For almost a decade, I’ve seen “Ali,” a woman navigating narrow alleys and streets with her cart, shouting loudly, “Gas cylinders!” accompanied by the distinctive metallic clang announcing her arrival. Echoing calls follow her cry, “Ali, I need a cylinder here!”
Known by everyone as Ali, she begins her day at 8 a.m., delivering her heavy load to earn a living. Forced into work by her husband, who prefers idleness, cigarettes, and drugs.
Ali supports her six children and an irresponsible spouse. Married off at a very young age, she named herself after her eldest son, Ali, to avoid the shame of being addressed by her name in a society that values men over women.
Taking on this grueling job, Ali shed her femininity, adopting a rugged appearance akin to her male peers. Burdened with the responsibilities of her family, Ali finds no one to carry her own burdens.
Throughout history, there have been countless tales of oppressed women who faced unjust circumstances, leaving their femininity behind to survive through sheer labor and determination.
Despite the challenges, some women have defied societal norms, carved their paths, and inscribed their names in history.
In a world dominated by male success, these women broke barriers and achieved feats many men could not.
Body Alteration for Disguise
Dorothy Lawrence was born on October 4, 1896, and is known in history as the only English woman who participated in World War I.
Dorothy always dreamed of becoming a prominent journalist with a wide reputation. She was exceptionally talented, with a pen that captivated readers. However, opportunities for women at the time were nearly nonexistent, so she decided to carve her path and create her golden opportunity.
Dorothy planned to join the front lines of the war as a war correspondent to write compelling stories about soldiers and their experiences at the front. She began by attempting to publish her work in renowned newspapers and magazines such as The Times and Nash’s Pall Mall.
When the war began, she wrote to several newspapers offering her services as a war correspondent, believing it was the best way to gain recognition for her talents. However, no female journalist was allowed on the front lines as this work was prohibited for women at the time.
In 1915, Lawrence traveled to France and attempted to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment, but her application was rejected. While trying to enter the war zone through the French sector as an independent worker, she was arrested by French police just three kilometers from the front lines.
She returned to Paris and realized that only by disguising herself as a man could she achieve her dream and tell her story.
Lawrence convinced two British soldiers she met at a café in Paris to smuggle a khaki military uniform for her. She called the ten men who helped her “the Khaki Companions.”
She trained to transform herself into a male soldier by cutting her hair in a military style, flattening her chest with a homemade corset, and using sacking and cotton wool to broaden her shoulders.
She darkened her skin with a chemical made from potassium permanganate and scraped her cheeks to produce a shaving rash. Her soldier friends taught her how to use weapons.
Using forged identity papers under the name Private Denis Smith of the First Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, she headed to the front lines.
On her way, she met a coal miner, Tom Dunn, who offered to help upon learning her true identity. He provided her with an abandoned hut to sleep in, where she rested on a damp mattress and survived on rations Dunn could supply.
Under the pressures of her situation and harsh conditions, Lawrence developed chills, rheumatism, and fainting spells. After 10 days of service, she revealed her identity as a woman to protect the men who had helped her and was immediately arrested.
She was taken to the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force, interrogated as a spy, and declared a prisoner of war. The military was embarrassed that a woman had breached their security, fearing her story might inspire more women to assume male roles during the war.
A judge ordered her to remain in France, fearing she might disclose sensitive intelligence, and she was also forced to swear an oath of silence about her experiences. She signed a declaration to avoid imprisonment and was then sent back to London.
Upon her return, she tried to publish her experiences in The Wide World Magazine, but her book was canceled due to instructions from the War Office under the Defense of the Realm Act of 1914.
Years later, Lawrence managed to publish her book after returning to London, but it did not achieve the anticipated success. By 1925, her mental health had deteriorated due to the horrors she had witnessed, including suffering, torture, and injustice. She was institutionalized and later deemed insane.
At the age of 67, Dorothy Lawrence died of a stroke on August 29, 1964, and was buried in a public grave for the poor.
