Switzerland celebrates the pumpkin season. Every year, Jucker Farms has a pumpkin exhibition with a theme and this year it is the power of women. I enjoyed the creativity and the stories of powerful women who each made a significant difference.

I share more about the insights and impressions the exhibition left with me.

Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France.

She was a religious peasant girl who acted under divine guidance and led the French army to a significant victory. She wore men’s clothing that allowed her to command an army of men in battle and cut her hair short in the ‘Bob’ style we now associate with French women.

Although Joan was wounded twice in battle, her faith and intuition protected her until she accomplished her mission.

Greta Thunberg

Greta is an environmental activist. Instead of going to school, she made a big sign that read ‘SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE’ and sat outside the Swedish parliament. The media spread awareness of her actions, and tens of thousands of students worldwide joined her.

She has Asperger syndrome but sees it as her superpower. She says it helps her see the world in black and white and that there are no grey areas regarding climate change.

Bertha Benz

As with many new things, people were sceptical about Carl Benz’s patent application for a car with an engine. Bertha, his wife, loaded their two sons into the car and drove for twelve hours and 100 kilometres on dirt roads. She drew public attention to her husband’s invention without him knowing about her plan. She also invested her inheritance in this research.

Berta followed a practical approach without fear to support her husband and contributed to technological progress. What an inspiration!

Frida Kahlo

I am familiar with this Mexican artist’s colourful work. In the exhibit, I learned she suffered from polio as a child and nearly died in a bus accident as a teenager. She had many broken bones and fractures and started painting while in a body cast. In her lifetime, she had 30 operations. Many of her paintings are self-portraits.

Her ability to create so much beauty despite her pain inspires me. Frida is a standard bearer for women’s inner strength and courage.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra was an Egyptian queen known in history as the lover of Julius Caesar and later as the wife of Mark Anthony. During this time, she actively influenced Roman politics.

Cleopatra was well-educated and very intelligent. She was skilled in chemistry, economics, trade strategy, military theory, law, and linguistics. Cleopatra was fluent in ten languages and the first Pharaoh to speak to the diverse groups of people in her empire in their mother tongue.

Mental load

This mental load exhibition conveyed a message that most women can relate to. In English, they call it “worry work”. Zander says that, in his opinion, worrying is the activity I spend the most time on.

I walked away with the realization that strong women throughout history, each in their own way, made a significant impact. Most women will never appear in history books, but their support, encouragement, and ability to hold things together make a long-lasting difference in their families and communities.

Regards

Emsia