including science, religion, the classics, art and nature. Finally, we will examine the forces of change which led from Enlightenment to Romanticism.

Learn more ❯The Enlightenment

Copyright free image Icon Copyright free: 12019 Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780
Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780

The early modern period from 1500 to 1780 is one of the most engaging periods for historical study. Beginning with the upheavals of the Reformation, and ending with the Enlightenment, this was a time of fundamental intellectual, social, religious and cultural change. At the same time, early modern Europe was rooted in and retained many of the customs of medieval times. You will explore this balance of change and continuity through documents written, and (for the first time) printed including diaries, pamphlets, legal documents, bureaucratic records and ballad songs, as well as the images and objects.

Learn more ❯Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780

Take it further with an Open University degree

  • Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Firebrandphotography | Dreamstime.com
    BA (Honours) History

    BA (Honours) History

    This wide-ranging course will develop and deepen your knowledge of different periods of history from around 1500 to the late twentieth century. You'll tackle such exciting and challenging issues as power and warfare, culture and beliefs, health and medicine, imperialism, class and gender. In doing so you'll learn the skills of the historian in studying historical materials; exploring how we understand, interpret and debate past events; and investigating a range of critical approaches.

    Learn moreBA (Honours) History

    OU course

 

Author

Related content

Become an OU student

MA History part 1 free course icon

History & The Arts 

MA History part 1

This module aims to provide a foundation for studying local and regional history at an advanced level. You'll cover the key issues in the practice of local history within each of the four distinct 'nations' of the United Kingdom: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The module then explores six key local history themes - poverty, crime and policing, the family, urban history, religion and industrialisation. Underpinning all of this is the development of your research skills. You will be shown how to begin a research project and how to find relevant sources using the growing number of online historical databases.

OU course
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: The Open University
Certificate of Higher Education Open free course icon

 

Certificate of Higher Education Open

You can enjoy the freedom of studying a range of subjects that interest you with our Certificate of Higher Education Open. You'll design your own qualification to get a grounding in one or more subjects, or you can use it as the first step towards a BA/BSc (Honours) Open or Diploma of Higher Education Open.

OU course
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Firebrandphotography | Dreamstime.com
BA (Honours) History free course icon

History & The Arts 

BA (Honours) History

This wide-ranging course will develop and deepen your knowledge of different periods of history from around 1500 to the late twentieth century. You'll tackle such exciting and challenging issues as power and warfare, culture and beliefs, health and medicine, imperialism, class and gender. In doing so you'll learn the skills of the historian in studying historical materials; exploring how we understand, interpret and debate past events; and investigating a range of critical approaches.

OU course
Copyright free image Icon Copyright free: 12019
Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780 free course icon Level

History & The Arts 

Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780

The early modern period from 1500 to 1780 is one of the most engaging periods for historical study. Beginning with the upheavals of the Reformation, and ending with the Enlightenment, this was a time of fundamental intellectual, social, religious and cultural change. At the same time, early modern Europe was rooted in and retained many of the customs of medieval times. You will explore this balance of change and continuity through documents written, and (for the first time) printed including diaries, pamphlets, legal documents, bureaucratic records and ballad songs, as well as the images and objects.

OU course

More like this

International Women's Day 2015 article icon

TV, Radio & Events 

International Women's Day 2015

International Women's Day 2015 - Sunday 8th March 

Article
Creative commons image Icon The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
The Real Wonder Women activity icon Award icon

Society, Politics & Law 

The Real Wonder Women

Take a look at 60 of the world's most influential and pioneering women and the impact they made over 100 years.

Activity
Creative commons image Icon Gruenemann under CC BY 2.0 license under Creative-Commons license
Divine Women: Discussion Hub article icon

TV, Radio & Events 

Divine Women: Discussion Hub

What are your views on the role of women in religion in the past, present and future? Vote in our polls and share your views right here

Article
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: The Open University 2011
Women in Science audio icon

Science, Maths & Technology 

Women in Science

How have individual female scientists contributed to the advancement of science through time? To celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (March 8th) and to mark International Year of Chemistry 2011, The Open University asked some of the female scientists currently working in its Faculty of Science, to nominate their personal choice of outstanding woman of science. The female scientists nominated include several Nobel Prize Laureates, such as Marie Curie, Dorothy Hodgkin and American geneticist, Barbara McClintock. The academics also talk about their own experiences of being a woman in the sciences today.

Audio
50 mins
 

Become

Author

Ratings

Share

Related content (tags)

Copyright information

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?