A Trailblazer in Surgery and a Human Rights Advocate
Margaret was born in 1789 to a poor family in County Cork, Ireland. Her father, Jeremiah Bulkeley, owned a small grocery shop.
Margaret dreamt of becoming a medical doctor, specifically a surgeon, and excelled academically. However, such aspirations were unattainable for women at the time, as even basic education for them was considered a rarity.
Amid the family’s dire financial struggles, her father invested his modest savings in educating his eldest son, John, who pursued law studies.
Their hopes were shattered when John abandoned the family, taking their remaining money to marry a wealthy woman, leaving the family in debt. Her father was imprisoned, and Margaret and her mother were left to fend for themselves.
In 1806, Margaret’s mother received news of the death of her brother, James Barry, a royal academic and painter in London, who left behind significant wealth. Margaret, then 18, moved to London with her mother and met Barry’s friends, who recognized her intelligence and passion for learning.
In an era when ignorance prevailed, and women were barred from most professions, including medicine, Margaret’s determination led Barry’s friends to devise a plan.
Together with her late uncle’s friends, she chose to travel to Edinburgh to study medicine, as it was considered the ideal destination for anyone aspiring to pursue medical studies. Edinburgh was renowned as the most prestigious medical school in the United Kingdom and one of the best universities in the world.
In November 1809, a ship set sail from London to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. Onboard was Margaret, disguised as a young man with red hair, traveling with an aunt who was, in fact, her mother.
Margaret faced numerous challenges in maintaining her disguise. She concealed her figure under heavy coats regardless of the weather, wore men’s high boots to increase her height, and consistently used a distinctive high-pitched voice, which strained her vocal cords.
Despite her precautions, her small stature and smooth skin raised suspicions. Some mistook her for a young boy, and she was initially barred from taking college exams. However, intervention from a lord connected to her late uncle’s friends allowed her to continue her studies, and she earned her medical degree at the age of 22.
After graduating and passing the Royal College of Surgeons’ exams, James Barry joined the army as an assistant surgeon. She forged an exceptional career, eventually rising to the position of Inspector General of Hospitals, serving across the British Empire, including in Britain, South Africa, the Caribbean, and Canada.
Barry was known for her advocacy for prisoners’ healthcare and leprosy patients. She was also an adept duelist. Her illustrious career spanned 50 years.
During which she performed the first successful cesarean section in Africa where both the mother and child survived—a rare feat at the time, as such operations were typically fatal for mothers.
Barry continued to rise through the ranks as she traveled the world, and by 1857, she had reached the position of Inspector General in charge of military hospitals.
Her deep humanity was evident in her fight against the injustices faced by African colonists. She advocated for proper sanitation in colonies and demanded humane care for leprosy patients, who were often neglected and mistreated.
Before retiring, James Barry received numerous promotions in recognition of her extraordinary efforts, becoming a medical inspector overseeing all military hospitals—a role considered the second most prestigious medical position in the British Army.
Before retiring, James Barry received numerous promotions in recognition of her extraordinary efforts, becoming a medical inspector overseeing all military hospitals—a role considered the second most prestigious medical position in the British Army.
James Barry passed away on July 25, 1865, from dysentery, an infectious intestinal disease. Her final wish was to be buried in the clothes she died in, but this wish conflicted with prevailing customs at the time.
While preparing her body for burial, a nurse discovered that Barry was female. The most shocking revelation was the stretch marks on her abdomen, indicating she had given birth at least once.
Margaret endured intense inner turmoil, torn between her femininity and ambitions. This conflict manifested in her behavior, as Barry often displayed a harsh, irritable demeanor.
Barry often had a bad temper and interacted with people in a rough and abrasive manner, likely to divert attention from his feminine appearance.
Barry was also known for yelling at patients, frequently arguing with his superiors, and throwing medicine bottles at the wall out of frustration. Most of the time, he reprimanded his staff to the point of outright insults.
