CZECH&NIGERIANHEROINES
Anexhibitionorganizedbythe EmbassyoftheCzechRepublicinAbuja andCzechCentres,preparedbystudents ofSUTNARKAandmembersofFemale ArtistsAssociationofNigeriaVenue:NikeArtGalleryAbuja Opening:October26,2023/ Time:12:30PM
The exhibition Czech Heroines, curated by The Czech Centers organization in 2020, celebrates the centenary of women's sufrage in Czechoslovakia. Fifty portraits of infuential Czech women, meticulously painted by students from the Design and Art University of West Bohemia, serve as a testament to their exceptional achievements. These women have not only excelled within their respective felds, but have also demonstrated courage, vision, and steadfastness throughout their lives.
Among these remarkable Czech heroines is Alice Masaryková, a trailblazer in her own right. As the daughter of the frst president of Czechoslovakia, she shattered barriers by becoming the frst female university graduate in Bohemia. Her trailblazing spirit extended beyond academia, as she founded and chaired the Czechoslovak Red Cross. Together with her mother, Charlotte Garrigue-Masaryková, Alice Masaryková signifcantly infuenced the socio-political landscape during the First Republic.
To ensure the exhibition's inclusivity, our Embassy decided to also showcase ffty portraits of Nigerian women who share similar characteristics and have made signifcant contributions to Nigeria's societal, cultural, sporting, and scientifc sectors. Selecting these Nigerian Heroines was no easy task in a country enriched with numerous outstanding female fgures. Their extraordinary accomplishments continue to inspire and shape the diverse range of human activities in Nigeria. These remarkable portraits were created by the talented members of the Female Artists Association of Nigeria, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to them for their exceptional work.
Through the Czech and Nigerian Heroines exhibition, we not only celebrate the lives and achievements of the 100 remarkable women depicted in this catalogue but also honor women worldwide. Their competence, inner strength, and unwavering determination serve as a point of reference for all, reminding us that with resilience and determination, no barrier is insurmountable.
In conclusion, let us pay tribute to the invaluable contributions of women to our society. They are the guiding lights, the unsung heroes, and the trailblazers who continue to inspire us all. Together, let us celebrate their achievements and work towards a future of true gender equality.
Zdeněk Krejčí
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria
Africa with its challenges needs heroines, and this hasn’t been lacking. Over the years, women have stood up to fght for the people and also make strides where it’s said to be impossible. Pursuing their dreams in limited resources, they have made their marks and imprint their names in history.
Just to mention in few heroines in Nigeria, late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti an activist, teacher, political campaigner; late Margaret Ekpo, a political activist; late Ladi Dosei Kwali an artist and only woman on the Nigerian currency note; Grace Alele Williams, frst woman to obtain a PhD; late Amina Zazzau, a warrior who led our people to war and others. Over various generations, heroines are continually stood tall in their quest to make the world a better and safer place.
Nike Davies Okundaye Artist, owner of the Nike Art Gallery
I was so excited when Mummy Nike told me to work with the Czech Republic for the Nigerian Heroines project, as part of the Czech Republic National Day Event. I was glad that there was an opportunity to involve the Female Artists Association of Nigeria (FEAAN) in working on the portraits, seeing that it was for the celebration of women achievements in Nigeria. When I shared this on the association’s platform, the artists were equally excited and voiced their passion about the project. I particularly thank Prof. Bridget Nwanze our BOT chairperson for her participation and encouragement.
I often wonder why the Czech Republic had chosen to honour these women with an exhibition, I am completely unaware of any of such projects being done by any establishment in Nigeria in recent time. The need to honor our heroines often cannot be over emphasized and I am truly inspired by the calibre of women selected to be honored. I fondly remember Af Ekong’s statement during an interview I conducted in 2005 for my M.A research: She expatiated on the experiences with her male counterparts in the visual art profession, how she encouraged and promoted them but often felt betrayed by some of them. These women we honour have come along way; They experienced discrimination, violence, betrayal, threats, subjection, rejection, imprisonment and in extreme situations, death in a bid to simply achieve their ambition.
I dof my hat in sincere appreciation to the Czech Republic Ambassador, the Deputy Head of Mission and their team for this noble project. I also give a pat on the back to all the artists that participated and the most deserving of my appreciation, my Mentor and Icon, Mummy Nike for her generosity and promotion of arts and artists in Nigeria.
The artworks come in diferent styles: mixed media, embroidery, pencil and charcoal, oil painting and acrylic on canvas. Some of the paintings might not be as realistic or ftting to the expectations of each individual viewer, rather, it is the artistic representation of the Heroines as viewed by the artists.
The cooperation between Nigeria and Czech Republic is well appreciated.
Happy viewing!
