Not long ago, women were considered homemakers, child bearers and little else. Even after women started to achieve freedom it was often difficult for them to be taken seriously. Now, decades after women started winning rights they deserve, the world of business is full of female entrepreneurs that are powerful and influential to say the least.

These women are icons of empowerment, and discussing their success is an important way to celebrate their victory in the face of untold obstacles. It is now becoming clearer than ever that women actually can do whatever they set their mind to, just like men can.

These are examples of such great women:

1. Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919): Madam C. J. Walker was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records. Multiple sources mention that although other women might have been the first, their wealth is not as well-documented. Walker made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women through the business she founded, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company.

2. K. Rowling: , Joanne Rowling, better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, screenwriter, producer, and philanthropist. She is best known for writing the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies, becoming the best-selling book series in history. The books are the basis of a popular film series, over which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts and was a producer on the final films. She also writes crime fiction under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

3. Coco Channel: Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was a French fashion designer, and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with liberating women from the constraints of the “corseted silhouette” and popularizing a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel extended her influence beyond couture clothing, realizing her design aesthetic in jewellery, handbags, and fragrance. Her signature scent, Chanel No. 5, has become an iconic product. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.