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16.OCTOBER.2024 | DUBAI, UAE

Women as Trailblazers and Pioneers

Marina Fedorova’s October column for HIA Magazine features women whose creativity and resilience have transformed their fields

Comparing genders, or even the idea of competition in this respect, does not appeal to me. First and foremost, there is the person, the human being. The truth is, however, that women often have to face enormous obstacles when seeking success and have to forge their own path. Women who have succeeded despite barriers inspire other women.

Women have long been pioneers and innovators in various fields, shaping and transforming them with their creativity, vision, and resilience. Even in the face of social and cultural barriers, their influence has been profound, redefining artistic and stylistic norms and fostering imaginative and bold thinking.

Since I am an artist, the first thing that comes to my mind are pioneering women artists. Their legacy inspires future generations to recognize and appreciate their uniqueness.

Although it is difficult to name women artists before the 20th century, there were a few who were able to make their mark in an age that was dominated by male artists. As an example, Artemisia Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque painter, pioneered the way for future generations by illustrating strong, independent women.

One of the world’s most famous trailblazers in the art world is Frida Kahlo, the iconic Mexican painter. She faced enormous physical and emotional hardship throughout her life, but transformed her pain into powerful works of art that continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.Known for her powerful self-portraits and symbolism, Kahlo’s main themes are identity, pain, and resilience. There is no doubt that she is an icon of self-expression and feminism.

I have always been drawn to the work of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary artist famous for her avant-garde art and immersive installations. Kusama has pushed the boundaries of art. She is renowned for her polka-dot motifs as well as her mirrored spaces that have brought her fame around the world challenging perception and offering an introspective look at mental health, infinity, and existence.

Creating art inspired by space and life on other planets is one of my passions, and of course, I cannot forget the female Space Trailblazers.
The word “trailblazer” could be coined for Valentina Tereshkova (b. 1937), a woman whose list of accomplishments is impressive: the first woman in space, the youngest woman in space, the first civilian in space, and the only woman to fly solo in space. Her solo launch aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6 took place on 16 June 1963 when she was just 26 years old.

She once said: “It made me happy for womankind. It proved that they could be equal with men, not only on Earth but in space as well.”

In August 1982, Svetlana Savitskaya travelled in a Soyuz T-7 spacecraft to the Russian space station Salyut-7 and returned to Earth seven days later. Her return to the space station in July 1984 made her the first woman to fly into space twice and the first woman to perform a spacewalk.
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space when she flew aboard NASA’s space shuttle STS-7 in June 1983, operating a robotic arm that deployed commercial satellites. 

The list goes on and on with May Jamison, Susan Helms, Peggy Whitson, Christina Koch and Liu Yang, to name but a few.

All these pioneering women not only overcame adversity but also redefined what was possible, leaving behind an indelible legacy of courage, innovation and determination.

I would like to conclude by quoting Kathy Sullivan, the first person to visit space and the bottom of the ocean, who said: “For many young girls, it will be a dream, a point on the horizon and a dose of confidence – they will see someone else doing it and realise it is possible”.

MARINA FEDOROVA