Ngozi Akande
BOT Sec. Female Artists Association of Nigeria
THIS EXHIBITION WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE EFFORTS OF THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE: Al Hadji Mustapha Yakubu, Mr. Jakub Heyduk, Mr. Ahmed Sumaila, Mrs. Janet Faden, Mr. Igor Bachinsky, Mr. Pavel Trousil, KC from Nike Art Gallery, Mr. Steve Eruada and Mrs. Hana Trousilová
Heroine Author
Queen Moremi
Emotan Uwarraye
Queen Amina
Nana Asma’u
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
Grace Eniola Soyinka
Kofo Ademola
Margaret Ekpo
Clara Ugbodaga
Ladi Dosei Kwali
Adetowun Ogunseye
Af Ekong
Flora Nwapa
Grace Alele Williams
Folake Solanke
Hajia Gambo Sawaba
Taiwo Ajai-Lycett
Virginia Etiaba
Ekanem Ikpi Braide
Nike
Fatima Masaya
Shobowale Damilola
Anila Adnan
Hadiza Abiola Shehu
Kukoyi Olajumoke
Divine Favour
Joy Idigoh
Tabitha Odigili
Ogochukwu Ejiofor
Halima Abubakar
Clara Aden
Kaltume Gana
Bridget Nwanze
Adelani Adedoyin
Adelani Adedoyin
Divine Favour
Clara Aden
Kaltume Gana
Chinyere Nwaneri
Irene Ewere
Folorunsho Alakija Ngozi Akande
Kudirat Abiola
Onyeka Onwenu
Maryam Maigida
Joy Idigoh
Ajoritsedere Awosika Ngozi Akande
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Dora Akunyili
Ameyo Stella Adadevoh
Aderonke Kale
Balaraba Ramat Yakubu
Georgietta Yehouenou
Pauline Tallen
Christy Essien-Igbokwe
Amina J. Mohammed
Chinyere Onyenaucheya
Oby Ezekwesili
Mo Abudu
Ngozi Akande
Arunma Oteh
Mary Onyali
Chioma Ajunwa
Nse Ikpe-Etim
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Adora Ikwuemesi
Chioma Agwuegbo
Tosin Oshinowo
Ojy Anne Okpe
Agbani Darego
Ola Brown
Tems Openiyi
Tobi Amusan
Kukoyi Olajumoke
Williams Josephine Uchechukwu
Obi Njideka
Halima Abubakar
Fatima Masaya
Maryam Maigida
Bridget Nwanze
Ogochukwu Ejiofor
Ashiegbu Uloma
Chinyere Nwaneri
Tabitha Odigili
Khadijah T. Adeboye
Chidera Uzoma
Blessing Miracle Ome
Chidera Uzoma
Onyinyechi Ekeh
Ekene May
Ekene May
Ashiegbu Uloma
Onyinyechi Ekeh
Blessing Miracle Ome
Ayoola Omoyo
Hadiza Abiola Shehu
Ayoola Omoyo
Anila Adnan
Khadijah T. Adeboye
(12th century)
Queen Moremi Ajasoro was a legendary Yoruba queen and folk heroine in the Yorubaland region of present-day southwestern Nigeria who assisted in the liberation of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife from the neighboring Ugbo Kingdom.
Author: Fatima Masaya
Queen Moremi
Emotan Uwarraye
(15th century)
Emotan Uwarraye was a market woman who plied her trade at the Oba Market in the ancient kingdom of Benin during the reign of Oba Uwaifokun and Oba Ewuare the Great. She was known for her humanitarian work, love for children, and most importantly the key role she played during the period of Prince Ogun’s (Oba Ewuare I) succession travails following his time in exile.
Author: Shobowale Damilola
(1533-1610)
Queen Amina of Zazzau (now Zaria) commonly known as the Warrior queen, expanded the territory of the Hausa people to the largest borders in history. Only three months after being crowned queen, Amina waged a 34year campaign against her neighbors to expand the territory of her kingdom. Her army, consisting of 20,000 foot soldiers and 1,000 cavalry troops, was well-trained and fearsome. Legend tells that her frst announcement to her people was a call for them to “resharpen their weapons.”
More than 400 years later, the legend of her persona became the model for a television series about a fctional warrior princess called Xena.
Queen Amina
Author: Anila Adnan
(1793–1864)
Asma’u bint Shehu Usman dan Fodiyo was a Fula princess, poet, teacher, and a daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman Dan Fodiyo. She remains a revered fgure in northern Nigeria. She is held up as an example of education and independence of women and as a precursor to modern women’s rights activists in Africa.
Author: Hadiza Abiola Shehu
Nana Asma‘u
(1900-1978)
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Educator, political campaigner, sufragist, and women’s rights activist. She is known for her advocacy for women’s right to vote, demanding better representation of women in local governing bodies and an end to unfair taxes on market women.
Author: Kukoyi Olajumoke
FunmilayoRansome-Kuti
Grace Eniola Soyinka
(1908-1983)
Grace Eniola Soyinka. Shopkeeper and activist, who co-founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union with Funmilayo RansomeKuti, her aunt-in-law. They protested against taxes introduced by the Alake of Abeokuta, the ruler backed by the colonial authorities. She is known for her open advocacy against unfair taxes in colonial Nigeria.
Author: Divine Favour
Author: Joy Idigoh
(1913–2002)
Oloorikofowurola “Kofo” Ademola. Educator who was the frst president of the National Council of Women’s Societies in Nigeria. She was the frst black African woman to earn a degree from Oxford University, studying at St Hugh’s College, and the frst female member and later chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United Bank for Africa. She is also an author of children’s books.
Kofo Ademola
(1914-2006)
Margaret Ekpo. Activist and social mobilizer who was a pioneering female politician in the country’s First Republic and a leading member of a class of traditional Nigerian women activists, many of whom rallied women beyond notions of ethnic solidarity. She played major roles as a grassroots and nationalist politician in the Eastern Nigerian city of Aba, in an era of hierarchical and male-dominated movement towards independence.
