Dr Mary Varghese was relatively unknown in her home state, Kerala, when she was alive; but the paraplegic has caught the attention of Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and former state secretary Hillary Clinton. Clinton put the spotlight on Dr Mary and 12 other women who rewrote history with their grit, determination and contribution to mankind. Chelsea, briefly a special correspondent for NBC News, celebrated the lives and times of these 13 women in her New York Times best-seller 'She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.'
Here is the list of the Chelsea’s chosen 13, who would inspire little girls and boys around the world:
1.Dr Mary Varghese – The doctor on a wheelchair
Born in Cherai, Ernakulam, Dr Mary took her MBBS from Vellore Medical College, and was preparing for her post-graduation when a road accident changed her life. The accident left her paralysed waist-down, and she was confined to a wheelchair. Yet, with an unfailing self-confidence, she dedicated the rest of her life to the welfare of the differently abled and the destitute.
Dr Mary initially focused on nursing leprosy patients. After completing higher education in the US, she spearheaded activities aimed at rehabilitating the differently abled. She was also the head of the Centre for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Medical College at Vellore. The doctor contributed much of her wealth on floating a care home for the differently abled, and the country honoured her with a Padma Shri in 1972.
US author Dorothy Clarke Wilson had showcased the doctor’s humanitarian work in “Take My Hands: The Remarkable Story of Dr Mary Varghese.”
Dr Mary died in 1986.
2. Malala Yousafzai: Nobel laureate. The Taliban apparently targeted her promoting education, especially of girls, in Pakistan.
3. Mary Curie: The French-Polish scientist was the first woman to win a Nobel.
4. Wangari Maathai: The Kenyan environmental political activist won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
5. J K Rowling: The British author wrote the Harry Potter series.
6. Sister Joan Agnes: Seventeenth century Mexican nun, writer, musician and visionary.
7. Viola Desmond: Canadian businesswoman and anti-racist campaigner. She challenged the racial segregation at a cinema, which led to the civil rights movement in Canada.
8. Sisleide do Amor Lima: Popularly known as Sissi, she was a Brazilian footballer and coach
9. Leymah Gbowee: Liberian peace activist who rallied woman against slavery and sexual exploitation. Gbowee won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
10. Caroline Herschel: German astronomer who discovered several comets.
11. Aisha Rateb: Lawyer and Egypt’s first woman Ambassador. She was Egypt’s envoy to Germany and Denmark.
12. Kate Sheppard: An editor and a prominent member of the women’s suffrage movement in New Zealand.
13. Yuan Yuan Tan: Most popular ballerina from China.
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