MargaretEkpo
Author: Tabitha Odigili
(1921-2006)
Clara Ugbodaga. Artist who was a pioneer of Nigerian modernism and helped to infuence a generation of African artists. She taught members of the Zaria Art Society, a group of young Nigerian artists who helped to establish post-colonial modernism. In 1958, she became the frst female Nigerian artist to have a solo exhibition in London.
Author: Ogochukwu Ejiofor
Clara Ugbodaga
(1925-1984)
Ladi Dosei Kwali. Potter, ceramicist and educator. She made large cooking pots, bowls, and fasks from coils of clay, beaten from the inside with a fat wooden paddle. They were decorated with incised geometric and stylized fgurative patterns. Her pots were noted for their beauty of form and decoration, and she was recognized regionally as a gifted and eminent potter. Her ceramics became art objects and were exhibited at many international exhibitions of Abuja pottery. Ladi Kwali is featured on the 20 Naira note.
Author: Halima Abubakar
Ladi Dosei Kwali
Professor Felicia Adetowun Omolara Ogunsheye. First female professor in Nigeria. She was a Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Ibadan. Between 1977 and 1979, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ibadan. She was the frst woman to become a Dean in any Nigerian university.
Adetowun Ogunsheye
Author:
Clara Aden
Author: Kaltume Gana
(1930-2009)
Constance Afong “Af” Ekong. Attah Artist and arts promoter, manager of the Lagos Arts Council, a founding member of the Society of Nigerian Artists, supervisor of Gallery Labac from 1961, and chair of the Federal Arts Council Nigeria from 1961 to 1967. She appeared regularly on the Nigerian television program Cultural Heritage to promote the arts. She also chaired a UNESCO commission in the 1970s, and in 1990 the National Council of Women’s Societies Committee on Arts and Crafts.
Af Ekong
(1931–1993)
Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru “Flora” Nwapa. Writer who has been called the mother of modern African literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and the frst African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain. She was one of the frst African women publishers when she founded Tana Press in 1970. She engaged in governmental work in reconstruction after the Biafran War, in particular working with orphans and refugees who were displaced during the war.
Author: Bridget Nwanze
Flora Nwapa
Grace Alele-Williams (1932–2022)
Author: Adelani Adedoyin
Professor Grace Alele-Williams. Professor of mathematics who made history as the frst Nigerian woman to receive a doctorate, and the frst Nigerian female Vice-Chancellor at the University of Benin. She had a special interest in women’s education. While spending a decade directing the Institute of Education, she introduced innovative non-degree programs which allowed older women working as elementary school teachers to earn certifcates.
Folake Solanke. Lawyer, administrator, and social critic. She is the frst female Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the frst Nigerian female lawyer to wear the silk gown as Senior Counsel. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her professional excellence and immense contribution to the advancement of women within the legal profession.
Author: Adelani Adedoyin
Folake Solanke
Author: Divine Favour
(1933–2001)
Hajia Gambo Sawaba. Women’s rights activist, politician and philanthropist, who served as the deputy chairperson of the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), and was elected leader of the national women’s wing of Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU). She was a campaigner against under-aged marriages, forced and unpaid labor, and an advocate for western education in the north.
HajiaGambo Sawaba
Author: Clara Aden
Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett. Actress, journalist, television presenter and editor, who was the frst editor of Africa Woman magazine in the 1970s. Her acting debut was in December 1966 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, later joining the Traverse Theatre Group for the Edinburgh Festival, and becoming a director with the Black Theatre Workshop in London. She returned to Nigeria in 1971, since when she has featured in several notable Nigerian flms. She was given a national award for her contributions to the development of the country.
Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett
Virginia Etiaba. Politician who served as Governor of Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria from November 2006 to February 2007. Etiaba was the frst woman to serve as Governor of a Nigerian state. She also founded the Bennet Etiaba Memorial Schools, Nnewi, of which she was the proprietress.
VirginiaEtiaba
Author: Kaltume Gana
Dr. Ekanem Ikpi Braide. Parasitologist who is credited with a major contribution to the eradication of guinea worm in Nigeria. She is also a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant and member of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. In 2020, she was made the frst female Presidentelect of the Nigerian Academy of Science. Braide is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Leprosy Mission (TLM) Nigeria. She is the Pro-Chancellor of Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Nigeria.
Author: Chinyere Nwaneri
Ekanem Ikpi Braide
Nike
Chief “Mama” Nike Davies Okundaye. Painter, batik and Adire textile designer, who introduced the Adire designs on wood, metal and paintings. She is best known for her cloth work and embroidery pieces. Over the past twenty years, Nike has given workshops on traditional Nigerian textiles to audiences worldwide. She has served on the UNESCO Committee of the Intangible Nigerian Heritage Project. “Mama” Nike is also a social entrepreneur and a well-known philanthropist championing the cause of neglected Nigerian rural women using art.
Author: Irene Ewere
Folorunsho Alakija. Businesswoman and philanthropist involved in the fashion, oil, real estate and printing industries. She is recognized globally for her impactful contributions to the business world, and her The Rose of Sharon Foundation that helps widows and orphans through scholarships and business grants.
Folorunsho Alakija
Author: Ngozi Akande
(1951–1996)
Kudirat Abiola. Pro-democracy campaigner. She was assassinated whilst her husband, Moshood Abiola, was being detained by the Nigerian Government. She lent her voice to help end military dictatorship in Nigeria and remains a symbol of Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. She is known for her quest for a better, freer Nigeria.
Author: Maryam Maigida
Kudirat Abiola
Onyeka Onwenu. Singer, songwriter, actress, human right activist, social activist, journalist, and politician. She is famous for her advocacy work done through writing and singing focusing on issues such as health (HIV/ AIDS), peace and mutual coexistence, respect for women rights, the plight of children, and attitudinal change in Nigeria.
Author: Joy Idigoh
Dr. Ajoritsedere Josephine Awosika. Businesswoman with over three decades’ experience in public sector governance. She was at various times the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministries of Internal Afairs, Power, and Science and Technology. She is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacy. She was chairwoman of Access Bank plc. She is currently the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Nigeria.
Author: Ngozi Akande
AjoritsedereAwosika
Author: Kukoyi Olajumoke
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Economist and global icon who has been serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization since March 2021. She is the frst woman and frst African to lead the World Trade Organization as Director-General. Under her leadership as the Minister of Finance, Nigeria emerged as the largest economy in Africa. She also empowers women and youth with initiatives that support entrepreneurs, which has created thousands of jobs in Nigeria.
(1954–2014)
Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili. Pharmacist and governmental administrator who gained international recognition and won several awards for her work in pharmacology, public health and human rights, especially her special motivation for attacking the country’s counterfeit drug problem. She was the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria from 2001 to 2008. In 2008, Akunyili was appointed Minister of Information and Communications.
Author: Williams Josephine Uchechukwu
Dora Akunyili
Author: Obi Njideka
Adadevoh
(1956–2014)
Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh. Physician who is credited with having curbed a wider spread of the Western African Ebola virus epidemic in Nigeria by placing the patient zero in quarantine despite pressure from the Liberian government. She is known for preventing the Nigerian index case from leaving the hospital at the time of diagnosis, thereby playing a key role in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria.
AmeyoStella
Author: Halima Abubakar
General Aderonke Kale. Army psychiatrist who became the frst female major general in the Nigerian Army. She was also the frst female major general in West Africa. Kale became director of the entire Nigerian Medical Corps and was its Chief Medical Ofcer until 1996.
Aderonke Kale
Author: Fatima Masaya
Balaraba Ramat Yakubu. Author who writes in Hausa. She is a leader in the genre of littattafan soyayya, or “love literature”, and one of the very few Hausa-language writers whose work has been translated into English. Her stories focuses on issues such as forced marriages and women’s education. She has also worked as a screenwriter, producer, and director of Kannywood flms, the Hausalanguage flm industry of northern Nigeria based in Kano.
Balaraba Yakubu
Author: Maryam Maigida
GeorgiettaYehouenou
Georgietta Yehouenou. Trafc control volunteer in Lagos State, who has been standing and controlling trafc for 37 years and counting. She has been a diligent trafc marshal who, even while retired, is still working to bring sanity to trafc spots in Lagos. She is one of the most celebrated trafc wardens in Nigeria today.
Author: Bridget Nwanze
Pauline Tallen
Pauline Kedem Tallen. Politician and public servant who in 2007 became the Deputy Governor of Plateau State, the frst woman to hold this position in northern Nigeria. She was appointed as Minister twice. She is also a board member of the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA). Tallen was awarded the Woman of the Year award at the 10th African Icon of Our Generation Award ceremony for her contributions to Nigeria. She holds the titles of OFR and CON.
Author: Ogochukwu Ejiofor
Christy Essien-Igbokwe. Musician and actress also known as “Nigeria’s Lady of Songs.” She was the frst and only female president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN). She was always at the forefront of issues afecting women and children, empowering thousands of women in Nigeria. The Federal Government of Nigeria also inducted her as a distinguished citizen with the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR).
ChristyEssien-Igbokwe (1960–2011)
Amina J. Mohammed. British Nigerian diplomat and politician who is serving as the ffth Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. She also served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s eforts on climate action and eforts to protect the natural environment. She came to prominence via her role as a Senior Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Author: Ashiegbu Uloma
Amina J. Mohammed
Author: Chinyere Nwaneri
Captain Chinyere Onyenaucheya.
Commercial pilot and the frst woman to fy an aircraft in Nigeria. She is a member of the Nigerian Women Achievers Hall of Fame and a member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was conferred upon her in 2006.
ChinyereOnyenaucheya
Author: Tabitha Odigili
Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili. Economic and human capital policy expert, she is the former Vice President for the World Bank’s Africa region and has served twice as Federal Minister in Nigeria. Ezekwesili is also known for her role in the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group, which she deployed to draw global attention to the plight of all persons who have been abducted by terrorists from Nigeria’s war-ravaged northeast region.
Oby Ezekwesili
Author: Khadijah T. Adeboye
Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu. CEO of the EbonyLife Group, one of Africa’s leading media conglomerates, Mo is a media mogul and philanthropist who has been described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman” in 2021, and rated as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television” by The Hollywood Reporter. Mo has signed deals with partners including Sony, Netfix, AMC, Lionsgate and the BBC to bring original and progressive African stories to the global stage.
Mo Abudu
Author: Chidera Uzoma
Ngozi Akande
Dr. Ngozi Rosemary Akande. Painter who uses her art as an advocacy platform for women’s rights and empowerment. She is a mentor to younger artists, women and children. As the President of the Female Artists Association of Nigeria (FEAAN), Akande brought several projects and collaborations that have had a positive infuence on the lives of its members. She is the country coordinator of Nigeria Art Olympiad, and runs the Pet Art Gallery which organizes children and adult art workshops.
Arunma Oteh
Arunma Oteh. Economist who served at the World Bank as Vice President and Treasurer from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining the World Bank, she served as Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. In 2011 Oteh was made an Ofcer of the Order of the Niger OON by the Nigerian government in recognition of her contribution to economic development and to transforming Nigerian capital markets.
Author: Chidera Uzoma
Mary Onyali - Omagbemi. Athlete, who represented Nigeria fve times at the Olympic games between 1988 – 2004. She had won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1992 Olympic Games and in the 200 m at the 1996 Olympic Games. She is famous for her sterling talent in sprint and tremendous contributions to the sport industry in Nigeria, fying the country’s fag at international stages.
MaryOnyali
Chioma Ajunwa. Athlete, football player and police ofcer. Notable for becoming the frst Nigerian to win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the frst black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a feld event. Ajunwa remains the only woman to compete at both the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a footballer and at the Olympics as a track and feld athlete. She has launched programs to discover new Nigerian stars in sports, and has received national award for her contributions to the development of the country.
Chioma Ajunwa
Author: Onyinyechi Ekeh
Nse Ikpe-Etim. Actress who came to prominence in 2008 for her role in Reloaded. She has been nominated and won several awards in the flm industry in Nigeria, and also won the Best Actress in a Drama award at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for playing “Nse” in Journey to Self. She has made invaluable contributions to the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) through her roles and talent.
Nse Ikpe-Etim
Author: Ekene May
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfction. She has used her talent in writing and storytelling to inspire the younger generation, especially young girls, and to change lives and infuence the socio-political society in Nigeria and around the world. She has won notable awards globally. She is also an undogmatic voice of liberal feminism in the 21st century and was named on OOOM Magazine’s list of the World’s Most Inspiring People in 2019.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Author: Ekene May
Author: Ashiegbu Uloma
Adora Ikwuemesi
Adora Ikwuemesi. Prolifc speaker, writer and infuencer in the feld of human resources management. She is known for her invaluable role in the HR space especially in Nigeria, helping professionals navigate their careers successfully. Her notable initiatives include the provision of the Nigerian Labour Act app and creation of the HR Nigeria platform, an online forum dedicated to the management and development of people.
Author: Onyinyechi Ekeh
Chioma Agwuegbo. Communications strategist and educator who has been linking solutions to business growth and development, community mobilization, and government engagement with citizens. In recognition of her work with women and politics, she was an inaugural speaker at the Global Women Leaders Forum in Iceland in November 2018. Chioma is an alumnus of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers.
Chioma Agwuegbo
Tosin Oshinowo. Architect, creative entrepreneur, public speaker and author. Known for her works on the design of Maryland Mall in Lagos, Tosin is a graduate of Architecture from Kingston College London. In 2019, Oshinowo was featured in the Polaris catalogue produced by Visual Collaborative, and was interviewed alongside other practitioners from around the world. She worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a stabilization program in Northeast Nigeria that ofers a new village to a community displaced by Boko Haram.
Tosin Oshinowo
Author: Blessing Miracle Ome
Ojinika “Ojy” Anne Okpe. International model, television anchor and flmmaker. She graduated in Communications and Film Production from St. John’s University, New York. As TV anchor at Arise TV, she is breaking new boundaries using her hit show, What’s Trending With Ojy Okpe, to tell meaningful stories. The Emmy award winner has worked on multi-million dollar international flm productions like The Devil Wears Prada, Spiderman 3 and Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Ojy Anne Okpe
Author: Ayoola
Omoyo
Agbani Darego. Model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 2001. She was the frst black African to win Miss World. Shortly after her reign as Miss World, she landed a three-year contract with L’Oréal, becoming only the second model of black skin to accomplish this feat. She launched “Stylogenic,” a style and fashion reality show on Nigerian television, and launched her own denim range, AD by Agbani Darego. She is renowned for promoting Nigeria in the global arena.
Author: Hadiza Abiola Shehu
AgbaniDarego
Ola Brown
Olamide “Ola” Brown. British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur, and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group. Through her frm, she has improved medical services by introducing innovation and creativity, which has reduced deaths in health care emergencies in Nigeria. Ola Brown is also the founding partner of Healthcare Capital Africa (Healthcap), a pan-Africa investment company focused on investments that create a healthier world.
Author: Ayoola Omoyo
Temilade “Tems” Openiyi. Singer and songwriter, known professionally as Tems. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single “Essence”, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination
Tems Openiyi
Author: Anila Adnan
Author: Khadijah T. Adeboye
Oluwatobiloba Ayomide “Tobi” Amusan. Athlete who specializes in the 100-meter hurdles and competes as a sprinter. She is the current World, Commonwealth and African champion in the 100m hurdles, as well as the meet record holder in those three competitions. Amusan became the frst-ever Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event, bringing the Nigerian fag on the global podium.
Tobi Amusan
WomenPastand
preparedbystudents ofSUTNARKA
TheLadislavSutnarFaculty ofDesignandArt/UniversityofWestBohemia inPilsenunderthementorship ofRenátaFučíková ACzechCentresexhibit
The Czech Centres celebrate women. Women whose courage, competence, inner strength, and tenacity serve as a kind of point of reference today. And there is a lot to celebrate.
First of all, in 2020 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the enactment of women’s sufrage which opened the way to rectifying the inequities of free political expression. This was unquestionably thanks to eforts of, among others, the frst Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who was not afraid to have a strong woman by his side in his personal life and openly referred to himself as a feminist.
A no less important anniversary relates to an icon of Czech culture and society, writer Božena Němcová, who was born exactly 200 years ago. Nor can we forget Marie Schmolková, the humanitarian activist who contributed substantially to protecting thousands of refugees from the Nazi regime, including the Jewish children later known as “Winton’s children”. And, of course, the lawyer, politician and exceptionally wise and brave woman, Milada Horáková, who fell victim to the judicial murders of the 1950s communist show trials. And many, many others…
It is an impressive list of women associated with the Czech-Moravian basin spanning history and all felds of human activity! Women who were not and are not afraid to be strong in their positions, opinions, responsibilities, and service – and despite the historical circumstances, social expectations or cultural conventions they faced. Some of them are much extoled and were even in their own day, others have unfairly faded into obscurity.
The Czech Heroines project ofers portraits of ffty prominent Czech and Moravian women as seen through the eyes of the today’s wave of young illustrators, students of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia led tenaciously by their mentor and teacher Renáta Fučíková. With this, we open what will be one of the Czech Centres’ longer-term programming themes focusing on women, both in terms of gender issues and also from the perspective of artistic inspiration.
Join me in admiring these women!
Ondřej Černý
General director of the Czech Centres
For reasons I fnd strange and hard to comprehend, humanity stifed its intellectual potential for thousands of years by restricting women’s opportunities to get an education, to have a say in the social processes of which they were a part, and to make decisions for themselves. Women who wanted to apply themselves in positions established for men by men were precluded from doing so by massive social pressures.
Unfortunately, it is not really even accurate to use the past tense, since the same thing continues today in many countries around the world. I, for one, am lucky enough to have been born in a country where the law does not discriminate against women – and has not for a long time. Such laws have not existed for 100 years, and I am grateful for not having to live in a strange, dimensionless world that has been mindlessly amputated so as to belong to men alone. I am grateful to the women who could not be stopped by bias and were able to assert themselves, their worldviews and their work despite all odds. They deserve our admiration and respect. I am glad that the Sutnarka students under the mentorship of Renáta Fučíková are commemorating some of them. Let us pay these women our respects and take inspiration from them!
Josef Mištera
Dean
Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art / University of West Bohemia in Pilsen
Nowadays, at the start of the 21st century, it goes without saying that women in the Czech Republic have the freedom to make decisions about their place in society, their education, property, or professions. We can hardly imagine the kind of efort that those who came before us had to exert in whatever they did. We are right in calling them HEROINES.
Female students predominate in our illustration studio, with young women making up a substantial majority. I gave them the task of honoring famous women in Czech history. Their young male colleagues were happy to cooperate. Together, we created a set of portraits of Czech heroines.
In the middle of our work, we joined forces with two other women: the renowned author Kateřina Tučková and historian Lenka Křížová. The result of our collaboration is a book and exhibit that will now be travelling the world via the Czech Centres.
This is our contribution to the 100th anniversary of the constitutional law that ebabled half of the Czech population to express their opinions on public afairs and, most importantly, to decide their own fortunes.
Renáta Fučíková
Head of Media and Didactic Illustration
Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art / University of West Bohemia in Pilsen
translated by: Christian Falvey
(ca.860 – 921)
The frst historically documented Czech princess, wife of Prince Bořivoj I, probably also reigned in Bohemia for some time and was renowned for her piety and care for the poor. She raised her grandson Wenceslas, who later became Czech patron saint. After being murdered at the order of her daughterin-law Drahomíra, she was worshiped as a saint and canonized in the 12th century.
Princess Ludmila
(930/935 – 994)
Daughter of Prince Boleslav I from the ruling Přemyslid dynasty. Her diplomatic mission to Rome contributed signifcantly to the recognition of the Czech state and the establishment of the Prague bishopric. After her return she became the abbess of the frst Czech monastery of St. George at Prague Castle.
Abbess Mlada
(1211–1282)
A royal daughter of the Přemyslid dynasty who brought the Franciscan movement to Bohemia. In Prague she founded a monastery, hospital and the order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the only male order of the Church founded by a woman. In 1989 it was canonized.
Agnes ofBohemia
Maria Theresa
(1717–1780)
Czech and Hungarian Queen and Austrian Archduchess, who became the only woman in history to rule the Habsburg monarchy. Her enlightenment reforms, which included the introduction of compulsory schooling, permanent surnames, and the unifcation of measures and weights, contributed signifcantly to the modernization of the empire and infuenced the lives of the population for the next few centuries.
(1785–1845)
Writer and prominent fgure in the Czech National Revival. She was primarily known for her cookbooks and home economics guides, which infuenced Czech cuisine and dining customs. She introduced Czechs to a number of previously unknown procedures and thus markedly expanded the Czech vocabulary.
(1820–1862)
Writer, collector of fairy tales and folk tales, and author of The Grandma, today still considered one of the classic works of Czech literature. She was among the frst publicly active women, whose free thinking and independence became role models for subsequent generations.
Sidonie Nádherná
(1885–1950)
Czech noblewoman, patron, muse and inspiration for many artists, including Rainer Maria Rilke, Max Švabinský and Karl Kraus. She helped develop cultural life in Bohemia and over her lifetime amassed a signifcant art collection. Shortly after the Communist coup in 1948 she emigrated to Great Britain.
Ema Destinnová
(1878–1930)
World-famous opera singer and soprano who performed on stages in Berlin, London, Vienna and Paris. At the New York Metropolitan Opera she formed an unforgettable duo with the famous tenor Enrico Caruso.
(1843–1914)
German writer born in Prague who contributed signifcantly to the worldwide pacifst movement with her literary work and lecturing. In 1905, she was the frst woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
von Suttner
Bertha
(1886–1941)
(1850–1923)
An American from New York, she was the wife of the frst president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Her tireless work on behalf of the women’s movement signifcantly infuenced the decisions of her husband.
Charlotte Garrigue-Masaryková
(1879–1966)
Daughter of the frst president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, and one of the frst female university graduates in Bohemia, she pushed for numerous innovations in social policy and health care. In 1919 she founded the Czechoslovak Red Cross and become its frst President. After the Communist coup in 1948 she emigrated to the USA, where she remained.
Alice Masaryková
(1858–1934)
Painter and book graphics pioneer, tireless organizer of Czech art life. She frequently stayed in France, where she was inspired by and made contact with certain artists. As an independent creative woman, her lifestyle deviated signifcantly from the standards of the day and as an artist, she succeeded despite the contempt of bourgeois morality.
Zdenka Braunerová
(1895–1981)
Noblewoman and horse rider, she was the frst woman to participate in the famed Great Pardubice Steeplechase in 1927, one of the most difcult horse races in Europe. Ten years later she won the race on the mare Norma. Thus far she is the only woman in history to win this race. As a competitor, she was supported by the aristocratic Kinský family to whom she was related.
Lata Brandis
(1900–1994)
The frst Czech female racer who in 1928 drove her Bugatti in one of the most demanding car races in the world, the Sicilian Targa Florio, where she fnished ffth. After the tragic death of her husband, car racer Čeněk Junek, she no longer actively raced but participated in organizing motor sports, for example, the construction of the Masaryk Circuit in Brno.
Eliška Junková
(1896–1944)
Journalist, writer and translator, a friend of Franz Kafka, whose prose she translated into Czech. As an active participant in the anti-Nazi resistance during World War II, she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp where she died. In 1995 she was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations award. The Czech-German Journalist Award also bears her name.
Milena Jesenská
(1902–1987)
Well known actress on the Czech, German and Austrian silver screens. She gained world renown thanks to two flms directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Her relationship with German boxer Max Schmeling made the two one of the most popular and closely watched celebrity couples of their day.
AnnyOndra
(1903–1970)
A native of the Moravian metropolis of Brno from a German-Jewish family, she commissioned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to design the famous functionalist Villa Tugendhat, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
Grete Tugendhat
Toyen
(1902–1980)
Czech painter, draftswoman and graphic artist, representative of the Czechoslovak interwar avant-garde, who together with artist Jindřich Štýrský founded their own artistic movement of Artifcialism and later became the most prominent representative of Czech surrealist art. Shortly after World War II she left for Paris, where she continued to produce art.
Vítězslava Kaprálová
(1915–1940)
The frst Czech female composer and conductor, author of the Military Sinfonietta performed by the BBC London Orchestra under her conduction at the opening of the International Society for Contemporary Music festival in 1938. She privately studied composition with prominent Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, who lived in France at that time.
(1880–1972)
Fashion designer and owner of a renowned clothing salon in Prague, which became a model for all similar Czech companies in the 1930s and 1940s. Pioneer of fashion shows, for which she employed the frst professional fashion models. Her imaginative creations were sported by contemporary Czech stars of the silver screen along with prominent socialites.
Hana Podolská
(1893–1940)
A humanitarian worker of Jewish origin, who shortly before the outbreak of World War II saved thousands of German and Czech Jews from Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. She initiated the rescue of more than six hundred Jewish children transported from Central Europe to Great Britain, who later became known as Winton’s Children.
Marie Schmolková
Inka Bernášková
(1904–1942)
Journalist and member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Along with her father, graphic artist and painter Vojtěch Preissig, she published an illegal magazine called V boj. After being arrested she showed great personal bravery by not giving up any names of other members of the resistance, probably saving their lives. She herself, however, was executed.
(1901–1950)
Lawyer and prominent representative of the Czech women’s movement. As a member of parliament of the Czechoslovak Socialist Party, from 1946 she opposed the communist government. In 1950 she was tried in a sham political trial for alleged treason and subsequently executed.
Milada Horáková
(1929–1995)
A political prisoner who was convicted of denigrating communist leaders and hiding military deserters. Later she helped found Club 231, which brings together the victims of the communist political trials of the 1950s. After her emigration to Australia, she joined Amnesty International.
DagmarŠimková
(1922–2020)
Javelin thrower who won the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. She twice won the title of European Champion and in 1958 broke the world record in javelin throw. She was the wife of endurance runner Emil Zátopek.
Dana Zátopková
(1942–2016)
Gymnast, trainer and sports emissary, who is still the most successful gymnast of all time. She won three gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Four years later, at the Olympics in Mexico City, she added four more gold and two silver medals. At the awards ceremony she voiced her condemnation of the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, she became an advisor to President Václav Havel.
(* 1942)
A successful singer who then signed and became a spokesperson for Charter 77, a civic initiative that criticized the communist regime for not respecting fundamental human and civil rights. Her song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of protest against the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia in August 1968.
Marta Kubišová
(1929–2014)
An acclaimed flm director representing the Czechoslovak New Wave, a generation of flms made in the 1960s employing new themes and artistic means. In her flms, Chytilová criticized contemporary society, and received a number of international awards after the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
Věra Chytilová
(* 1956)
One of the most successful female tennis players of all time, who emigrated from Communist Czechoslovakia to the USA in the 1970s. For many years she was the world number one in women’s singles and doubles, winning 59 Grand Slam tournaments. She speaks openly about her lesbian sexual orientation.
Martina Navrátilová
(1933–1996)
Wife of President Václav Havel, who was the frst head of state after the fall of the Communist regime. Havlová founded the Committee of Good Will - Olga Havel Foundation. During the Communist regime, she organized numerous meetings of dissidents and was the inspiration for the letters written by Václav Havel from prison published in the book Letters to Olga.
OlgaHavlová
Madeleine Albright
(* 1939)
Architect and designer who, after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops in 1968, emigrated to Great Britain. Her notable works include the Canada Water bus terminal and the entrance to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. She is also famous for her original designs of glass staircases.
(* 1990)
Tennis player who won the Wimbledon Women’s Singles in 2011 and 2014, the 2011 Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Fed Cup six times with other Czech teammates.
Petra Kvitová
(* 1995)
Snowboarder who also competes in alpine skiing. She won the gold medal in both disciplines at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongyang, becoming the second woman in history to win two diferent sports at the Olympics.
Ester Ledecká
(1903–1990)
Sculptor, representative of the interwar avantgarde. She drew inspiration from the fve years she spent in France. The Communist regime rejected her work. Thanks to originality of her work, she is today considered the frst lady of Czech sculpture. She was the sister of chemist Otto Wichterle, the inventor of contact lenses.
Hana Wichterlová
Adriena Šimotová
(1926–2014)
Painter, draftswoman and graphic artist, who developed a unique art technique consisting of squeezing, perforating and layering paper. In her non-fgurative art she was inspired mainly by the inner life of man. Her works are shown in galleries and museums around the world. In 1991 she was awarded the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
(* 1925)
An opera singer, mezzo-soprano and alto who emigrated to West Germany after 1962, when she refused to cooperate with the Communist regime. She has enjoyed a successful career on the leading stages of Western opera houses. She has twice been awarded the honorary title of chamber singer, which is awarded in Germany and Austria.
Soňa Červená
(* 1919)
Art collector, patron and founder of the Museum Kampa in Prague, which exhibits her wide collection of modern Central European art. After the Communist takeover in 1948, she remained abroad, where she met exiles of the Czech intellectual and artistic elite. Since the 1950s, she has been intensively collecting the works of the world-famous Czech painter František Kupka.
Meda Mládková
(* 1973)
A mezzo-soprano who has established herself on the world’s leading stages. She has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Gramophone Award for Artist of the Year 2004. In 2016, she established a foundation aimed at supporting the development of elementary art schools in the Czech Republic.
Marie von Ebner- Eschenbach
(1830–1916)
One of the most important German writers of the 19th century. Her work drew attention to contemporary social problems and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1910 and 1911 for her exceptionally impressive literary work and contribution to society. She lived most of her life in Vienna, where she was also often artistically inspired.
(1912–2002)
A scout leader who joined the anti-totalitarian resistance after the Communist Party took power in 1948. During interrogations she showed great personal bravery and saved many scouts from persecution. From 1949-1965 she was imprisoned for political reasons.
Dagmar Skálová
(1566–1642)
A noblewoman, frst the wife of the High Burgrave Wilhelm von Rosenberg, and then Imperial High Chancellor Zdeněk Vojtěch Popel of Lobkowitz. In 1618, she rescued royal governors Slavata and Martinic, who were thrown out from the windows of Prague Castle during the second defenestration. Ten years later she donated the famous Infant Jesus of Prague to the monastery of barefoot Carmelites at the Church of Our Lady Victorious, a statue that thousands of tourists come to Prague to see today.
Polyxena of Pernstein and Lobkowitz
(1788–1873)
Businesswoman, philanthropist and patron, who managed the family brewery and distillery. She supported the many diverse activities of her son Vojta Náprstek, Czech patriot, patron and advocate for the advancement and emancipation of women, including the founding of the American Ladies Club, which became the center of the contemporary emancipation movement, and the founding of the Czech Industrial Museum, which continues to be operate in the U Halánků building on Prague’s Bethlehem Square to this day.
Anna Náprstková
(1862–1946)
Writer and playwright, author of theater plays set in the Slovácko region of Moravia which present a mirror for the morality of that time. Her principal works include the play Jenůfa, which was later set to music by the worldfamous composer Leoš Janáček.
Gabriela Preissová
(1875–1942)
A politician, journalist and organizer of the Czech and international women’s movement who, in the period between the two world wars, pushed for a number of laws bettering the position of women and mothers. Because of her condemnation of the German occupation she was executed by the Nazis.
Františka Plamínková
(1887–1982)
World-renowned soprano who, after her engagement in Vienna, performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York from 1921-1932. Because of her strong voice she was known as the Moravian Thunderbolt.
Maria Jeritza
(1914–2009)
A spy and member of the United States Army. During Operation Sauerkraut in 1944, she tried to infltrate Hitler’s army through German prisoners captured in Italy, where she was deployed. For her bravery, she was awarded one of the most important American military honors - the Bronze Star.
Božena Hauserová
(* 1987)
Speed skater, three-time winner of the Winter Olympics in 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi), multiple world champion in the 3000 m, 5000 m and combined. She began her professional sports career on a frozen pond due to a lack of athletic facilities.
Martina Sáblíková
(* 1981)
Javelin thrower, three-time World Champion who won the Summer Olympics in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London). Since 2008 she has held the world record of 72.28 meters.